20 min workout!

Wanting to mix up your cardio? Try this 20 workout.

Make sure you are good and warmed up. This doesn’t mean you did two arm circles and a few hip rotations.  Get a good sweat going.

Run (as fast as you can) for 2 min

Jump Rope for 1 min

Kettle Bell swings (see below) 1 min

Sit-ups for 1 min.

Do this 4 time. Make sure you are giving an all-out effort.

Enjoy Life - Workout!
Mandy

Back Pain?

Client: My back hurts.

Me: Stretch your hamstrings.

Client: You are obviously not listening.

Actually I am. Remember that everything is connected. Tight hamstrings cause the hip and pelvis to rotate back, which flattens the back and causes pain. This will also have an obvious impact on your posture.

The easiest fix is to focus on stretching out your hamstrings on a regular basis. Both dynamic stretching (Yoga, walking lunges, leg swings) and static stretching (sit and reach) with improve flexibility.

Here are a couple examples that I feel work the best.

Try both of these every day for two weeks and see if your back feels better!

Enjoy Life - Workout

Mandy

Goals for February

So by now most of you have forgotten about your New Year’s Resolution. Am I right? I hope not, but if you are, lets get back on track. If you followed all of my advice for January, February will be much easier.

1)      Keep controlling your calorie intake, but now also focus on food quality. Fruits, veggies, nuts, lean meat and fish should be the main focus of your diet.

2)      Keep increasing your protein intake until you are close to 30%.  Your diet should break down to 30% Protein, 40% Carbohydrates and 30% Fats. The fats may seem high, but remember, we are assuming you are eating good fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil etc.) and working out. Fats help keep you full longer and keep your energy level high.

3)       Continue to strength train 2-3 times a week. Start adding weight. Building muscle is a key component in weight loss. If your goal is not weight loss, remember that lean muscle also help prevent injury, increase bone density and decreases your risk of heart disease.

4)      Increase your cardio. You can make your cardio sessions harder by increasing the time, increasing the distance, increasing intensity or increasing resistance.

5)      Stretch!!! Look at the blog about foam rolling J

Next month I will post goals for March. Things will start to get more difficult, so keep up. Let me know if you have specific questions.

Enjoy Life – Workout!

Foam Rolling #1

I have talked in the past about the importance of foam rolling. Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release (SMR), used to inhibit overactive muscles. Think of it like a massage. Every week I will try to post a new way to use your foam roller. Oh, and if you don’t have one, go get one or use the one at the gym.

Today we are going to focus on the IT Band. The iliotibial (IT) band is a tough group of fibers that run along the outside of the thigh. It functions primarily as a stabilizer during running and walking, and can become irritated from overuse. People will usually describe pain on the outside part of the knee or lower thigh if they have a tight or overused IT Band.

Follow these steps!

1) Lie sideways with the foam roller under the side of your thigh (see picture below).

2) Roll between your knee and your hip bone.

3) Spend extra time on the more tender areas you encounter (usually 60 sec).

4) Use your top leg and foot against the ground to decrease the force if you cannot tolerate the pressure initially.

5) After a few days of rolling, your IT Band will loosen up and you should be able to tolerate full pressure (feet together off the ground).

Enjoy Life - Workout!

2012 Fitness Guide

Almost everyone indulges a little too much in December. It’s more about how you react afterwards. This IS going to be your typical New Year’s Resolution guide. But maybe this year it will sink in and stick around.

My first bit of advice is to make your goals realistic. Don’t tell yourself that your diet is going to be perfect, you will be at the gym 6 days a week and every morning you will get up early to walk the dog. For the average person, this won’t work. This year I will do a month by month guide for those looking to get in shape in 2012.  

January

1)      Control calorie intake. It’s simple, lower the amount of calories that you intake.

2)      Increase your protein intake. This will help build muscle and make you feel fuller after meals.

3)      Start strength training 2-3 days a week. This will help decrease fat and increase muscle.

4)      Start doing low impact cardio. Walk, bike or do the elliptical. Get your body moving.

5)      Think back to junior high gym class and start doing those stretches again. Mobility is extremely important.

Next month I will post our goals for February. If you have specific goals let me know and I can include some extra posts.

Also, check me out at Anytime Fitness in Columbia for great gym deals and personal training.

Enjoy Life – Workout!

Mandy

My Favorite Shoes!

These are my favorite shoes. Great for running and lifting!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5nos-8GNtU

Is CrossFit the answer?

Do I like CrossFit? Yes! Is CrossFit the answer to everyone’s needs? Probably not. In a bit we will break down the pros and cons of CrossFit, but first let’s define it. It is “constantly varied, functional movements done at a high intensity”. That is a great concept. My only issue with it is, CrossFit doesn’t own that concept. They don’t own the exercises that they use on their site. You can get a “CrossFit” style workout without following their site.  You can get that kind of workout by doing functional movements (talked about in my past blog).

How about this workout.

10 Pull-ups

10 Squats

10 Push-ups

10 Lunges

Is that a CrossFit workout? No because it’s not on their site (and you can’t use that word unless you pay them). Is it functional movement at a high intensity? Yes it is. See my point.

Pros                                                  Cons

A website plan to follow                     W/O proper form, you may injure yourself

Butt kicking workout                          CrossFit gyms are expensive

Scalable                                             W/O a trainer, how do you know how to scale?

It’s cool/new                                      Isn’t everything cool at first

In the end, they have it right. High intensity training is the answer. If you really want to try CrossFit, find a trainer. Let them program workouts specific to your abilities and level. They can also teach you proper technique. Don’t jump on their site and try to start right up. Also remember, they are just looking to make money like everyone else (P90X included).

Enjoy Life – Workout

Mandy