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08Nov

Chasing The Man Bod: Secret #2

November 8, 2017 johnbecomehinkle Get Fit, Personal Training 20

 

My second secret for getting that svelte man bod of yesteryear is weight training. There are several things to know about weight training so I’m gong to simplify them for you. Let’s get back to the basics.

 

  1. Workout Order: Warm up 5-10 minutes, weight training workout, finish with the cardio. This order allows your body to focus its fuel stores on the weight training. If you do cardio before weights, there won’t be much left in the tank for pumping iron.

 

  1. Frequency: At least 3 days each week. One of the ways you make gains is to work hard enough to break the muscle down a little bit. This forces the body to repair, grow, and get stronger. You can contribute to this process by lifting at least 3 days per week.

 

  1. Lifts to Perform: Focus on the basic, multi-joint moves like bench presses, deadlifts, squats, and rows. These movements use A LOT of muscles. And, therefore, require a lot of calories.

 

  1. Intensity: Start with a light weight that allows you to do 10-12 repetitions for 4 sets. If you are just getting back into lifting, this will be enough. Remember, these movements use a lot of muscles so you’re probably going to get sore your first couple of workouts.

 

Next time we talk about FOOD. Who doesn’t like food? Now, go lift something!

 

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25Oct

Foam Rolling 101

October 25, 2017 paulbecomeborda Get Fit, Personal Training 18

At this point I’m sure you’ve heard about the importance of foam rolling or at the bare minimum a good friend or your trainer has introduced you to it. Many of us know that we should be foam rolling but struggle to understand the “why?” in regards to using it in a safe and effective manner.

 

Why should I foam roll?

Foam rolling is simply a self-myofascial release or a self-massage technique that one can use to break down trigger points or knotted up tissues in the body. When done properly and consistently foam rolling will also aid in the recovery process by improving the tissue quality of the muscles from increased blood flow and circulation to that part of the body. Foam rolling can ultimately lead to muscles that are more supple and joints that have greater ranges of motion, which is important for any athlete looking to increase their performance or reduce the risk of future injuries.

 

FAQ’s

 

How often and how long should I foam roll?

There is not a one size fits all answer or approach to this question. In a perfect world, I would like one to foam roll for roughly 10 minutes a day. It can be done before or after a workout, before bed at night, or anytime in between. Honestly, the timing of it is less important than just making sure you fit it into your daily routine.

 

Is foam rolling painful?

Yes, often times foam rolling can be painful depending on how tight your muscles are in addition to which part of the body you are rolling. Those who tend to spend more time foam rolling and have made it apart of their daily routine will find that it’s not as painful as when they first started using a foam roller. It’s common for some people to not know how much pain is too much or if it’s not painful at all they will wonder if they are doing it correctly. I like to use the term therapeutic pain to describe what you should be feeling when you’re foam rolling. It might not exactly be the most comfortable feeling but it should not be so painful that it’s tough to bear for a few minutes (with most things in life, moderation is the key).

 

Typically, if it’s not painful at all then you may either need to switch up the foam rolling tool you are using (i.e.: switch from a foam roller to something smaller and more dense like a lacrosse ball) or that particular area that you are rolling might not need as much attention as another part of your body.

 

I’ve never foam rolled before, how do I know which type of foam roller to buy?

In my experience I have found that this is an often overlooked key to uncovering some of the benefits from foam rolling. Foam rollers come in all different shapes and sizes, and in different densities. For beginners, you should start with a foam roller that is a little softer and less dense than some of the more advanced ones.

 

The issue with someone who doesn’t have much experience with foam rolling starting on a very dense foam roller or something like a lacrosse ball is that this person is probably fairly tight and won’t be able to relax their muscles at all during the time that they foam roll. If it is incredibly painful your nervous system and muscles will tighten up which won’t allow you to work the tissues in the muscles properly. If you are new to foam rolling, start by being conservative with which foam roller you use, and you can progress to new, more dense ones once your tissue and fascia have been opened up.

 

Common Pitfalls and Mistakes

 – You roll too fast. Slow down! When you just blindly roll over a muscle quickly you will most likely miss the trigger points and knots that really need your attention.

 

– You don’t spend enough time on it. 30 seconds of quick rolling over a certain muscle is most likely not going to create any lasting changes. Try to spend at least a couple minutes on each area of the body you are working on. When you find a particularly tight spot spend 30 seconds to a minute on it before moving on.

 

– The foam roller or tool you use to roll is too dense. Thus it’s too painful when you roll (see above).

 

– You have bad posture when you foam roll. Yes, even when you are foam rolling you need to think about keeping good postural integrity. Some positions while foam rolling require strength and the ability to hold yourself in a certain position for a period of time. Make sure to be aware of this while rolling.

 

– You foam roll your low back. Foam rolling your lower back is one of the cardinal sins of foam rolling. Doing so puts an inordinate amount of pressure in this region on the spine and should be avoided. FYI, the low back or lumbar spine is not always the reason for low back pain. It is often times coming from somewhere else in the body.

 

– You only foam roll when something hurts. Yes, foam rolling can be a helpful tool when something is flaring up, but it should also be used as a preventative or maintenance tool to avoid muscle tightness and future injuries.

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09Oct

Chasing the Man Bod: Secret # 1

October 9, 2017 johnbecomehinkle Get Fit, Personal Training 19

Hey fellas! Here is more detail on my first secret to help you get back to that svelte man bod you had in your younger days. Check out how water intake can play a significant role in changing your shape. The human body is comprised of 70% water and it plays a very important role in most bodily functions. I won’t bore you with ALL the different ways water affects the body, just the ones that influence how you can change your body to lose weight, increase muscle, and boost your energy. Proper hydration helps:

 

  • Maintain normal brain function.

The brain is the control center of the nervous system. It allows you to stay focused during workouts and recruits muscle to do the necessary work.

 

  • Prevent Injury.

If your joints and muscles are well hydrated, they can perform to their optimum level. Have you ever eaten beef jerky, which is dehydrated meat? It’s very dry and tough. Dried muscle doesn’t stretch and contract very well, it just tears apart.

 

  • Aide digestion and nutrient breakdown.

Water is the universal solvent. It can breakdown almost anything. Proper hydration levels help the body break down foods into usable nutrient forms for cell recovery and muscle building.

 

  • Flush waste products from the body.

These waste products can create a toxic environment in your body and prolong the recovery process. Getting rid of them helps you avoid heavy soreness and feel ready to take on another great workout.

 

  • Increase your metabolism.

Proper hydration boosts your calorie burn rate at rest allowing you to melt more fat throughout the day. That means cinching up the belt another notch. Water intake provides the ultimate fat burning environment and can take you from soft and fluffy to hard and defined.

 

So, how much water should you be drinking? It’s pretty simple math really. Take your body weight in pounds and divide by 2. The result tells you how many ounces of water you should drink each day. If you don’t drink much water on a daily basis, then take two to three weeks to increase your intake to the recommended dosage. Now, grab a glass and get to drinkin’.

Next time, I’ll be talking about the one type of exercise that can totally reshape your body…weight training.

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22Sep

Hey Fellas, Check Out These 5 Secrets to Getting Back That Svelte Man Bod You Had in Your Younger Days

September 22, 2017 johnbecomehinkle Get Fit, Personal Training 20

If you feel like life is sneaking up on you robbing you of strength, endurance, and energy and your body has become a little softer than you want it to be, check out my 5 secrets to getting back the body you had in your younger days.

 

 

  1. Increase your daily water intake. Work your way up to drinking 1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight. Being properly hydrated provides the ultimate fat burning environment. If you’re not currently drinking much water throughout the day, gradually increase your intake over 2 weeks.

 

  1. Weight train at least 3 days each week to help boost testosterone levels. Do your warm up, weight training, and then cardiovascular exercise. For weight training, perform compound or multi-joint movements to work as many muscle groups as possible in one lift. Examples include squats, deadlifts, rowing movements and chest presses.

 

  1. Eat clean & lean 5 days/week. For all meals and snacks, eat lean meats such as turkey, chicken, eggs, and fish. Eat lots of leafy greens and colorful vegetables. Stay away from soda, alcohol, deserts and junk foods.

 

  1. Get 6 ½ to 8 hours of sleep each night. Your body grows and repairs during the rest phase after and between workouts. Good quality sleep is very healing and restorative.

 

  1. Plan to do something FUN for your workout 2-3 times per week to keep your exercise interesting. Go for a hike, ride your bike, go for a swim, try rock climbing, play basketball, racquetball, or tennis. These are all great ways to get some cardiovascular exercise and they will prevent boredom.

 

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19Sep

The Importance of Weight Lifting for Bone Health

September 19, 2017 Chris Lathrop Get Fit, Personal Training 25

What we do in our younger years has a huge impact on our risk for bone disease. Many of us will build bone especially well into our early twenties. After our young adult life, we’re primarily holding on to the stores we have already built. That’s not to say we can’t build bone in later years it’s just much more difficult. Those that choose to do strength training in their youth or as young adults can dramatically impact the level of bone mass that they preserve over the course of their life.

 

Even if you’re in your fifties or sixties, starting a strength-training program can be tremendous for maintaining and improving your bone health!

 

Although there are factors influencing our bone density that’s out of our control, most factors are up to us. Weight bearing exercise and diet (Stay tuned for next blog on nutrition for bones) are the two most powerful tools we have in our arsenal.

 

It may take years to improve your bone density but that’s not necessarily the case for improving bone strength! With proper weight training, you can improve the strength of your bones in a much shorter amount of time. The way in which bone tissue is laid can become stronger even before bone density is affected. After seeing numerous clients with some level of bone disease (Osteopenia or Osteoporosis) those that have maintained or improved their bone density have done so by using weights many people would consider too heavy.

 

Of course, we must progress in a safe manner but heavy weight training is not just for athletes or bodybuilders. Those five pound weights you see so many people using in gyms and exercise classes might be a good starting point but won’t do the trick long term. You need to work your way up to weights heavy enough to be challenging with few repetitions.

 

The adage, “the way you train, is the way you gain” rings true here. Your bones will get stronger in the ways that you stress them so building up to heavier weights and using multiple planes of motion will have the most significant impact.

 

Here are some take home points for improving your bone strength:

 

  • Heavy weights will not hurt you, poor form and poor preparation will.

 

  • Take time to build up the level of resistance you use eventually getting to weights that are challenging in the lower repetition range.

 

  • Work your body in multiple planes of motion.

 

  • It can take years to improve bone density but that doesn’t mean bones can’t get stronger in the meantime

 

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31Mar

An Inside Look at Girl’s On The Run

March 31, 2015 fitnesssfa Get Fit, ThinkFUN 23

-from Caroline, GOTR Participant at Morehead Elementary

“I didn’t even really know what Girls On The Run was when my mom signed me up.  I knew I was pretty fast running the bases in softball but that was pretty much all the running I ever did.  I wasn’t sure that running a 5K sounded like much fun, but my best friend was doing it so I knew it couldn’t be too bad.

I remember on the first day, we played this name game, where we had to come up with an adjective that matched the first letter of our names. Immediately, we were all laughing and joking around, deciding what to choose. The coaches were really laid-back, and fun to talk to, always ready to tell a joke or laugh at one of ours. They established right from the beginning that we could talk to them if something was ever wrong.  It felt nice to know that they were in my corner!  Through all the different games and exercises we did together, the coaches really made GOTR a place where we felt that we could open up to each other and feel supported.

One of the lessons that I remember most is the one where we talked about “plugging in our positive cord.” Our coaches brought these giant pieces of paper, and we traced each other’s bodies, then filled in our shape with positive words and traits about ourselves.  I tend to be really hard on myself so after the first couple of ideas I stalled out, but the group started tossing out ideas which made me feel great and I was able to fill up the sheet.

Of course, between all these fun exercises, we were running laps too!  Lots and lots of laps… By the time the final race date came around, I was confident that I could run the 5K but still a little nervous since I was going to be running with my Dad for the first time and wasn’t sure I would be able to keep up with him.  Dad and I arrived at the race early that morning.  We got sprayed with glitter hair gel, huddled with the Morehead GOTR team, and made our way to our starting spot.  As we were waiting, the crowds pushed in and my anxiety increased.  But finally we got to start running.  It started out easy but I was definitely feeling it by the mid-point of the race.  Our pace was faster than what I had practiced.  I kept going but when I saw the big hill towards the end of the race, I just had to stop and walk for a bit.  I was mad at myself that I wasn’t able to keep running but then I remembered what the coaches had taught me about being my own best friend.  I took a deep breath, listened to all the cheering crowds and embraced the moment.  We started running again and finished strong!  I felt like a champ!

That race was almost two years ago and I have faced a lot more “big hills” since then.  For example, starting middle school was a major change and seemed a little overwhelming at first but the GOTR lessons have come in handy more than once. This past fall, I ran my first cross-country season, and I was surprised by how much the practices reminded me of GOTR. We formed a lot of new friendships, and continued to push ourselves. The Lakewood Montessori Girls XC team ended up taking first in the county race (we had five finishes in the top 8, including another Morehead GOTR participant!) I continued on after that with state races and surprised myself when I qualified for nationals. It’s amazing what you can do with a positive attitude and a lot of preparation! I’ve learned that this works for me outside of running as well. For example, I never thought I would be willing to stand in front of 50 people on a debate team. But I did it last month, and I’m proud of myself!

Looking back, GOTR really boosted my confidence levels both in school and sports. If I hadn’t had the GOTR experience, I might not have discovered my love of running, and my ability to push myself out of my comfort zone in all sorts of situations. It really is a great program!”

And here is what Caroline’s mom Katherine had to say:

“I have been very pleased with the experiences that both of my daughters have had with Girls on the Run at Morehead Montessori (Caroline Spring 2013 and Amanda Spring 2015).  Getting them running and thinking about how to keep their bodies strong and healthy at an early age is great.  The topics that are covered are important and the coaches manage to do it in a way that is both fun and personally relevant to each girl.  I love that the parents’ book lets me know what they are talking about in each session and suggests ways to continue the conversations at home.  For me personally, I’ve found that while my daughters had already heard most of these messages from me over the years, it somehow becomes more true and impactful for them to hear it from an outside source and to have the messages affirmed by their peers in a group setting.  The hands-on exercises that they do are great in translating the messages into actual actions that they are able to practice and incorporate into a mental arsenal of tools to help with any future girl drama, self-doubts, and all the other life challenges that come fast and furious during the tweenage years.

For Caroline, GOTR was her first foray into running which has since become a big part of her life.  She surprised both herself and me with her running success and I have been very impressed with not only her physical achievements but also how mature she has been with building new relationships with coaches and teammates, setting goals for herself and really pushing herself to meet them, and all the time management required to do this on top of all her other commitments.  Amanda of course is much younger as a third grader, but she is thrilled to be running like her big sister and I can’t wait for her to have the opportunity to cross her own finish line next month!  I am so glad that they have both had this wonderful growth opportunity!”

MORE INFO ABOUT GOTR

 

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28Aug

Stay Active! – Outdoor Workout

August 28, 2014 fitnesssfa Get Fit 19

The end of summer is one of the best times of the year to get enjoy the outdoors with a quick workout! If you’re looking for a change-up to your daily routine of working out in doors or just want to enjoy the weather, then here’s a great way to spend 30 minutes in the sun! Just follow these 4 easy steps:

1) Make sure you get a good warm up! – There’s nothing like a pulled hamstring to ruin a good workout.

– Your warm up should include some dynamic stretching, or stretching your muscles with movement through its natural range of motion, and a faster paced exercise to get your heart rate going.

2) Workout – This workout is going to focus on strengthening the entire body as well as boosting your cardiorespiratory fitness!

– 20 body weight squats
– 20 push ups – These can be done against a wall, inclined, declined, from your knees, etc. Just make sure you’re challenging yourself!

image (26)  image (27)
– 20 Steps ups – Find a staircase or low ledge for these – 10 steps on each side

image 2
– 20 Bicycle Crunches
image (28)image (29)image (30)

– 20 Burpees
– 1 minute plank
– repeat 2-3x through

3) Cool Down – Get a light jog eventually progressing into a walk with elongated steps. From there, go into some traditional static stretching: holding each stretch for about 20-30 seconds.

4) Have fun!

 

I hope you all enjoy your workouts and have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!

 

 

 

Did you try this workout? Give us some feedback in the comment section below or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter!
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03Feb

Exercise of the Week: The Box Squat

February 3, 2012 fitnesssfa Get Fit 20

This week we’ll take an in-depth look at a great precursor to a full barbell back squat, and a very difficult exercise in its own right, the box squat.  The box squat is a compound, total body lift that works your hamstrings, glutes, hips, spinal erectors, and core hard.

So why should you box squat?  Aside from being a very efficient exercise, working several large muscle groups at once, here are a couple more good reasons:

1) Safely and correctly learn proper squat form.

The squat can be a very difficult move to master and requires a lot of practice.  Learning to bend from the hip instead of from the knee on the descent can be hard to do, and often times the glutes and hamstrings are not strong enough initially to squat all the way to proper depth without bending too far forward at the knee.  Setting up a box higher than parallel and over time slowly lowering it can help.  Many people have a difficult time hitting proper depth for the squat, not only from inflexibility but from simply not knowing what proper depth feels like.  If a box is set up at the proper height, hitting depth can be practiced and guaranteed every time.  As well, it is a great way to make sure that you are sitting back at the hips instead of the knees, putting a lot of pressure off of the knee joint, and also it is easier to focus on pushing through your heels on the way back up.

2) Building explosive strength

For someone like me who is not very fast in my lifts, box squats are very beneficial.  Doing a box squat with a lighter weight helps build up speed and power, which can translate into greater force generation on my other lifts, faster times on the field or quicker cuts.

3) Increase flexibility

It may seem counter-intuitive, but squatting, making sure to sit back far with your hips, with a heavy weight on your back can actually stretch your muscles past where they would normally be able to in a bodyweight squat.  This stretch can also help with your ascent off the box – this is called a “stretch reflex.”   Essentially, when you stretch your muscles past where they are accustomed to, the body wants to try and protect them from straining by forcing them to contract and resist the stretch.

So, then how do we box squat?

Step 1: Setting up Under the Bar

It is important when performing any type of squat that we keep the entire body tight – that includes the back.  The bar needs to be tightly gripped the entire duration of the lift.  Think about splitting it apart with your hands, this will flex your rhomboids, traps and lats, making a nice ‘shelf’ of muscle for the bar to rest on, as well as helping keep you upright during the squat itself.  The bar itself should rest on your traps or right below (like I have it positioned in the picture).  We want to avoid placing it on top of the shoulders – this will load the cervical vertebrae and place them under unnecessary pressure, which is best avoided.

Step 2: Stand up and Step Back

After you’ve positioned yourself correctly under the bar, stand up straight, unracking the barbell.  To get back to the box, we want to take efficient steps and avoid any unnecessary shuffling of the feet.  When the weight gets heavy, it’s best not to use up a lot of energy just walking the bar back.  So take 3 easy, steps back: With your right foot place it backwards in front of the middle of the box.  Follow with your left foot, placing it on the outside of the left side of the box.  Mirror the movement with your right foot.  This is illustrated in my kindergarten-level MS Paint diagram as follows:

 

Step 3: Bending at the Hip

More often than not, when told to squat most people will begin their descent at the knee, pushing it over the toes and compressing the knee joint, causing pain in the long run.  To avoid this, we want to begin by sitting back with our hips – essentially sticking your butt out!  After this we want to think about sinking into our hips so that the knees don’t drift over the toes.  This can be a hard thing to judge by yourself – make sure to get your trainer to tell if this is being done correctly.  One way to imagine it is to think about sitting back into a chair.  You’ll need to keep your glutes and hamstrings flexed the whole way down – no plopping!

Step 4: Lean Back

Leaning back is not the same thing as rolling back.  It is also not relaxing on top of the box – you want to keep your core and back taught the entire time!

Step 5: Explode off of the Box

Keeping your chest up, push through your heels and using your glutes and hamstrings explode quickly off of the box.  The amount of weight you have on the bar will determine whether this is a quick or slow motion, but you always want to think about contracting as quickly as possible.

Putting it all together – Take a look at the video HERE, and give this exercise a try!  You’ll feel the burn after just a couple of reps if done correctly with the right weight.  As always, thanks for reading!

 

Kat Whitfield

BS, NASM-CPT

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21Oct

Decathlon Update

October 21, 2011 fitnesssfa Expert Advice, Get Fit 18

Jamie here with this week’s Decathlon update. By this week, everyone has been able to complete most of the events at least one time. As a result, we are able to provide the standings for the team and individual competitions. I’ve listed the top 3 in each category below. There’s just over one week left in the Decathlon challenge, so we are looking forward to heated competition from here on out. Let’s go!

Team Leaders (male)
1. George and Ward (aka team roo)
2. John and Jimbo (aka team Trick or Treat)
2. (tie) Arthur and Mike (aka Team Wolf Heels)

Team leaders (female)
1. Ann and Jamie
2. Shannon and Paige

Individual leaders (male)

1. Mark Onaitis
2. Geoff Bailey
3. Gene Oddone

Individual Leaders (female)

1. Mary Sampson
2. Maura Sullivan
3. Ezmin George
3. (tie) Chris Mark

Check out Mike Embree, as he participates in the agility carry relay. Mike broke his personal best score today, as he clocked in at just under 39 seconds. Way to go Mike!

link

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25Aug

One Man and Paleo (Day 3)

August 25, 2011 fitnesssfa Get Fit, Nutrition, Personal Training 19

Fresh Veggies

All right, Day 3 has come and gone and I’m feeling pretty in the grove with the diet. I will add though that yesterday was the first day I had any specific cravings; I really wanted some bread. But didn’t give in and had a good day of eating. I added a few things from Day 1 and Day 2, I had a bit more handfuls of nuts. I carried around a bag of raw mixed veggies to nosh on when I needed it and I had about two dozen small shrimp for dinner.

One little tidbit I’ve used to help things taste good is that in a pinch if I need a quick meal I through some beef or chicken (about 6-8 oz) in a bowl along with a whole avocado and about half a cup to a full cup of good fresh salsa. Heat up for about two minutes and you get a nice fast tasty meal.

All in all so far I feel pretty good. I’ve noticed a decided lack of feeling bloated (I’m pretty certain this comes from ditching the processed carbs.) Energy seems to be okay, though I felt a little more tired at night then I do normally. Probably just need an adjustment in calories. A few more fruits and veggies should probably help.

Remember, a nutrition bar or whey shake is still processed! All natural, all real. Pick it. Kill it. Eat it.

See you tomorrow.

Mike Babbitt, M.F.A, M.A., CSCS

Master Trainer

Mike is a Master Level trainer at Empower Personal Training. He has a unique approach to fitness that combines his scientific foundation of research and applied exercise physiology with his artistic experience as a professional stage actor. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024

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