Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
3 Workout Tips for Maximal Fat Loss
In yesterday’s post we talked about a really cool concept my buddy Dan Long calls ”Kill Mode” and the extreme importance of really pushing yourself each and every workout.
Simply put, if you’re not feeling “uncomforable” often throughout your workout, you’re barely skimming the surface of your fat loss potential, if at all.
Are you happy with your results? If not, one of the things you need to be doing is ensuring that your workouts are set up to burn maximal fat, and that’s exactly what today’s post is about — 3 “staple” components of fat-killing workouts:
1. BIG Movements - The only movements that should be included in a fat burning workout are those that include multiple muscle groups and cross multiple joints. For example, with a Dumbbell Bench press there is movement at the shoulder joint and the elbow joint. For a DB squat, there is movement and the hips and the knees. Contrast those BIG movements with a bicep curl in which you’re working just one teeny tiny muscle of the upper arm, and movement is only occuring at one joint.
The difference? With big movements you tax much more musculature around many more joints and ultimately create a much greater metabolic effect. BIG movements burn BIG calories; small movements not so much…
2. Alternating Upper and Lower Body - Now that you know that big movements are key, here’s a little trick to get your heart working even harder: alternate BIG upper body movements with BIG lower body movements. When a muscle or group of muscles work, the heart works to pump blood to those muscles in order to deliver oxygen and other nutrients necessary to perform the exercise and for recovery after. If you just finished a big lower body exercise in which the heart is working hard to send blood to that region, and then follow it up with a BIG upper body exercise, you’re heart will then need to work even harder to deliver nutrient rich blood to the entire body.
The result? Heart rate is elevated, your heart works harder, and you burn more calories.
Want an even greater caloric burn? Mixing in full body movments like a plyometric medicine ball slam where you start with a full squat holding a medicine ball then explode up jumping as high as you can lifting the ball overhead and slamming it down on the ground…fun stuff =) Combination lifts like a lunge and press work well as full body movments as well.
3. Limited rest - BIG movements, full body movments, and alternating upper and lower body exercises is all phenomenal, but the trick to keeping heart rate up and calories incinerating throughout the entire workout is limiting your rest periods. This has two benefits. Number one, you’ll obviously be able to do more work in a 45 minute workout with 30 second rest periods than with 90 second or 60 second rest periods between exercises, which means way more calories burned. Secondly, your heart rate won’t fall off as much as your conditioning improves and you’re able to limit rest, and a higher average heart rate = more calories burnedThursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Woman's Week At the Gym
This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.
Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo (or D.J.), who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
MONDAY: Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!
Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!
TUESDAY: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.
WEDNESDAY: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would
help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap too.
THURSDAY: Butthole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes. He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny witch to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
FRIDAY: I hate that jerk Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I
Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?SATURDAY: Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.
SUNDAY: I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy.
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