Hello, Perfect You LLC will be posting the following theme for the month of January
Boot-y Camp
Week 1: ‘I Like Big Butts...’ Just a Fad of the Times or Timeless Sex Symbol?
Week 2: Intro to & Overview of the Glutes.
Week 3: Targeting the Glutes Through Strength Moves.
Week 4: Targeting the Glutes Through Cardio Conditioning.
Regards,
Eddie
CEO - Perfect You LLC
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Aftermath: Maintaining
The Aftermath: Maintaining
I have been about the same weight for going on 3 years now. I’m not going to lie & say it’s been easy, ‘cause it hasn’t; but coming as far as I did sure makes it far less difficult to stay focused. I know that I will never in my life be as big as I once was but I do find that I struggle to stay as disciplined as I was when I first started on my journey to lose weight. At first it’s easy because the results are motivation in themselves – enough to keep you going. Then you’ve got the added push from people noticing all around & constantly telling you how great you look and praising your hard work. But what do you do when you reach your goal & the dust settles? How do you keep from going back to where you came from or yo-yoing back & forth? To be honest, I don’t have a concrete answer. Anyone can sit & preach that you just have to keep doing what you’re doing – exercise & eat right. I’ve been there & I’m still here – it’s not as simple as it sounds. At the end of the day, the most important thing you can do is remember that you are here to live your life & be happy. Yes, it’s important to be healthy but if it means you lose the joy from your life or feel like you are constantly restricted, you are dooming yourself by setting a trap for a big fall. Take things day by day & do what makes you feel good. Remember that it’s ok to ‘cheat’ and indulge once in a while. Make sure you aren’t being too hard on yourself. It’s a constant battle & it probably always will be, so do your best to roll with the punches. Tomorrow is always another day where you can start fresh, so don’t beat yourself up over whatever might have happened today. Remembering how far you came & the work you did to get here will help. I think the hardest part is when everyone gets used to the new you & all the praise & compliments slow down…maybe even come to a stop. You start to get comfortable…. start to slack off… That is when you have to remind yourself. Keep ‘before’ picturess & a piece or two of clothing from before you lost weight. When you start to slip, pull them out & remind yourself how hard you worked & why you did it in the first place. Focus on how good you feel, how different things are now & how much easier certain activities have become. In the grand scheme of things, your weight should not be the most pressing matter on your to-do list – we’ve all got much bigger problems to deal with. Don’t let it stress you out more than it should & never let it consume you completely. Take a deep breath & hit the reset button. Remember to take things day-by-day, ‘live, love & laugh’!!!!!
Melissa has the gift of producing weight loss for our clients. She has been there and conquered all the odds to transform herself. If you are having weight loss issues please reach out to Melissa. She just might be the ONE person in your life that can make a difference and give you back your life. She has been where you are - and she was able to rise from the depths to make her body what she always envisioned it to be.
Melissa COO/CPT
Executive Vice President
Group Exercise, Program Design and Customer Service
I have been about the same weight for going on 3 years now. I’m not going to lie & say it’s been easy, ‘cause it hasn’t; but coming as far as I did sure makes it far less difficult to stay focused. I know that I will never in my life be as big as I once was but I do find that I struggle to stay as disciplined as I was when I first started on my journey to lose weight. At first it’s easy because the results are motivation in themselves – enough to keep you going. Then you’ve got the added push from people noticing all around & constantly telling you how great you look and praising your hard work. But what do you do when you reach your goal & the dust settles? How do you keep from going back to where you came from or yo-yoing back & forth? To be honest, I don’t have a concrete answer. Anyone can sit & preach that you just have to keep doing what you’re doing – exercise & eat right. I’ve been there & I’m still here – it’s not as simple as it sounds. At the end of the day, the most important thing you can do is remember that you are here to live your life & be happy. Yes, it’s important to be healthy but if it means you lose the joy from your life or feel like you are constantly restricted, you are dooming yourself by setting a trap for a big fall. Take things day by day & do what makes you feel good. Remember that it’s ok to ‘cheat’ and indulge once in a while. Make sure you aren’t being too hard on yourself. It’s a constant battle & it probably always will be, so do your best to roll with the punches. Tomorrow is always another day where you can start fresh, so don’t beat yourself up over whatever might have happened today. Remembering how far you came & the work you did to get here will help. I think the hardest part is when everyone gets used to the new you & all the praise & compliments slow down…maybe even come to a stop. You start to get comfortable…. start to slack off… That is when you have to remind yourself. Keep ‘before’ picturess & a piece or two of clothing from before you lost weight. When you start to slip, pull them out & remind yourself how hard you worked & why you did it in the first place. Focus on how good you feel, how different things are now & how much easier certain activities have become. In the grand scheme of things, your weight should not be the most pressing matter on your to-do list – we’ve all got much bigger problems to deal with. Don’t let it stress you out more than it should & never let it consume you completely. Take a deep breath & hit the reset button. Remember to take things day-by-day, ‘live, love & laugh’!!!!!
Melissa has the gift of producing weight loss for our clients. She has been there and conquered all the odds to transform herself. If you are having weight loss issues please reach out to Melissa. She just might be the ONE person in your life that can make a difference and give you back your life. She has been where you are - and she was able to rise from the depths to make her body what she always envisioned it to be.
Melissa COO/CPT
Executive Vice President
Group Exercise, Program Design and Customer Service
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tips & Tricks for Newbie’s
Tips & Tricks for Newbie’s
This is probably stuff you’ve all read before but the following is a list of some of the things that helped me in my quest for weight loss & a healthier lifestyle.
1) Eat salad with EVERY meal (preferably before anything else or in between bites of everything else).
2) Try chewing gum or hard candy whenever you have a particularly strong craving for something you really don’t need to eat (i.e. chocolate, cake, fried ravioli, French fries or whatever the case may be) .
3) Give into cravings every now & again (otherwise you’ll go crazy!).
4) Invoke the basic Kindergarten rule of sharing (like with desserts & other rich foods that have enough calories to feed a small army).
5) If you know something is your weakness, DON’T KEEP IT AROUND! As painful as it might be in the beginning, take a garbage bag & empty your home of any & all foods that could cause you to stray. Going forward, simply don’t buy those things. If they’re not around, you can’t eat them.
6) Like someone who’s trying to quit smoking, you are essentially trying to ‘quit’ an ‘addiction’ to food…. so whenever you feel the need to run for the cookies & chips or find yourself with one hand on the cupboard door (and for whatever reason you still keep the stuff around), DIVERT (as quickly as possible) to the crisper drawer of the fridge. Of course this requires making sure you have an ample supply of healthy alternatives like baby carrots, celery, fresh string beans etc.
7) Eat fresh fruit for dessert instead of cake, cookies, pie etc. Or at least MORE fruit than anything else (Eat the fruit & then have a few bites of [insert decadence here] if you must).
8) Never go to a party or social gathering on an empty stomach.
9) Never go food shopping on an empty stomach & ALWAYS make a list & stick to it!
10) In place of tortilla chips, try celery with salsa. Yes I know it sounds strange but you’d be surprised just how satisfying it actually is (all you really want is the crunch when you get down to it). Besides, celery & salsa is virtually calorie (& guilt free)!
11) Be firm with family & friends when they try to push food on you – yes, even Grandma – I’m not saying you have to be a jerk about it & always say ‘no no no!’ but you have to put limitations on what you give into or you’ll just set yourself back.
12) Be conscious of choices at restaurants & do your best to pick the healthiest thing you can find – ask about substitutions for things like French fries & white rice etc. (You can always steal a bite or two of the sinful stuff from whomever is eating with you). ;-)
13) Remember that it’s ok NOT to clean your plate! PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY!! If you feel full, wrap the remaining food up or throw it away (this is also ok to do…I know, I know, kids starving in [insert country], but there’s no way you could get the food to them before it spoiled so really, who would you be helping besides your fat cells?).
14) When you do feel full & decide to stop eating, get the remainder away from you as quickly as possible before you start to pick again. (ask the server to wrap it/take it ASAP…. mess it up with all kinds of condiments beyond edibility…. pour it in the garbage disposal …give it to the dog …. Give it to Mikey…. etc)
15) Do your best to view food as fuel for your body.
16) If you aren’t sure whether you’re hungry or not, try a cup of tea – cinnamon works best if you are also trying to dodge a craving.
17) S-L-O-W down!!! Pay attention to what you’re eating – TASTE your food as you chew thoroughly, swallow & repeat.
Melissa has the gift of producing weight loss for our clients. She has been there and conquered all the odds to transform herself. If you are having weight loss issues please reachout to Melissa. She just might be the ONE person in your life that can make a difference and give you back your life. She has been where you are - and she was able to rise from the depths to make her body what she always envisioned it to be.
Good luck!
Melissa COO/CPT
Executive Vice President
Group Exercise, Program Design and Customer Service
This is probably stuff you’ve all read before but the following is a list of some of the things that helped me in my quest for weight loss & a healthier lifestyle.
1) Eat salad with EVERY meal (preferably before anything else or in between bites of everything else).
2) Try chewing gum or hard candy whenever you have a particularly strong craving for something you really don’t need to eat (i.e. chocolate, cake, fried ravioli, French fries or whatever the case may be) .
3) Give into cravings every now & again (otherwise you’ll go crazy!).
4) Invoke the basic Kindergarten rule of sharing (like with desserts & other rich foods that have enough calories to feed a small army).
5) If you know something is your weakness, DON’T KEEP IT AROUND! As painful as it might be in the beginning, take a garbage bag & empty your home of any & all foods that could cause you to stray. Going forward, simply don’t buy those things. If they’re not around, you can’t eat them.
6) Like someone who’s trying to quit smoking, you are essentially trying to ‘quit’ an ‘addiction’ to food…. so whenever you feel the need to run for the cookies & chips or find yourself with one hand on the cupboard door (and for whatever reason you still keep the stuff around), DIVERT (as quickly as possible) to the crisper drawer of the fridge. Of course this requires making sure you have an ample supply of healthy alternatives like baby carrots, celery, fresh string beans etc.
7) Eat fresh fruit for dessert instead of cake, cookies, pie etc. Or at least MORE fruit than anything else (Eat the fruit & then have a few bites of [insert decadence here] if you must).
8) Never go to a party or social gathering on an empty stomach.
9) Never go food shopping on an empty stomach & ALWAYS make a list & stick to it!
10) In place of tortilla chips, try celery with salsa. Yes I know it sounds strange but you’d be surprised just how satisfying it actually is (all you really want is the crunch when you get down to it). Besides, celery & salsa is virtually calorie (& guilt free)!
11) Be firm with family & friends when they try to push food on you – yes, even Grandma – I’m not saying you have to be a jerk about it & always say ‘no no no!’ but you have to put limitations on what you give into or you’ll just set yourself back.
12) Be conscious of choices at restaurants & do your best to pick the healthiest thing you can find – ask about substitutions for things like French fries & white rice etc. (You can always steal a bite or two of the sinful stuff from whomever is eating with you). ;-)
13) Remember that it’s ok NOT to clean your plate! PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY!! If you feel full, wrap the remaining food up or throw it away (this is also ok to do…I know, I know, kids starving in [insert country], but there’s no way you could get the food to them before it spoiled so really, who would you be helping besides your fat cells?).
14) When you do feel full & decide to stop eating, get the remainder away from you as quickly as possible before you start to pick again. (ask the server to wrap it/take it ASAP…. mess it up with all kinds of condiments beyond edibility…. pour it in the garbage disposal …give it to the dog …. Give it to Mikey…. etc)
15) Do your best to view food as fuel for your body.
16) If you aren’t sure whether you’re hungry or not, try a cup of tea – cinnamon works best if you are also trying to dodge a craving.
17) S-L-O-W down!!! Pay attention to what you’re eating – TASTE your food as you chew thoroughly, swallow & repeat.
Melissa has the gift of producing weight loss for our clients. She has been there and conquered all the odds to transform herself. If you are having weight loss issues please reachout to Melissa. She just might be the ONE person in your life that can make a difference and give you back your life. She has been where you are - and she was able to rise from the depths to make her body what she always envisioned it to be.
Good luck!
Melissa COO/CPT
Executive Vice President
Group Exercise, Program Design and Customer Service
Saturday, December 13, 2008
To Cut or Not to Cut
To Cut or Not to Cut
It is in my opinion that far too many people in this country resort to weight loss surgery as a ‘way out’ once they’ve gone too far. It seems like a rather poor replacement for more traditional methods of losing weight, the sole difference being the time & effort involved for effectiveness. Of course, there are cases that absolutely require the assistance of surgery, don’t get me wrong. It’s just the sort of thing that gets a bad wrap from overuse & system manipulation. If it’s something you’ve thought about doing for yourself, here are a few informational tidbits & pros/cons that might help.
A BMI of over 30+ is considered severley obese.
There are two types of surgery: Restrictive & Malabsorptive. Restrictive surgery involves making the stomach smaller thereby limiting the amount of food that can be held, which causes you to feel full faster. Malabsorptive surgery involves making the small intestine shorter which limits the amount of food that is completely digested. Increasingly, both procedures are being performed in conjunction.
There are certain procedures that must be addressed before being approved to go ahead with the surgery. Since most people cannot afford to pay for the surgery on their own, they will have to go through their insurance company in order to obtain assistance. It would be up to you to contact your insurance company to find out if weight loss surgery is covered & then provide all the necessary documentation. This can be arduous as some insurance companies require you not only to obtain written consent from a doctor that indicates a medical necessity but also documentation of attempts at less invasive forms of weight loss (i.e. diet monitoring, exercise attempts etc). You would most likely also have to undergo a psychological evaluation pre-surgery.
Recovery time and psychological reaction are things to think about as well; your life will be drastically affected. Surgery is never something to be taken lightly & aside from possible complications, you could be restricted from your normal everyday activities for 6 weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less depending on various factors such as the type of surgery & your personal reaction or any complications to the surgery). Fortunately, there are many support groups available for post-surgery.
Pros
Rapid weight loss for up to 24 months
Improvement of health conditions caused by obesity
Cons
Side effects (vomiting, nausea, weakness, increased sweating, faintness, dizziness, bloating, increased gas, gallstones and diarrhea)
Nutritional deficiencies
Complications to the surgery (abdominal hernias, infections, breakdown of the staple line, stretched stomach outlets, bleeding, deep vein thrombosis, marginal ulcers, pulmonary problems, spleen injury – may have to be removed completely)
Necessary avoidance of pregnancy - temporarily (women of childbearing age – the rapid weight loss & nutritional deficiencies can harm the fetus)
Lifestyle changes (not only the obvious diet & exercise modifications but also vitamin supplementation & regular periodic checkups for nutritional and digestive problems/issues)
A lack of the long-term effects on nutrition & the body.
Hopefully the above information helped you become just a little more educated on the topic & will assist in helping you make your decision. However, this is obviously an issue to be discussed in depth with your doctor & researched thoroughly to ensure it is something that’s going to be right for you.
This article comes from Melissa, one of my partners, who is an AFAA certified Personal Trainer. Her before and after pictures are a true inspiration of her dedication to what ever she puts her mind to. She has transformed her body and can do the same for you. Melissa is available for in-person Personal Training sessions as well as creating an eight week virtual (email) personal training program to help you meet your individual needs as you work your way to that "Perfect You". She could just be the one person that can truly inspire you to reach your goals. She is always available to answer your questions. Your heatlh is all you have in your later years - take a stand TODAY and make it your priority. Time waits for no one.
Good luck!
Melissa Gentile COO/CTO Executive Vice President Training, Customer Service and Product Development.
It is in my opinion that far too many people in this country resort to weight loss surgery as a ‘way out’ once they’ve gone too far. It seems like a rather poor replacement for more traditional methods of losing weight, the sole difference being the time & effort involved for effectiveness. Of course, there are cases that absolutely require the assistance of surgery, don’t get me wrong. It’s just the sort of thing that gets a bad wrap from overuse & system manipulation. If it’s something you’ve thought about doing for yourself, here are a few informational tidbits & pros/cons that might help.
A BMI of over 30+ is considered severley obese.
There are two types of surgery: Restrictive & Malabsorptive. Restrictive surgery involves making the stomach smaller thereby limiting the amount of food that can be held, which causes you to feel full faster. Malabsorptive surgery involves making the small intestine shorter which limits the amount of food that is completely digested. Increasingly, both procedures are being performed in conjunction.
There are certain procedures that must be addressed before being approved to go ahead with the surgery. Since most people cannot afford to pay for the surgery on their own, they will have to go through their insurance company in order to obtain assistance. It would be up to you to contact your insurance company to find out if weight loss surgery is covered & then provide all the necessary documentation. This can be arduous as some insurance companies require you not only to obtain written consent from a doctor that indicates a medical necessity but also documentation of attempts at less invasive forms of weight loss (i.e. diet monitoring, exercise attempts etc). You would most likely also have to undergo a psychological evaluation pre-surgery.
Recovery time and psychological reaction are things to think about as well; your life will be drastically affected. Surgery is never something to be taken lightly & aside from possible complications, you could be restricted from your normal everyday activities for 6 weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less depending on various factors such as the type of surgery & your personal reaction or any complications to the surgery). Fortunately, there are many support groups available for post-surgery.
Pros
Rapid weight loss for up to 24 months
Improvement of health conditions caused by obesity
Cons
Side effects (vomiting, nausea, weakness, increased sweating, faintness, dizziness, bloating, increased gas, gallstones and diarrhea)
Nutritional deficiencies
Complications to the surgery (abdominal hernias, infections, breakdown of the staple line, stretched stomach outlets, bleeding, deep vein thrombosis, marginal ulcers, pulmonary problems, spleen injury – may have to be removed completely)
Necessary avoidance of pregnancy - temporarily (women of childbearing age – the rapid weight loss & nutritional deficiencies can harm the fetus)
Lifestyle changes (not only the obvious diet & exercise modifications but also vitamin supplementation & regular periodic checkups for nutritional and digestive problems/issues)
A lack of the long-term effects on nutrition & the body.
Hopefully the above information helped you become just a little more educated on the topic & will assist in helping you make your decision. However, this is obviously an issue to be discussed in depth with your doctor & researched thoroughly to ensure it is something that’s going to be right for you.
This article comes from Melissa, one of my partners, who is an AFAA certified Personal Trainer. Her before and after pictures are a true inspiration of her dedication to what ever she puts her mind to. She has transformed her body and can do the same for you. Melissa is available for in-person Personal Training sessions as well as creating an eight week virtual (email) personal training program to help you meet your individual needs as you work your way to that "Perfect You". She could just be the one person that can truly inspire you to reach your goals. She is always available to answer your questions. Your heatlh is all you have in your later years - take a stand TODAY and make it your priority. Time waits for no one.
Good luck!
Melissa Gentile COO/CTO Executive Vice President Training, Customer Service and Product Development.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
'The Breaking Point'
This article comes from Melissa, one of my partners, who is an AFAA certified Personal Trainer. Her before and after pictures are a true inspiration of her dedication to what ever she puts her mind to. She has transformed her body and can do the same for you. Melissa is available for in-person Personal Training sessions as well as creating an eight week virtual (email) personal training program to help you meet your individual needs as you work your way to that "Perfect You". She could just be the one person that can truly inspire you to reach your goals. She is always available to answer your questions.
'The Breaking Point'
I lost 100 pounds.
By myself.
People always ask me 'how'd you do it?' seemingly in hopes that my answer will be short, sweet & contain some sort of magical formula that will make them instantly drop 20 pounds.
Sorry, it doesn't quite work like that & each time I respond I meet disappointment & sometimes even a loss of interest in the matter altogether. The truth is, it took a lot of the same thing you hear being preached at every health club and on every episode, book, workout or meal plan that Oprah endorses. The 'magic formula' does indeed exist & it's actually quite simple; the problem with it is the time that it takes to work. That's where people turn a cold shoulder or give up in exchange for the never-ending 'Quick Fix Quest'.
Exercise + Smart Food Choices = Your Perfect Body
However, contrary to what most people believe, it's really not the magic formula they are, or should be searching for; after all, it is almost common knowledge nowadays. It's what I like to call 'The Breaking Point' that seems to elude most. It's not as if I didn't do what every other person out there on the Quick Fix Quest does - guilty as charged. Like so many, I was in constant search mode for the diet, the workout, the pill or the surgery that would have me dropping clothes sizes in a matter of weeks without changing a single part of the comfortable habits I'd settled into. And like so many, I met my fair share of disappointment & scams alike. Highly discouraging scenarios but not without value, for they sparked the realization that
the only way to get what I truly wanted (and this goes for more than just weight loss by the way) was through sacrifice. I finally accepted that you really can't 'have your cake & eat it too,' (without the inevitable excess weight piling on).
When I finally started to examine the 'why' behind my obesity & paying attention to the things that were part of my daily life that perpetuated the situation I obsessed about, things began to fall into place. For me, the biggest problem turned out to be lack of education in nutrition. I had absolutely no concept of portions. Once the biggest problem was identified, it became easier and easier to start changing things to get the results that I had so long sought after. I took baby steps & came to see that anything that seems too good to be true, truly is & a quick fix will NEVER teach you the lessons necessary for longevity. Only when you are ready to make a real
commitment to yourself, invest your time & energy, and make some sacrifices, will you appreciate & respect the results that you get.
That, my friends, is the 'secret'. Take your time! We as a society are so caught up in the culture of convenience that we fail to remember there is ALWAYS tomorrow - a brand new day just waiting for you to make or break it. Progress takes time.
Awareness + Determination & Commitment = The Breaking Point
Being aware does come with the price of energy expenditure, which is also too often the undoing of many ambitious intentions. Who wants to always have to stop & think before they do something that used to come as second nature (like eating)? However, like anything else in life,
once you get past the initial newness, less effort has to be expended and what was once so difficult & daunting takes the place of those unhealthy habits that were once so comfortable. In my experience, I have also found what works best for me is remembering how good the results feel. Whether it's the accomplishment I feel after a good workout, the satisfaction of a meal that won't make me feel guilty, or remembering how it felt the first time I put on a pair of jeans that
didn't have a double-digit size. I call on memories of hearing exclamations of compliment from people who noticed my progress or hadn't seen me in some time & couldn't believe how far I'd come and how amazing it felt to be able to do things most people take for
granted (like clothes shopping, sitting (and actually fitting) in the chairs at stadiums/theatres/etc. and walking through turnstiles without having to turn sideways to name a few).
Use positive reinforcement for yourself! Don't beat yourself up! We all make mistakes. It is much easier to err on the side of negativity for most people & that only serves to defeat us further. Focus on the positives & you can't go wrong! So you went ahead and ate the cake
today. You know what? There's always tomorrow! And if you want it bad enough, you'll reach the point where you know you're ready and suddenly you're unstoppable. The choice is up to you: continue on in a futile quest that perpetuates a cycle of self defeat and disappointment, or take the first baby step toward the goal that will change your life forever.
Good luck!! :)
Melissa COO/CPT
Executive Vice President
Group Exercise, Program Design and Customer Service
'The Breaking Point'
I lost 100 pounds.
By myself.
People always ask me 'how'd you do it?' seemingly in hopes that my answer will be short, sweet & contain some sort of magical formula that will make them instantly drop 20 pounds.
Sorry, it doesn't quite work like that & each time I respond I meet disappointment & sometimes even a loss of interest in the matter altogether. The truth is, it took a lot of the same thing you hear being preached at every health club and on every episode, book, workout or meal plan that Oprah endorses. The 'magic formula' does indeed exist & it's actually quite simple; the problem with it is the time that it takes to work. That's where people turn a cold shoulder or give up in exchange for the never-ending 'Quick Fix Quest'.
Exercise + Smart Food Choices = Your Perfect Body
However, contrary to what most people believe, it's really not the magic formula they are, or should be searching for; after all, it is almost common knowledge nowadays. It's what I like to call 'The Breaking Point' that seems to elude most. It's not as if I didn't do what every other person out there on the Quick Fix Quest does - guilty as charged. Like so many, I was in constant search mode for the diet, the workout, the pill or the surgery that would have me dropping clothes sizes in a matter of weeks without changing a single part of the comfortable habits I'd settled into. And like so many, I met my fair share of disappointment & scams alike. Highly discouraging scenarios but not without value, for they sparked the realization that
the only way to get what I truly wanted (and this goes for more than just weight loss by the way) was through sacrifice. I finally accepted that you really can't 'have your cake & eat it too,' (without the inevitable excess weight piling on).
When I finally started to examine the 'why' behind my obesity & paying attention to the things that were part of my daily life that perpetuated the situation I obsessed about, things began to fall into place. For me, the biggest problem turned out to be lack of education in nutrition. I had absolutely no concept of portions. Once the biggest problem was identified, it became easier and easier to start changing things to get the results that I had so long sought after. I took baby steps & came to see that anything that seems too good to be true, truly is & a quick fix will NEVER teach you the lessons necessary for longevity. Only when you are ready to make a real
commitment to yourself, invest your time & energy, and make some sacrifices, will you appreciate & respect the results that you get.
That, my friends, is the 'secret'. Take your time! We as a society are so caught up in the culture of convenience that we fail to remember there is ALWAYS tomorrow - a brand new day just waiting for you to make or break it. Progress takes time.
Awareness + Determination & Commitment = The Breaking Point
Being aware does come with the price of energy expenditure, which is also too often the undoing of many ambitious intentions. Who wants to always have to stop & think before they do something that used to come as second nature (like eating)? However, like anything else in life,
once you get past the initial newness, less effort has to be expended and what was once so difficult & daunting takes the place of those unhealthy habits that were once so comfortable. In my experience, I have also found what works best for me is remembering how good the results feel. Whether it's the accomplishment I feel after a good workout, the satisfaction of a meal that won't make me feel guilty, or remembering how it felt the first time I put on a pair of jeans that
didn't have a double-digit size. I call on memories of hearing exclamations of compliment from people who noticed my progress or hadn't seen me in some time & couldn't believe how far I'd come and how amazing it felt to be able to do things most people take for
granted (like clothes shopping, sitting (and actually fitting) in the chairs at stadiums/theatres/etc. and walking through turnstiles without having to turn sideways to name a few).
Use positive reinforcement for yourself! Don't beat yourself up! We all make mistakes. It is much easier to err on the side of negativity for most people & that only serves to defeat us further. Focus on the positives & you can't go wrong! So you went ahead and ate the cake
today. You know what? There's always tomorrow! And if you want it bad enough, you'll reach the point where you know you're ready and suddenly you're unstoppable. The choice is up to you: continue on in a futile quest that perpetuates a cycle of self defeat and disappointment, or take the first baby step toward the goal that will change your life forever.
Good luck!! :)
Melissa COO/CPT
Executive Vice President
Group Exercise, Program Design and Customer Service
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Themes for the month December 2008
Hello, Perfect You LLC will be posting our first article for the month of December this Saturday night. The theme for the month of December 2008 is: Mass Weight Loss
In the coming weeks these will be the articles posted that relate to the theme above.
Week 1: The Breaking Point
Week 2: To Cut or Not to Cut: Weight Loss Surgery
Week 3: Tips & Tricks for Newbies
Week 4: The Aftermath: Maintaining
Regards,
Eddie
CEO - Perfect You LLC
In the coming weeks these will be the articles posted that relate to the theme above.
Week 1: The Breaking Point
Week 2: To Cut or Not to Cut: Weight Loss Surgery
Week 3: Tips & Tricks for Newbies
Week 4: The Aftermath: Maintaining
Regards,
Eddie
CEO - Perfect You LLC
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sorry for the delay in my postings
To all, I am so sorry for such a delay in my postings. But I do have an excuse. I have started my own personal training company - Perfect You - with two other highly skilled partners. Our aim is to bring you the best relevant knowledge to your goals based on the collective of our mutual talents. We will be committing to providing a minimum of one fitness article a week based on a theme for each month. And if I may toot my horn - I have some really qualified members on my team. In future postings expect articles based on martial art training, boxing protocols, stretching programs, functional training, and the most relevant fitness knowledge you expect to see. We start posting the first week of December. Stay tuned and please keep coming back - you are going to be blown away with our content.
Engage us with your comments and seek out our help to achieve the "Perfect You".
Thank you,
Eddie
Engage us with your comments and seek out our help to achieve the "Perfect You".
Thank you,
Eddie
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
On a personal note
First, I apologize for not posting anything in a long time. I have been diagnosed with a pretty nasty disease and it has laid me out in bed (almost 20 hours a day).
I have been diagnosed with full blown Crohns disease. Crohns disease comes in 5 grades of severity and I am at the highest grade. I am starting to feel better and I will write about this ordeal and how I plan on working exercise around my condition as soon as I can. I will also be getting back to the normal content I post here as well.
In the mean time if anyone that reads my blog has any information on Crohns, or tips to manage it or just anything at all please let me know. I could use all the support and knowledge I could get.
Thank you for being patient with me,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
I have been diagnosed with full blown Crohns disease. Crohns disease comes in 5 grades of severity and I am at the highest grade. I am starting to feel better and I will write about this ordeal and how I plan on working exercise around my condition as soon as I can. I will also be getting back to the normal content I post here as well.
In the mean time if anyone that reads my blog has any information on Crohns, or tips to manage it or just anything at all please let me know. I could use all the support and knowledge I could get.
Thank you for being patient with me,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Strength testing - 1 rep max
Okay, tonight I explore what you "could" be lifting in some of your exercises.
The test is called the one rep max and it tests to see what the maximum amount of weight that you could lift. You then take this and apply it to the correct weight you could use daily in your routines.
Lets take the bench press as an example. Here is the scenario (you need to know all three pieces of information):
1) You currently are lifting 150 pounds in the bench press.
2) We use 10 reps for simplicity. So try to come up with the weight that you can lift 10 times to fatigue as a starting point.
3) Your current weight. We will use 170 pounds in this example.
The formula is:
w = weight you are lifting now in pounds
cw = your current weight in pounds
1 rep max = w / .75
weight ratio = cw / 1 rep max
So for our example:
1 rep max = 150 / .75 or 200 pounds
Weight ratio = 200 / 170 or 1.18
To find out the theoretical amount you could be lifting do the following:
Weight ratio * w or 1.18 * 150 or 177 pounds
This formula is mostly used for big muscle group testing such as: back, chest, legs. I do not usually use this formula for other muscle groups because the numbers could be skewed.
As always, with any weight lifting - please have a spotter.
If you are like me you are going to go to the gym and want to apply this test to the major exercises and then start lifting those increases. I was amazed at how much more I really could lift - and that made my workouts even more productive.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
The test is called the one rep max and it tests to see what the maximum amount of weight that you could lift. You then take this and apply it to the correct weight you could use daily in your routines.
Lets take the bench press as an example. Here is the scenario (you need to know all three pieces of information):
1) You currently are lifting 150 pounds in the bench press.
2) We use 10 reps for simplicity. So try to come up with the weight that you can lift 10 times to fatigue as a starting point.
3) Your current weight. We will use 170 pounds in this example.
The formula is:
w = weight you are lifting now in pounds
cw = your current weight in pounds
1 rep max = w / .75
weight ratio = cw / 1 rep max
So for our example:
1 rep max = 150 / .75 or 200 pounds
Weight ratio = 200 / 170 or 1.18
To find out the theoretical amount you could be lifting do the following:
Weight ratio * w or 1.18 * 150 or 177 pounds
This formula is mostly used for big muscle group testing such as: back, chest, legs. I do not usually use this formula for other muscle groups because the numbers could be skewed.
As always, with any weight lifting - please have a spotter.
If you are like me you are going to go to the gym and want to apply this test to the major exercises and then start lifting those increases. I was amazed at how much more I really could lift - and that made my workouts even more productive.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Monday, July 14, 2008
New theme strength testing
Okay enough about flexibility testing and on to much more fun tests.
In the next few days I will be giving you some tests that you can do on your own to assess your muscular strength. The tests will give you a good idea as to where you stand in regards to muscular strength to the general population. I will also be giving you a cool formula to see exactly how much you "could" and "should" be lifting with certain exercises. Don't miss them because they will charge up your workouts.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
In the next few days I will be giving you some tests that you can do on your own to assess your muscular strength. The tests will give you a good idea as to where you stand in regards to muscular strength to the general population. I will also be giving you a cool formula to see exactly how much you "could" and "should" be lifting with certain exercises. Don't miss them because they will charge up your workouts.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Trunk flexibility test
Hello, Tonight I am going to talk about trunk flexibility(flexion) and how to test yourselves. Above you will see two tables that you will need to refer to after you get your test number. By double clicking on the images you can get a better view.First a disclaimer: Before I test a client for flexibility I have them fill out a fitness form, waivers, and many others that let me see my clients health history and possible limitations. Since I cannot do that with the readers of this blog I must caution that this flexibility test could cause further injury to individuals with diagnosed lower back issues or for issues that may let turn up. You should not try this flexibility test unless you have a doctors okay.
Before you test yourself make sure that you lightly stretch your low back and hamstrings. Make sure you perform the test slowly or you risk injury.
1. Place a yardstick on floor.
2. Place piece of tape at least 12 inches long at a right angle to the yardstick (with zero mark towards the body).
3. Clients feet should be about 12 inches apart, heels aligned with tape at the 15 inch mark of the yardstick.
4. Place hands one on top of the other w/ tips of fingers aligned.
5. Exhale and slowly lean forward (keep your knees straight), drop head toward or between the arms.
6. Your fingers should maintain contact with yardstick while you keep your knees straight.
7. Score is farthest point reached after 3 trials.
8. Compare to norms (displayed above - you will have to enlarge the image to see it clearly - if you cannot see them clearly send me an email to personaltrainernj@gmail.com and I will send you the files).
9. Evaluate where along spine bending takes place. This can give you clues to what muscle imbalances or other issues you may have.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Friday, July 11, 2008
Trunk extension test
Okay today lets assess your trunk extension flexibility. Basically the test evaluates the amount of backward bend available to your lumbar spine. Most trainers test this because the loss of flexibility and extension in the lumbar spine can cause low back pain and increase injuries. I want to know if my client has the lumbar stability to handle over the head exercises as well as other types involving the lower back.
First a disclaimer: Before I test a client for flexibility I have them fill out a fitness form, waivers, and many others that let me see my clients health history and possible limitations. Since I cannot do that with the readers of this blog I must caution that this flexibility test could cause further injury to individuals with diagnosed lower back issues or for issues that may let turn up. You should not try this flexibility test unless you have a doctors okay.
Lie face down with your hands in position for a pushup. Then push your upper body up while letting your lower back relax as much as possible and attempt to keep the hip bones in contact with the floor. Keep rising till your arms are fully extended. Do not fight it if your hip bones want to raise.
Compare your results to the table below to see where you stand for trunk extension flexibility.
Good - The hips remain in contact with floor while the arms are fully extended.
Fair - The hips raise from the ground up to a tiny amount below 2 inches or less.
Poor - The hips raise from the ground 2 inches or more.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
First a disclaimer: Before I test a client for flexibility I have them fill out a fitness form, waivers, and many others that let me see my clients health history and possible limitations. Since I cannot do that with the readers of this blog I must caution that this flexibility test could cause further injury to individuals with diagnosed lower back issues or for issues that may let turn up. You should not try this flexibility test unless you have a doctors okay.
Lie face down with your hands in position for a pushup. Then push your upper body up while letting your lower back relax as much as possible and attempt to keep the hip bones in contact with the floor. Keep rising till your arms are fully extended. Do not fight it if your hip bones want to raise.
Compare your results to the table below to see where you stand for trunk extension flexibility.
Good - The hips remain in contact with floor while the arms are fully extended.
Fair - The hips raise from the ground up to a tiny amount below 2 inches or less.
Poor - The hips raise from the ground 2 inches or more.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Back from vacation
To all, I just came back from my vacation. While my family was on vacation we were overwhelmed with the junk that is served at the amusement park food stands AND restaurants. It took an extreme effort to find healthy food and even then most of the times the options we ate were NOT what we would of chosen - given options.
Here is how we did it. Maybe some of our methods could help you.
* For our little girl we brought a whole lot of food from home: healthy snacks, fresh fruit sliced up, organic milk, organic/no sugar fruit roll-ups, pretzels, healthy cereals, yogurts etc.
* For our son we packed pop-tarts as a healthier snack at night in the room then cookies or cakes and dried fruit snacks he likes.
* My wife and I winged it and figured we could find right choices there.
To make matters worse and make our nutritional choices even more important was the fact that the hotel did not have a fitness room. The hotel did have agreements with surrounding resorts that allowed us to use their gym for a small fee. I managed to get to the gym just once in 7 days. Having a fitness room miles away made it very very difficult to schedule it. Ex: A one hour workout turned out to be a 2 1/2 hour ordeal.
So in order to maintain some fitness we performed a full stretch routine I developed nightly. It made us feel a little better about missing the gym and still gave our bodies some conditioning. Later on when I write about hotel workouts I will share some of that routine with you. The quick point I am making is no matter what challenges to your nutritional and fitness needs you face you can always make small differences to get some good health - even on vacation.
BUT, we did not restrict ourselves either. We ate pizza a few times, had some premium sundaes, and even enjoyed a hot dog or two.
It takes a lot of work to eat right on vacation and we took almost a suitcase of food with us to make it happen. The fact that airport security took us side and asked us about all the food and searched our bags attest to the fact that very few people travel with their nutrition in mind - or for that matter have a desire to deal with more stress.
Tomorrow I will go back to writing about flexibility testing.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Here is how we did it. Maybe some of our methods could help you.
* For our little girl we brought a whole lot of food from home: healthy snacks, fresh fruit sliced up, organic milk, organic/no sugar fruit roll-ups, pretzels, healthy cereals, yogurts etc.
* For our son we packed pop-tarts as a healthier snack at night in the room then cookies or cakes and dried fruit snacks he likes.
* My wife and I winged it and figured we could find right choices there.
To make matters worse and make our nutritional choices even more important was the fact that the hotel did not have a fitness room. The hotel did have agreements with surrounding resorts that allowed us to use their gym for a small fee. I managed to get to the gym just once in 7 days. Having a fitness room miles away made it very very difficult to schedule it. Ex: A one hour workout turned out to be a 2 1/2 hour ordeal.
So in order to maintain some fitness we performed a full stretch routine I developed nightly. It made us feel a little better about missing the gym and still gave our bodies some conditioning. Later on when I write about hotel workouts I will share some of that routine with you. The quick point I am making is no matter what challenges to your nutritional and fitness needs you face you can always make small differences to get some good health - even on vacation.
BUT, we did not restrict ourselves either. We ate pizza a few times, had some premium sundaes, and even enjoyed a hot dog or two.
It takes a lot of work to eat right on vacation and we took almost a suitcase of food with us to make it happen. The fact that airport security took us side and asked us about all the food and searched our bags attest to the fact that very few people travel with their nutrition in mind - or for that matter have a desire to deal with more stress.
Tomorrow I will go back to writing about flexibility testing.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Hamstring flexibility test
Okay, my last post until July 10th deals with Hamstring flexibility. The hamstring muscle probably has the most implications to your quality of life then most other muscles. One of the primary responsibilites of this muscle is stabilizing your knee. And if it is tight you are risking injury to your knee. You might be saying how can that be if it is in the back of my thigh. But if you know muscle anatomy you would see that the hamstring has primary control of the knee. If you are too tight or too strong you risk instability in your knee joint. Most people have much more strength in their quadtriceps (front of the thigh) and this causes inbalance and a host of issues. Your hamstrings should be no more then 60% - 70% the strength of your quadtriceps. Do the math. If you can lift 100 pounds during a hamstring curl you should not do more then 60-70 pounds in a leg raise.
So how do you test the flexibility of your hamstring muscle.
1) Lie on the floor with your face facing the ceiling.
2) Have a partner raise up one of your legs - that you keep knee locked and straight.
3) The minute your non-raised legs off the ground while your partner is raising your leg you fail.
4) To pass the hamstring flexibility you need to be able to raise you leg at least to a 80% to 90% angle without your non-raised leg rising off the ground.
Take the test and see if you have been working out incorrectly. Maybe your hamstring is too tight. If you find it is - why not reach out to me and I can suggest some really cool stretches to get you back in the game per-say.
I would not introduce my client to lower body work till they could show me they were flexible to take it. I could hurt their knee and cause them life long pain. You should be assessing yourself as well. These flexibility tests could save you from major injuries - please try them.
This is my last post until July 10th. I will be on vacation in Disney World with my family. Please do not forget me. I live to pass on my knowledge. And I beleive I am giving you a reason to come back - daily - to learn from me. Right?
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
So how do you test the flexibility of your hamstring muscle.
1) Lie on the floor with your face facing the ceiling.
2) Have a partner raise up one of your legs - that you keep knee locked and straight.
3) The minute your non-raised legs off the ground while your partner is raising your leg you fail.
4) To pass the hamstring flexibility you need to be able to raise you leg at least to a 80% to 90% angle without your non-raised leg rising off the ground.
Take the test and see if you have been working out incorrectly. Maybe your hamstring is too tight. If you find it is - why not reach out to me and I can suggest some really cool stretches to get you back in the game per-say.
I would not introduce my client to lower body work till they could show me they were flexible to take it. I could hurt their knee and cause them life long pain. You should be assessing yourself as well. These flexibility tests could save you from major injuries - please try them.
This is my last post until July 10th. I will be on vacation in Disney World with my family. Please do not forget me. I live to pass on my knowledge. And I beleive I am giving you a reason to come back - daily - to learn from me. Right?
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Vacation notice
To all, I will on vacation from July 3rd to July 10th. During that time there will be no posts. My last post will be tomorrow night. But please come back on July 10th. Or better yet go through any of my previous posts that you may of missed. There is a treasure chest of information contained in this blog. There many more great themes coming and alot of very cool and great information for you to use in your workouts. In the coming months I will be having themes such as:
1) Pre-made mini-workouts for you to use.
2) How to work around injuries.
3) Special populations (diabeties, heart disease, pregnancy, etc.) and how to workout safely when you have these conditions.
4) Proper form for popular exercises.
5) Workout methodology for sports related goals.
6) Alternative exercise methods and routines such as speed bag/body bag, jump rope, body bar, flexibility ball, BOSU ball, bands, using ones own body weight, etc.
7) Special workouts for special occasions: bride to be boot camp, hotel workouts in your room, workouts in the park, swimming pool workouts, etc.
So you see there is a lot of stuff coming and I want all of you to benefit. So I hope to see you all coming back on July 10th. :)
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
1) Pre-made mini-workouts for you to use.
2) How to work around injuries.
3) Special populations (diabeties, heart disease, pregnancy, etc.) and how to workout safely when you have these conditions.
4) Proper form for popular exercises.
5) Workout methodology for sports related goals.
6) Alternative exercise methods and routines such as speed bag/body bag, jump rope, body bar, flexibility ball, BOSU ball, bands, using ones own body weight, etc.
7) Special workouts for special occasions: bride to be boot camp, hotel workouts in your room, workouts in the park, swimming pool workouts, etc.
So you see there is a lot of stuff coming and I want all of you to benefit. So I hope to see you all coming back on July 10th. :)
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Monday, June 30, 2008
Shoulder flexibility test
When I am presented with a new client I go through a series of tests and assessments to see what my client is capable of. Based on tests and questionnaires I can get a pretty accurate picture on how to design a program that they will benefit from and not pose a risk to their health or risk injury. During the next couple of days I will write about the flexibility tests that I personally administer to assess my clients capabilities. I will then share some thoughts about what modifications I would make to their program design based on each assessment.
Try each test yourself and see just where your abilities lie.
Shoulder Assessment:
Sit or stand and place your right arm straight up, let the elbow bend so the hand comes to rest, palms down, between the shoulder blades. You should then reach back with the left arm so the palm is up. Attempt to touch hands.
Then reverse the procedure and test the opposite shoulder. If one or both shoulders fail then you fail.
If your fingertips are able to touch you have good shoulder flexibility.
If your fingertips are not touching but are less than two inches apart you have fair shoulder flexibility.
If your fingertips are more than two inches apart then you have poor shoulder flexibility.
One other shoulder flexibility assessment I do is have my client lie on his or her back with knees bent, back flat, and arms overhead. Adequate flexibility is demonstrated if the arms lie flat overhead. If the arms do not lie flat, a shortness in the pectoralis major(pecs), teres major(connects to the pecs and shoulder), and latissimus dorsi(lats) is indicated.
If my client has poor flexibility this tells me that it is VITAL to institute a flexibility program to stretch those muscles to a point where they exhibit good flexibility. I would lay off any shoulder and chest exercises till they can demonstrate adequate range of motion. Why? Because they would be risking injury and get limited benefits from anything I had them do that utilized those muscles. I could get their flexibility back within 3-4 weeks and it would be well worth the wait.
Where does your shoulder flexibility lie? If you fail these tests reach out to me about what stretches could increase your flexibility and range of motion. If you neglect to stretch your shoulder muscles you risk serious shoulder injuries - especially to your rotator cuff. If you injure your rotator cuff you will be left with pain - possibly for the rest of your life. Be smart.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Try each test yourself and see just where your abilities lie.
Shoulder Assessment:
Sit or stand and place your right arm straight up, let the elbow bend so the hand comes to rest, palms down, between the shoulder blades. You should then reach back with the left arm so the palm is up. Attempt to touch hands.
Then reverse the procedure and test the opposite shoulder. If one or both shoulders fail then you fail.
If your fingertips are able to touch you have good shoulder flexibility.
If your fingertips are not touching but are less than two inches apart you have fair shoulder flexibility.
If your fingertips are more than two inches apart then you have poor shoulder flexibility.
One other shoulder flexibility assessment I do is have my client lie on his or her back with knees bent, back flat, and arms overhead. Adequate flexibility is demonstrated if the arms lie flat overhead. If the arms do not lie flat, a shortness in the pectoralis major(pecs), teres major(connects to the pecs and shoulder), and latissimus dorsi(lats) is indicated.
If my client has poor flexibility this tells me that it is VITAL to institute a flexibility program to stretch those muscles to a point where they exhibit good flexibility. I would lay off any shoulder and chest exercises till they can demonstrate adequate range of motion. Why? Because they would be risking injury and get limited benefits from anything I had them do that utilized those muscles. I could get their flexibility back within 3-4 weeks and it would be well worth the wait.
Where does your shoulder flexibility lie? If you fail these tests reach out to me about what stretches could increase your flexibility and range of motion. If you neglect to stretch your shoulder muscles you risk serious shoulder injuries - especially to your rotator cuff. If you injure your rotator cuff you will be left with pain - possibly for the rest of your life. Be smart.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Sunday, June 29, 2008
I am sorry about this but for some reason my blog is having problems posting large posts tonight. So rather then stress over it I will post tommorrow. Tommorrow I will post about shoulder flexibility testing and how you can diagnose if your shoulders need stretching for your exercise program.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto
New theme - Flexibility testing
Okay, I feel I have given you alot of GREAT formulas for you to play with and assess your current physical condition. Now I will be moving on to flexibility testing. After you try the featured posts you should have an excellent idea of where you stand in regards to the general population.
I do have a lot more formulas that can estimate your cardio fitness, ones that supercharge your weight loss, etc. But, alot of them require that you see a personal trainer to take the correct measurements to formulate them for you. So rather then tease you with them and have you not be able to enjoy them I have decided to move on. If you are currently under a personal trainers care - just post a comment and I will tell you what they should be using or testing you on.
Tomorrow I will be posting a flexibility test a day so you can see what your current physical state is.
You really do not want to miss these.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
I do have a lot more formulas that can estimate your cardio fitness, ones that supercharge your weight loss, etc. But, alot of them require that you see a personal trainer to take the correct measurements to formulate them for you. So rather then tease you with them and have you not be able to enjoy them I have decided to move on. If you are currently under a personal trainers care - just post a comment and I will tell you what they should be using or testing you on.
Tomorrow I will be posting a flexibility test a day so you can see what your current physical state is.
You really do not want to miss these.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Formulas - Waist to hip ratio
To all, I have not been able to post the last few days because of quite a few commitments and a new job. But I am back again.
Okay, lets talk about a critical formula EVERYONE should try. Why, because it is a great predictor of obesity and diseases such as diabetes and heart issues - and science backs it up - study after study.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Waist to hip ratio - A measure for determining health risk due to the site of fat storage.
You will need a cloth tape measure and a partner to help you take the measurement. When you use the cloth tape measure do not stretch it out or your readings may not be accurate.
You will need to take two measurements. First take a measurement of your hips by placing the tape measure over the your butt where it protrudes the most. Then take a tape measurement of your waist by placing the tape measure at the narrowest point, below the rib cage and just above the hip bones (you will be close to the belly button).
Now take the waist measurement and divide it by the hip measurement. Compare your result with the table below.
Make sure you convert your measurements into inches.
Here is the table you would use to determine your health risk:
Classification**********Men**********Woman
High risk*************>1.0**********>0.85
Moderately high risk***0.90 - 1.0*****0.80 - 0.85
Lower risk************<0.90********<0.80
You probably have heard about body shape defined as pear shape or apple shape. Well this formula will confirm what you have heard. An apple body shape puts you at a higher risk of health problems then a pear shape.
I hope you all try this measurement. It really is a very critical measurement that everyone should do.
When you take this measurement please do the measurements twice and wait 15 minutes between measurements. Then take the average of those two measurements to form a more accurate representation of your true measurement.
If you have any difficulty or questions just let me know.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Okay, lets talk about a critical formula EVERYONE should try. Why, because it is a great predictor of obesity and diseases such as diabetes and heart issues - and science backs it up - study after study.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Waist to hip ratio - A measure for determining health risk due to the site of fat storage.
You will need a cloth tape measure and a partner to help you take the measurement. When you use the cloth tape measure do not stretch it out or your readings may not be accurate.
You will need to take two measurements. First take a measurement of your hips by placing the tape measure over the your butt where it protrudes the most. Then take a tape measurement of your waist by placing the tape measure at the narrowest point, below the rib cage and just above the hip bones (you will be close to the belly button).
Now take the waist measurement and divide it by the hip measurement. Compare your result with the table below.
Make sure you convert your measurements into inches.
Here is the table you would use to determine your health risk:
Classification**********Men**********Woman
High risk*************>1.0**********>0.85
Moderately high risk***0.90 - 1.0*****0.80 - 0.85
Lower risk************<0.90********<0.80
You probably have heard about body shape defined as pear shape or apple shape. Well this formula will confirm what you have heard. An apple body shape puts you at a higher risk of health problems then a pear shape.
I hope you all try this measurement. It really is a very critical measurement that everyone should do.
When you take this measurement please do the measurements twice and wait 15 minutes between measurements. Then take the average of those two measurements to form a more accurate representation of your true measurement.
If you have any difficulty or questions just let me know.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
To all, I have had some questions about my post (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/formulas-estimating-resting-metabolic.html) that I should clarify. I really should of clarified it in my post - and I apologize for that.
Some of the subscribers to this blog have questioned what exactly I meant by my post. Well let me clear it up. By the way I LOVE being corrected by my subscribers it show me what a great group of knowledgeable - smart people you really are. It is my honor to have you on this blog. Keep up the comments and setting me straight. I hope I have made you even smarter.
After you have calculated your resting metabolic rate you are left with a number that is very low. What I neglected to tell you is that this number ONLY signifies the absolute minimum caloric needs that your body uses daily to support basic life function. NOT what your body needs to fuel you!
You need to take that low number and times it by 60% to 70% to calculate your daily caloric needs. After you take your magic number and times it by 60% to 70% you would add that number to your Resting Metabolic Rate to come up with a daily caloric need for your body.
So if we use me as an example:
I am a male so I use the male formula.
I am 5' 6'' tall or 66 inches * 2.54 or 167.64 centimeters
I weight 160 pounds or 160 * 0.45359237 or 72.5747792 kilograms
I am 40 years old.
Resting Metabolic Rate = 66 + (5 * 167.54) + (13.8 * 72.5747792) - (6.8 * 40) or 66 + (837.70)+ (1001.53) - (272) or 1633.23.
Then I times this amount by:
1633.23 * .60 or 980 or 1633 + 980 or 2613 to maintain my current weight at the low end.
1633.23 * .70 or 72.5747792 or 1633 + 1143 or 2776 to maintain my current weight at the high end.
I hope you can see that this formula fits in real nicely into the the daily recommendation of 2500 calories per day. If I want to lose weight I need to burn an additional 500 calories per day 7 days a week to lose a pound (remember a pound of fat is 3500 calories). Bringing down my calories to 2276 per day still provides my body with an amount it CAN survive on since my bodily functions require 1623.23 to support basic function.
As you can see every individual has a different caloric need and diets just do not take this into consideration - but you NEED TO. I will address the current diet plans in a future post - know that I have no faith in them at all - they really are a sham that provides hope that is not possible to the average individual. Scientific studies of all the current diets prove that they do not provide sustained weight loss over a period of two years. You will gain the weight back. Follow the real methods like the one I have posted and you will lose the weight. But my rantings belong in another post/theme.
Put this formula to work for you in your dieting needs and you can super charge your weight loss efforts. This is proven science and it will give you the edge on weight loss that others are not privy to.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Some of the subscribers to this blog have questioned what exactly I meant by my post. Well let me clear it up. By the way I LOVE being corrected by my subscribers it show me what a great group of knowledgeable - smart people you really are. It is my honor to have you on this blog. Keep up the comments and setting me straight. I hope I have made you even smarter.
After you have calculated your resting metabolic rate you are left with a number that is very low. What I neglected to tell you is that this number ONLY signifies the absolute minimum caloric needs that your body uses daily to support basic life function. NOT what your body needs to fuel you!
You need to take that low number and times it by 60% to 70% to calculate your daily caloric needs. After you take your magic number and times it by 60% to 70% you would add that number to your Resting Metabolic Rate to come up with a daily caloric need for your body.
So if we use me as an example:
I am a male so I use the male formula.
I am 5' 6'' tall or 66 inches * 2.54 or 167.64 centimeters
I weight 160 pounds or 160 * 0.45359237 or 72.5747792 kilograms
I am 40 years old.
Resting Metabolic Rate = 66 + (5 * 167.54) + (13.8 * 72.5747792) - (6.8 * 40) or 66 + (837.70)+ (1001.53) - (272) or 1633.23.
Then I times this amount by:
1633.23 * .60 or 980 or 1633 + 980 or 2613 to maintain my current weight at the low end.
1633.23 * .70 or 72.5747792 or 1633 + 1143 or 2776 to maintain my current weight at the high end.
I hope you can see that this formula fits in real nicely into the the daily recommendation of 2500 calories per day. If I want to lose weight I need to burn an additional 500 calories per day 7 days a week to lose a pound (remember a pound of fat is 3500 calories). Bringing down my calories to 2276 per day still provides my body with an amount it CAN survive on since my bodily functions require 1623.23 to support basic function.
As you can see every individual has a different caloric need and diets just do not take this into consideration - but you NEED TO. I will address the current diet plans in a future post - know that I have no faith in them at all - they really are a sham that provides hope that is not possible to the average individual. Scientific studies of all the current diets prove that they do not provide sustained weight loss over a period of two years. You will gain the weight back. Follow the real methods like the one I have posted and you will lose the weight. But my rantings belong in another post/theme.
Put this formula to work for you in your dieting needs and you can super charge your weight loss efforts. This is proven science and it will give you the edge on weight loss that others are not privy to.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Formulas correction
To all, One (very smart) subscriber has pointed out that I forgot to include some important information in a post. To which I thank them for.
In the post (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-love-formulas-especially-ones-that-i.html) I forgot to mention that after you do the simplified formula for your predicted heart rate maximum (220 - age) you need to do two more calculations. I did mention these calculations for the Karvonen formula but forgot to include it in the simplified formula. So here is the correction:
Using me as an example:
I am 40 years old
I weight 160 pounds
My resting heart rate is 80(bad I know - I really need more cardio training).
Training heart rate = 220 - 40 or target heart rate = 180. So when I train on cardio machines I should not go over this maximum.
When you use the simplified formula of 220 - age you also need to add what intensity you wish to train at. For most fit individuals that would be 60% to 85%. So using my maximum heart rate of 180 I would do the following calculations:
180 * .60 or 108 for the low end range
180 * .85 or 153 for the high end range
The number of 180 signifies that you should never exceed this number or you present a high risk to your cardiovascular system should you have a heart condition or for that matter a yet to be revealed issue. I really should be training in the range above to maximize my workouts. With the goal of trying to be as close to the high range as I can be.
I hope this makes it more clear about what I was saying. I would stress that you should use the Karvonen formula that was also mentioned in my post (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-love-formulas-especially-ones-that-i.html).
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
In the post (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-love-formulas-especially-ones-that-i.html) I forgot to mention that after you do the simplified formula for your predicted heart rate maximum (220 - age) you need to do two more calculations. I did mention these calculations for the Karvonen formula but forgot to include it in the simplified formula. So here is the correction:
Using me as an example:
I am 40 years old
I weight 160 pounds
My resting heart rate is 80(bad I know - I really need more cardio training).
Training heart rate = 220 - 40 or target heart rate = 180. So when I train on cardio machines I should not go over this maximum.
When you use the simplified formula of 220 - age you also need to add what intensity you wish to train at. For most fit individuals that would be 60% to 85%. So using my maximum heart rate of 180 I would do the following calculations:
180 * .60 or 108 for the low end range
180 * .85 or 153 for the high end range
The number of 180 signifies that you should never exceed this number or you present a high risk to your cardiovascular system should you have a heart condition or for that matter a yet to be revealed issue. I really should be training in the range above to maximize my workouts. With the goal of trying to be as close to the high range as I can be.
I hope this makes it more clear about what I was saying. I would stress that you should use the Karvonen formula that was also mentioned in my post (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-love-formulas-especially-ones-that-i.html).
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Monday, June 23, 2008
Formulas - Estimating Resting Metabolic Rate
Hello, Tonight we are going to uncover a critical formula for your weight loss success. It is called Resting Metabolic Rate. And knowing what it is can really boost your weight loss strategy.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Resting Metabolic Rate - The number of calories expended per unit time at rest. You should know this number to know how much calories you body needs to operate on a daily basis to support minimum upkeep. And you should never go below this number with your weight goals.
This calculation has different formulas for woman and men.
For a man the formula is:
Resting Metabolic Rate = 66 + (5 * height) + (13.8 * weight) - (6.8 * age)
For a woman the formula is:
Resting Metabolic Rate = 655 + (1.8 * height) + (9.6 * weight) - (4.7 * age)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Height needs to be in centimeters. To convert inches to centimeters times your height in inches by 2.54.
Weight needs to be in kilograms. To convert pounds to kilograms times your pounds by 0.45359237.
So if we use me as an example:
I am a male so I use the male formula.
I am 5' 6'' tall or 66 inches * 2.54 or 167.64 centimeters
I weight 160 pounds or 160 * 0.45359237 or 72.5747792 kilograms
I am 40 years old.
Resting Metabolic Rate = 66 + (5 * 167.54) + (13.8 * 72.5747792) - (6.8 * 40) or 66 + (837.70)+ (1001.53) - (272) or 1633.23.
What this means is my body requires a minimum of 1633.23 calories a day just to sustain basic function. If I were to diet and reduce my caloric need below this I would be starving my body and cause negative results. No diet plan on the market EVER takes this into account. But you need to!
If you want to lose weight you must know your Resting Metabolic Rate.
I hope this formula helps you in your weight loss plan.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Resting Metabolic Rate - The number of calories expended per unit time at rest. You should know this number to know how much calories you body needs to operate on a daily basis to support minimum upkeep. And you should never go below this number with your weight goals.
This calculation has different formulas for woman and men.
For a man the formula is:
Resting Metabolic Rate = 66 + (5 * height) + (13.8 * weight) - (6.8 * age)
For a woman the formula is:
Resting Metabolic Rate = 655 + (1.8 * height) + (9.6 * weight) - (4.7 * age)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Height needs to be in centimeters. To convert inches to centimeters times your height in inches by 2.54.
Weight needs to be in kilograms. To convert pounds to kilograms times your pounds by 0.45359237.
So if we use me as an example:
I am a male so I use the male formula.
I am 5' 6'' tall or 66 inches * 2.54 or 167.64 centimeters
I weight 160 pounds or 160 * 0.45359237 or 72.5747792 kilograms
I am 40 years old.
Resting Metabolic Rate = 66 + (5 * 167.54) + (13.8 * 72.5747792) - (6.8 * 40) or 66 + (837.70)+ (1001.53) - (272) or 1633.23.
What this means is my body requires a minimum of 1633.23 calories a day just to sustain basic function. If I were to diet and reduce my caloric need below this I would be starving my body and cause negative results. No diet plan on the market EVER takes this into account. But you need to!
If you want to lose weight you must know your Resting Metabolic Rate.
I hope this formula helps you in your weight loss plan.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Formulas - Target Heart Rate
I love formulas - especially ones that I can use to my advantage. I hope you had fun with my last post and plugged in the numbers to get some personalized facts about yourself.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Maximal Heart Rate - The highest heart-rate a person can attain.
Karvonen formula - The mathmatical formula that uses maximum heart-rate reserve to determine target heart rate.
Target heart rate - The number of heartbeats per minute that indicate appropriate exercise intensity levels for an individual ; also called training heart rate.
Resting heart rate - The number of heart beats per minute when the body is completely at rest; usually counted first thing in the morning before any activity.
Okay lets get to a formula that you may use everyday at the gym for your cardio routine and probably never knew the science behind it. That formula is called the Maximum Heart Rate formula and I will also address the more accurate version of this formula (the one you SHOULD be using instead) called the Karvonen formula.
When you use a cardio piece of equipment such as an elliptical, treadmill, bike, or a row machine it will usually ask you to to input your weight and age. The equipment asks this so it can calculate what you maximum heart rate should be.
The simplified formula the equipment uses is: Training heart rate = 220 - age.
Using me as an example:
I am 40 years old
I weight 160 pounds
My resting heart rate is 80(bad I know - I really need more cardio training).
Training heart rate = 220 - 40 or target heart rate = 180. So when I train on the machines I listed above I should not go over this maximum.
But lets try a more accurate formula to calculate my heart rate maximum (the Karvonen formula).
Training Heart rate = maximum heart rate - resting heart rate * desired intensity (40% to 85%) + resting heart rate.
So, for me, this is the formula:
Training Heart Rate = ((180 - 80) * 0.85)) + 80 or (100 * 0.85) + 80 or 165. As you can see this number is much more diffferent then the formula above and it is more indictive of what my true potential is with reduced risk to my heart.
It is the Karvonen formula that you should use at the gym. Because it is more attuned to what your body can handle without undue risk. Did you know 80,000 people a year die per year at gyms during exercise. Even though the benefits of exercise clearly out weight the risk of exercising - you should be smart in your approach.
I hope you are learning from these formulas. They really are vital to your exercise routine success. As a Personal Trainer these formulas are a daily task to assess and tune our clients workouts to maximize their success and do it in a safe manner.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Maximal Heart Rate - The highest heart-rate a person can attain.
Karvonen formula - The mathmatical formula that uses maximum heart-rate reserve to determine target heart rate.
Target heart rate - The number of heartbeats per minute that indicate appropriate exercise intensity levels for an individual ; also called training heart rate.
Resting heart rate - The number of heart beats per minute when the body is completely at rest; usually counted first thing in the morning before any activity.
Okay lets get to a formula that you may use everyday at the gym for your cardio routine and probably never knew the science behind it. That formula is called the Maximum Heart Rate formula and I will also address the more accurate version of this formula (the one you SHOULD be using instead) called the Karvonen formula.
When you use a cardio piece of equipment such as an elliptical, treadmill, bike, or a row machine it will usually ask you to to input your weight and age. The equipment asks this so it can calculate what you maximum heart rate should be.
The simplified formula the equipment uses is: Training heart rate = 220 - age.
Using me as an example:
I am 40 years old
I weight 160 pounds
My resting heart rate is 80(bad I know - I really need more cardio training).
Training heart rate = 220 - 40 or target heart rate = 180. So when I train on the machines I listed above I should not go over this maximum.
But lets try a more accurate formula to calculate my heart rate maximum (the Karvonen formula).
Training Heart rate = maximum heart rate - resting heart rate * desired intensity (40% to 85%) + resting heart rate.
So, for me, this is the formula:
Training Heart Rate = ((180 - 80) * 0.85)) + 80 or (100 * 0.85) + 80 or 165. As you can see this number is much more diffferent then the formula above and it is more indictive of what my true potential is with reduced risk to my heart.
It is the Karvonen formula that you should use at the gym. Because it is more attuned to what your body can handle without undue risk. Did you know 80,000 people a year die per year at gyms during exercise. Even though the benefits of exercise clearly out weight the risk of exercising - you should be smart in your approach.
I hope you are learning from these formulas. They really are vital to your exercise routine success. As a Personal Trainer these formulas are a daily task to assess and tune our clients workouts to maximize their success and do it in a safe manner.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Formulas - Target Body Weight
Okay, You now know how to calculate your BMI now lets use that to calculate your target body weight. You will need to know three pieces of information for this formula: (your current weight, your body fat content; for this example we will use BMI as well as a more accurate skin fold measurement, and the body fat percentage you wish to be at).
Lets use me as an example again:
I weigh 160
My body fat content is 26 according to BMI
Optional: My body fat content by skin fold analysis is 15.2 (a much more accurate number)
I would like to be at a body fat content of 14% to 17% (fitness level)
Lets go back to the table I listed in my last post(http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/next-post-theme-formulas.html)
Classification*** Woman (% fat)*** Men (% fat)
Essential fat****10 - 13%*********2 - 5%
Athletes*******14 - 20%*********6 - 13%
Fitness********21 - 24%*********14 - 17%
Average*******25 - 31%*********18 - 24%
Obese*********32% or higher****25% or higher
Here is the formula:
Fat mass = current body weight * (%body fat / 100%)
Fat-free mass = current body weight - fat mass
Target body weight = fat-free mass / 1 - (goal body fat percentage / 100)
Lets plug the numbers for my specs (we will use the BMI results first):
Fat mass = 160 * (26 /100) or 160 * 0.26 or 41.6 pounds.
Fat-free mass = 160 - 41.6 or 118.4 pounds.
Target body weight = 118.4 / 1 - (14% / 100) or 118.4 / 1 - 0.14 or 118.4 / 0.86 or 138 pounds for the low end of my goal.
Target body weight = 118.4 / 1 - (17% / 100) or 118.4 / 1 - 0.17 or 118.4 / 0.83 or 143 pounds for the high end of my goal.
So if I utilized BMI for my body fat percentage I need to get my weight of 160 pounds down to a weight range of 138 - 143 pounds.
But lets see what that weight becomes if I I utilize a more accurate body fat number (skin fold measurements). What do you think will happen? Take a guess and see if you are right.
Fat mass = 160 * (15.2 / 100) or 160 * .152 or 24.32 pounds.
Fat-free mass = 160 - 24.32 or 135.68 pounds.
Target body weight = 135.68 / 1 - (14% / 100) or 135.68 / 1 - (0.14) or 135.68 / 0.86 or 158 pounds for the low end of my goal.
Target body weight = 135.68 / 1 - (17% / 100) or 135.68 / 1 - (0.17) or 135.68 / 0.83 or 163 pounds for the high end of my goal.
So by using a more accurate measurement I clearly see I am at ideal weight. If you fit the profile that I outlined in post http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/next-post-theme-formulas.html for BMI calculation then you can use this formula and get a pretty accurate picture of what you should weigh based on your goal body fat percentage. If not then you need to utilize either a skin-fold measurement assessment(most gyms offer this free to their members) or utilize one of the scales out on the market that can give you a better picture (deviation of about +/-5%) of what your body fat percentage is.
This is a great formula that I utilize daily for my clients goals. And you should use it as well. It gives you a goal to reach for. Knowing exactly what you should weigh is a primary goal for anyone looking to lose weight. If you have any questions or confusion about the formulas let me know and I will walk you through it.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Lets use me as an example again:
I weigh 160
My body fat content is 26 according to BMI
Optional: My body fat content by skin fold analysis is 15.2 (a much more accurate number)
I would like to be at a body fat content of 14% to 17% (fitness level)
Lets go back to the table I listed in my last post(http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/next-post-theme-formulas.html)
Classification*** Woman (% fat)*** Men (% fat)
Essential fat****10 - 13%*********2 - 5%
Athletes*******14 - 20%*********6 - 13%
Fitness********21 - 24%*********14 - 17%
Average*******25 - 31%*********18 - 24%
Obese*********32% or higher****25% or higher
Here is the formula:
Fat mass = current body weight * (%body fat / 100%)
Fat-free mass = current body weight - fat mass
Target body weight = fat-free mass / 1 - (goal body fat percentage / 100)
Lets plug the numbers for my specs (we will use the BMI results first):
Fat mass = 160 * (26 /100) or 160 * 0.26 or 41.6 pounds.
Fat-free mass = 160 - 41.6 or 118.4 pounds.
Target body weight = 118.4 / 1 - (14%
Target body weight = 118.4 / 1 - (17%
So if I utilized BMI for my body fat percentage I need to get my weight of 160 pounds down to a weight range of 138 - 143 pounds.
But lets see what that weight becomes if I I utilize a more accurate body fat number (skin fold measurements). What do you think will happen? Take a guess and see if you are right.
Fat mass = 160 * (15.2 / 100) or 160 * .152 or 24.32 pounds.
Fat-free mass = 160 - 24.32 or 135.68 pounds.
Target body weight = 135.68 / 1 - (14%
Target body weight = 135.68 / 1 - (17%
So by using a more accurate measurement I clearly see I am at ideal weight. If you fit the profile that I outlined in post http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/next-post-theme-formulas.html for BMI calculation then you can use this formula and get a pretty accurate picture of what you should weigh based on your goal body fat percentage. If not then you need to utilize either a skin-fold measurement assessment(most gyms offer this free to their members) or utilize one of the scales out on the market that can give you a better picture (deviation of about +/-5%) of what your body fat percentage is.
This is a great formula that I utilize daily for my clients goals. And you should use it as well. It gives you a goal to reach for. Knowing exactly what you should weigh is a primary goal for anyone looking to lose weight. If you have any questions or confusion about the formulas let me know and I will walk you through it.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Next post theme - formulas
Okay, we are all experts on exercise progressions right? Great, now lets have some fun with formulas. For the next couple of weeks I will post a new formula, daily, for you to utilize in some way at the gym. Do not worry - these are FUN formulas. You are going to learn so much about your personal performance, your abilities, and what your unique body is capable of.
If you would not mind send me your results for each formula so I can start tailoring my posts to your unique needs.
Okay lets start with an easy one most everyone has heard from time to time.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
BMI (imperial formula not the metric one) - Measure of the relationship between height and weight; calculated by dividing the weight in pounds times 703 by height in inches squared. BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is an imperfect model due to the fact that it does not take into account a persons frame and build. I will discuss more about this below.
Example: (using my stats as a guide)
I weigh 160
I am 5' 6" (or 66 inches)
So the formula with data would be: (160 * 703) / (66 * 66) or 112480 / 4356 = 25.82 or 26 if you round up.
The BMI table for reference is:
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 -24.9 Normal
25 - 29.9 Overweight
30 & Above Obese
So if I believe the BMI tables I would be labeled overweight. Which I know that I am not. My body consists of 15.2 percent body fat. Clearly not 26.
The general body-fat percentage categories (from page 188 of the ACE Personal Trainer Manual 3rd edition) are listed below: (You may find different numbers depending on what source you use.)
Classification Woman (% fat) Men (% fat)
Essential fat****10 - 13%*********2 - 5%
Athletes*******14 - 20%*********6 - 13%
Fitness********21 - 24%*********14 - 17%
Average*******25 - 31%*********18 - 24%
Obese*********32% or higher****25% or higher
Using this standard I would be considered in the fit category. So why so much difference in the numbers? You might ask yourself why even bother utilizing the BMI formula. Well, for some people it would be accurate others it would not.
If you are have an average frame, do not workout, and are basically a sedentary individual with no chronic diseases, and not taking any medications that might cause weight gain as a side effect then BMI will be a pretty good estimation of your body fat percentage. But if you workout regularly or are an athlete then BMI will not give you an accurate picture. Why is this? Well, if one trains with weights they have reduced their fat and have gained muscle. But a pound of muscle weights the same as a pound of fat. So the BMI calculation would not take this into account.
But if your goal is trying to lose weight then I would say utilize the BMI calculation to see your progress even if it is not an accurate picture it will still show progress you have made. I will be posting much better formulas to assess what your real body fat percentage is but do not be afraid to use BMI. Just realize it's limitations.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
If you would not mind send me your results for each formula so I can start tailoring my posts to your unique needs.
Okay lets start with an easy one most everyone has heard from time to time.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
BMI (imperial formula not the metric one) - Measure of the relationship between height and weight; calculated by dividing the weight in pounds times 703 by height in inches squared. BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is an imperfect model due to the fact that it does not take into account a persons frame and build. I will discuss more about this below.
Example: (using my stats as a guide)
I weigh 160
I am 5' 6" (or 66 inches)
So the formula with data would be: (160 * 703) / (66 * 66) or 112480 / 4356 = 25.82 or 26 if you round up.
The BMI table for reference is:
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 -24.9 Normal
25 - 29.9 Overweight
30 & Above Obese
So if I believe the BMI tables I would be labeled overweight. Which I know that I am not. My body consists of 15.2 percent body fat. Clearly not 26.
The general body-fat percentage categories (from page 188 of the ACE Personal Trainer Manual 3rd edition) are listed below: (You may find different numbers depending on what source you use.)
Classification Woman (% fat) Men (% fat)
Essential fat****10 - 13%*********2 - 5%
Athletes*******14 - 20%*********6 - 13%
Fitness********21 - 24%*********14 - 17%
Average*******25 - 31%*********18 - 24%
Obese*********32% or higher****25% or higher
Using this standard I would be considered in the fit category. So why so much difference in the numbers? You might ask yourself why even bother utilizing the BMI formula. Well, for some people it would be accurate others it would not.
If you are have an average frame, do not workout, and are basically a sedentary individual with no chronic diseases, and not taking any medications that might cause weight gain as a side effect then BMI will be a pretty good estimation of your body fat percentage. But if you workout regularly or are an athlete then BMI will not give you an accurate picture. Why is this? Well, if one trains with weights they have reduced their fat and have gained muscle. But a pound of muscle weights the same as a pound of fat. So the BMI calculation would not take this into account.
But if your goal is trying to lose weight then I would say utilize the BMI calculation to see your progress even if it is not an accurate picture it will still show progress you have made. I will be posting much better formulas to assess what your real body fat percentage is but do not be afraid to use BMI. Just realize it's limitations.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Exercise Progression - Tidbits part 4
Hello, I think I will have covered alot of different methods to progress a stalled exercise routine. Tomorrow we will move on to a new theme. But there a few more exercise progressions I wanted to talk about.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Pyramid Training system - a multiple-set system in which the weight is increased progressively over several sets so that fewer and fewer repetitions can be performed.
Single-set system(also known as High-intensity training system) consists of performing a single set of a predetermined number of repetitions until deliberate fatigue.
Pre-Exhaustion system - consists of performing successive sets of two different exercises for the same target muscle or muscle group. An example would be doing a bench press to fatigue and then doing dumbbell flys to fatigue. Can be done with multiple sets but is generally only done with one set per muscle or muscle group.
Assisted Training system - This method requires the assistance of another individual who, after several repetitions of an exercise to deliberate fatigue, can provide just enough assistance to allow the lifter to complete 3 to 5 additional repetitions. Caution this system is not for the beginner or deconditioned participant.
Tempo based training system - This system changes the amount of time an exercise is done in one or more of the three contraction phases; Concentric, Eccentric, Isometric. A tempo of 4/2/2 in a barbell bicep curl means that you lift the weight towards you(Concentric contraction) and you make it take 2 seconds(4/2/2), then you hold it for 2 seconds(Isometric contraction - 4/2/2), then take 4 seconds to return it to the starting position(Eccentric contraction - 4/2/2).
Recovery systems - Basically taking time off in measured amounts to increase endurance and strength. In most cases you will come back even stronger then if you did not take the time off.
Lets talk a little about each. The definitions I provided should be enough but let me add a little more understanding to each.
Pyramid-Training system - I personally use this one alot in my workouts and it provides a real blast to your muscles. I have used this system when I have become stalled at a weight and not been able to increase it.
Example:
You are currently doing 3 sets of a dumbbell bicep curl at 30 pounds. You are doing 10 reps per set. You are able to do the first set at 10 reps, the second set at 9 reps, and the third set at 4 reps. You have noticed that for the last few weeks you have not been able to get the 3rd set reps up. Well, based on the Pyramid-Training system you would do the following:
1st set 30 pounds / 10 reps
2nd set 35 pounds /6 reps
3rd set 40 pounds / 3 reps
Single-set system - Simply put, match a predetermined weight that you will lift for a predetermined amount of repetitions.
Example:
You currently do 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 60 pounds for a barbell curl. The first set you can do 10 reps no problem. Utilizing the Single-set system you would do the following:
1 set of 10 reps(if you can) with a weight of 80 pounds. When 80 pounds becomes easy you would boost it to 100 and so on.
Pre-Exhaustion system - I believe my definition says it all. If you have any questions on this system just reach out to me.
Assisted training system - I utilize this system alot with my son(due to school and other commitments he only has one day a week to train and I want to maximize every exercise the best I can). If you workout with a partner this is a great way to fast track your progress. I do caution you that it causes alot of muscle soreness and discomfort and should never be done if you are a beginner or deconditioned.
Tempo based training system. The way you should go about this exercise is experimentation. If you remember a previous post http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/exercise-progression-tidbits.html this system is really a boosted up Eccentric training system. I cannot give you an example of this because this type of system really requires I view your lifting style to formulate a proper tempo. But if you experiment a little you should start to get a feel for your correct tempo range and build up your muscle mass. A normal tempo rate of 2/1/2 is generally what I see most clients do so you can work from there.
Recovery training systems - When I train clients I generally like to have them take off 1 week every 4 to 6. I know it sounds wrong and you may say I will loose gains. But the reality is your muscles will thank you, heal, and become even stronger because of your time off. I must stress that this just applies to weight training - NOT cardio (you still need to do that at least 5 times a week).
Well that ends my theme of exercise progressions. I hope I have given you relevant knowledge and you take that knowledge into the gym and try them. If you have any questions please reach out to me. This blog is about helping you become the "Perfect You".
Note: These exercise systems I made mention of in this post are not meant to be done every day. The should be viewed as additions to your normal workout that are done once in a while to boost your goals. Doing these systems everyday could cause a negative affect and actually stall your gains. Train smart.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Pyramid Training system - a multiple-set system in which the weight is increased progressively over several sets so that fewer and fewer repetitions can be performed.
Single-set system(also known as High-intensity training system
Pre-Exhaustion system - consists of performing successive sets of two different exercises for the same target muscle or muscle group. An example would be doing a bench press to fatigue and then doing dumbbell flys to fatigue. Can be done with multiple sets but is generally only done with one set per muscle or muscle group.
Assisted Training system - This method requires the assistance of another individual who, after several repetitions of an exercise to deliberate fatigue, can provide just enough assistance to allow the lifter to complete 3 to 5 additional repetitions. Caution this system is not for the beginner or deconditioned participant.
Tempo based training system - This system changes the amount of time an exercise is done in one or more of the three contraction phases; Concentric, Eccentric, Isometric. A tempo of 4/2/2 in a barbell bicep curl means that you lift the weight towards you(Concentric contraction) and you make it take 2 seconds(4/2/2), then you hold it for 2 seconds(Isometric contraction - 4/2/2), then take 4 seconds to return it to the starting position(Eccentric contraction - 4/2/2).
Recovery systems - Basically taking time off in measured amounts to increase endurance and strength. In most cases you will come back even stronger then if you did not take the time off.
Lets talk a little about each. The definitions I provided should be enough but let me add a little more understanding to each.
Pyramid-Training system - I personally use this one alot in my workouts and it provides a real blast to your muscles. I have used this system when I have become stalled at a weight and not been able to increase it.
Example:
You are currently doing 3 sets of a dumbbell bicep curl at 30 pounds. You are doing 10 reps per set. You are able to do the first set at 10 reps, the second set at 9 reps, and the third set at 4 reps. You have noticed that for the last few weeks you have not been able to get the 3rd set reps up. Well, based on the Pyramid-Training system you would do the following:
1st set 30 pounds / 10 reps
2nd set 35 pounds /6 reps
3rd set 40 pounds / 3 reps
Single-set system - Simply put, match a predetermined weight that you will lift for a predetermined amount of repetitions.
Example:
You currently do 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 60 pounds for a barbell curl. The first set you can do 10 reps no problem. Utilizing the Single-set system you would do the following:
1 set of 10 reps(if you can) with a weight of 80 pounds. When 80 pounds becomes easy you would boost it to 100 and so on.
Pre-Exhaustion system - I believe my definition says it all. If you have any questions on this system just reach out to me.
Assisted training system - I utilize this system alot with my son(due to school and other commitments he only has one day a week to train and I want to maximize every exercise the best I can). If you workout with a partner this is a great way to fast track your progress. I do caution you that it causes alot of muscle soreness and discomfort and should never be done if you are a beginner or deconditioned.
Tempo based training system. The way you should go about this exercise is experimentation. If you remember a previous post http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/exercise-progression-tidbits.html this system is really a boosted up Eccentric training system. I cannot give you an example of this because this type of system really requires I view your lifting style to formulate a proper tempo. But if you experiment a little you should start to get a feel for your correct tempo range and build up your muscle mass. A normal tempo rate of 2/1/2 is generally what I see most clients do so you can work from there.
Recovery training systems - When I train clients I generally like to have them take off 1 week every 4 to 6. I know it sounds wrong and you may say I will loose gains. But the reality is your muscles will thank you, heal, and become even stronger because of your time off. I must stress that this just applies to weight training - NOT cardio (you still need to do that at least 5 times a week).
Well that ends my theme of exercise progressions. I hope I have given you relevant knowledge and you take that knowledge into the gym and try them. If you have any questions please reach out to me. This blog is about helping you become the "Perfect You".
Note: These exercise systems I made mention of in this post are not meant to be done every day. The should be viewed as additions to your normal workout that are done once in a while to boost your goals. Doing these systems everyday could cause a negative affect and actually stall your gains. Train smart.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Exercise Progression - Tidbits part 3
Well, two posts ago I talked about Circuit training as a pseudo type of exercise progression. Now lets talk about cross-training. It is a term thrown around quite often and I am sure you have heard it at least once.
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Cross Training - A method of physical training in which a variety of exercises and changes in body position or modes of exercises are utilized to positively affect compliance and motivation, and also stimulate additional strength gains or reduce injury.
Plyometrics - Exercises that maximize the myotatic(stretch) reflex to teach muscles to produce maximum force faster. Plyometrics are usually sports-specific and utilize exercises such as hops, bounds, and depth jumps; may cause overuse tendon injuries in some athletes.
Bosu ball - Stands for BOth Sides Up. this is an exercise apparatus that has a dome on one side and a flat side on the other. It is used for balance training as well as core training.
As a Personal Trainer I am frequently asked by my clients as well as my friends about cross training. They have heard the buzz about it being the panacea for their stalled exercise routines.
I do not believe that most people need to cross train if they are already exercising smart. If you are already utilizing the flexibility ball, or a bosu ball you really are doing at least one part of a cross training program (see definintion above). If you are incorporating a walking, swimming, or raquet type sport once in a while in your program you are also cross training (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/exercise-progression-exercise-systems.html). So, if you have been reading my posts and trying some of my suggestions - then you are already cross training and I bet you did not even realize it. If you keep variety in your routines you will excel at reaching your goals - smartly and without all the hype of cross training.
Now let me tell you where I believe cross training is warranted. Lets take a real world example: If I have a client that is a professional tennis player and she wants to vamp up her peformance, my tone about cross training changes. I would need to structure her exercise routine quite differently - here is how I would train her:
1) I would still have her do a regular exercise program utilizing weights, cardio, flexibility, and core training using different exercise apparatus such as Bosu, flexibility ball, and Plyometrics movements.
2) In addition I would analyze her movements she performs for her vocation. Since she is a tennis player I would note that she sprints for the ball, twists her body in rapid fashion to serve or return the ball, and needs to maintain exceptional posture through all of these movements to maximize power.
3) I would incorporate alot of cross training for this individual because her vocation demands it for optimal performance.
Okay so lets address what I would have her do - in a cross training mode.
1) She needs to do wind sprints to improve her time to get to the ball.
2) She needs to work on instability because she never knows what angle the ball is going to be coming from and she needs to be able to work her body in unstable environments.
3) She needs a strong core because a strong core allows the upper body to maximize power from the lower body and the core muscles facilitate that.
4) She needs to do some swimming exercises to get those shoulders working in different motions.
5) She needs to do some jogging or intense cardio to boost her cardiovascular system to be able to last through the matches.
As you can see I am utilizing many modes of exercises to train her for maximal performance. And that is the definition of cross training - training at different angles and different modes(types) of exercise to maximize gains.
Yes, cross training does have a place in some people's routines but if you are not training for a sports specific goal I personally would try to steer you away from it. A sound exercise program already addresses much of what a cross training program gives you.
I am sure this topic might spurn some debate and I look forward to your rebuttals.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
First, lets get some definitions out of the way.
Cross Training - A method of physical training in which a variety of exercises and changes in body position or modes of exercises are utilized to positively affect compliance and motivation, and also stimulate additional strength gains or reduce injury.
Plyometrics - Exercises that maximize the myotatic(stretch) reflex to teach muscles to produce maximum force faster. Plyometrics are usually sports-specific and utilize exercises such as hops, bounds, and depth jumps; may cause overuse tendon injuries in some athletes.
Bosu ball - Stands for BOth Sides Up. this is an exercise apparatus that has a dome on one side and a flat side on the other. It is used for balance training as well as core training.
As a Personal Trainer I am frequently asked by my clients as well as my friends about cross training. They have heard the buzz about it being the panacea for their stalled exercise routines.
I do not believe that most people need to cross train if they are already exercising smart. If you are already utilizing the flexibility ball, or a bosu ball you really are doing at least one part of a cross training program (see definintion above). If you are incorporating a walking, swimming, or raquet type sport once in a while in your program you are also cross training (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/exercise-progression-exercise-systems.html). So, if you have been reading my posts and trying some of my suggestions - then you are already cross training and I bet you did not even realize it. If you keep variety in your routines you will excel at reaching your goals - smartly and without all the hype of cross training.
Now let me tell you where I believe cross training is warranted. Lets take a real world example: If I have a client that is a professional tennis player and she wants to vamp up her peformance, my tone about cross training changes. I would need to structure her exercise routine quite differently - here is how I would train her:
1) I would still have her do a regular exercise program utilizing weights, cardio, flexibility, and core training using different exercise apparatus such as Bosu, flexibility ball, and Plyometrics movements.
2) In addition I would analyze her movements she performs for her vocation. Since she is a tennis player I would note that she sprints for the ball, twists her body in rapid fashion to serve or return the ball, and needs to maintain exceptional posture through all of these movements to maximize power.
3) I would incorporate alot of cross training for this individual because her vocation demands it for optimal performance.
Okay so lets address what I would have her do - in a cross training mode.
1) She needs to do wind sprints to improve her time to get to the ball.
2) She needs to work on instability because she never knows what angle the ball is going to be coming from and she needs to be able to work her body in unstable environments.
3) She needs a strong core because a strong core allows the upper body to maximize power from the lower body and the core muscles facilitate that.
4) She needs to do some swimming exercises to get those shoulders working in different motions.
5) She needs to do some jogging or intense cardio to boost her cardiovascular system to be able to last through the matches.
As you can see I am utilizing many modes of exercises to train her for maximal performance. And that is the definition of cross training - training at different angles and different modes(types) of exercise to maximize gains.
Yes, cross training does have a place in some people's routines but if you are not training for a sports specific goal I personally would try to steer you away from it. A sound exercise program already addresses much of what a cross training program gives you.
I am sure this topic might spurn some debate and I look forward to your rebuttals.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Taking a Fathers Day break for today - sorry.
To all, Today I am taking a rest day. Just loving my family and relishing in all they did for me today to celebrate Fathers Day. My son, daughter, and wife served me breakfast in bed and took me out for a great dinner with my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and my brother-in-law. If I may go off on a tangent for a moment.... When you have a loving family you feel you can do anything and they really are your support mechanism. I urge you to connect to the positive people in your life and you will be able to accomplish the impossible. It really is my family (extended and internal) that drives my success. My family continues to challenge me and make me a better person in everything I do. To go even further my sister and her fiance continue to be support beacons of an unparalled level. And if I may - I want to thank everyone in my life for all they give me, all they do for me, and all the love they show me. I really am a lucky man.
Starting tommorrow I may not post for the next few days. I will be modifying my blog and setting up keywords, ads, and tuning my site to be ranked higher in the ratings for search engines. I feel it is time to spread my wings and grab an even bigger audience.
Today I received an offer to work at New York Sports Club as a Personal Trainer. What a great Fathers Day gift! I am really excited. I really feel New York Sports Club has a sound and powerful Personal Training program. If you ever want to train with me at my club let me know. You do not have to be a member to train. I look forward to becoming one of an elite team at NYSC. It is a golden opportunity that I am jumping at.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto
Starting tommorrow I may not post for the next few days. I will be modifying my blog and setting up keywords, ads, and tuning my site to be ranked higher in the ratings for search engines. I feel it is time to spread my wings and grab an even bigger audience.
Today I received an offer to work at New York Sports Club as a Personal Trainer. What a great Fathers Day gift! I am really excited. I really feel New York Sports Club has a sound and powerful Personal Training program. If you ever want to train with me at my club let me know. You do not have to be a member to train. I look forward to becoming one of an elite team at NYSC. It is a golden opportunity that I am jumping at.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto
Exercise Progression - Tidbit part 2
Okay, Now that you know about the killer Eccentric progression lets talk about another that you might want to utilize in your exercise programs to get better results, overcome gym boredom, or just for fun.
I realize that I may have to break the Tidbits into more then two parts - there just is too many things to tell you all about. Plus, I said I would try to keep my posts smaller. So with that being said...
First, lets get a definition you should be aware of.
Circuit training - Most gyms have an area dedicated to Circuit training that consists of 8-12 machines that work the major muscles of the body(Chest, Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, and legs). If your gym does not have one of these areas post me and I will give you a workout that utilizes the same muscles I describe. Circuit training involves doing each "station"(machine) for one set at about 8-12 reps and then moving on to the next machine - without rest. When you reach the last machine you go back and do them again. You would do this for 2-3 sets. Most of the time 2 sets on the machines will take you under 30 minutes to complete.
Now I admit that Circuit training is not going to build much muscle (unless you are de-conditioned) and you may question why I would include it as an exercise progression. But you are going to find that there are going to be some days during your exercise routine that you either have little time or really do not have the motivation to do your workout. Well, this is the best time to get your butt to the gym and do something simple to keep that muscle tone. And Circuit training is the perfect option. You will have an easier workout, get a little Cardio work from moving with no rest from machine to machine, keep your muscles and joints moving, spend little time at the gym, and get that feel good feeling from exercising. And that my friends is a progression because if you did not get to the gym you would lose some gains.
The generally accepted theory is that for every 1 day of muscle work it takes two days to lose that benefit. Simple stated if you work your exercise program for 3 months and take off for 6 months you will lose almost everything you worked so hard for.
So when you are rushed for time or your drive is dampened - get to that gym and do a Circuit training workout that lasts under 30 minutes and be proud of yourself for your dedication and progression. You will keep your muscles toned and negate the loss factor of doing nothing. Plus you will get a little cardio benefit as well.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
I realize that I may have to break the Tidbits into more then two parts - there just is too many things to tell you all about. Plus, I said I would try to keep my posts smaller. So with that being said...
First, lets get a definition you should be aware of.
Circuit training - Most gyms have an area dedicated to Circuit training that consists of 8-12 machines that work the major muscles of the body(Chest, Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, and legs). If your gym does not have one of these areas post me and I will give you a workout that utilizes the same muscles I describe. Circuit training involves doing each "station"(machine) for one set at about 8-12 reps and then moving on to the next machine - without rest. When you reach the last machine you go back and do them again. You would do this for 2-3 sets. Most of the time 2 sets on the machines will take you under 30 minutes to complete.
Now I admit that Circuit training is not going to build much muscle (unless you are de-conditioned) and you may question why I would include it as an exercise progression. But you are going to find that there are going to be some days during your exercise routine that you either have little time or really do not have the motivation to do your workout. Well, this is the best time to get your butt to the gym and do something simple to keep that muscle tone. And Circuit training is the perfect option. You will have an easier workout, get a little Cardio work from moving with no rest from machine to machine, keep your muscles and joints moving, spend little time at the gym, and get that feel good feeling from exercising. And that my friends is a progression because if you did not get to the gym you would lose some gains.
The generally accepted theory is that for every 1 day of muscle work it takes two days to lose that benefit. Simple stated if you work your exercise program for 3 months and take off for 6 months you will lose almost everything you worked so hard for.
So when you are rushed for time or your drive is dampened - get to that gym and do a Circuit training workout that lasts under 30 minutes and be proud of yourself for your dedication and progression. You will keep your muscles toned and negate the loss factor of doing nothing. Plus you will get a little cardio benefit as well.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Exercise Progression - Tidbits
To all, I just passed another certification for my field that involves the foundations of human movement. Basically it was certification that involves knowing how human movement works and methodically utilizing the way muscles and joints work to get optimal benefits for an exercise program. I am sure it will only strengthen my knowledge helping you all.
I am going to make this a shorter post since some of you have asked me to post in smaller fashion. Not all of us have all the time in the world to read long posts. I will try my best for you - just realize that some topics really need a long winded explanation. I will do my best. Thank you for the comments/suggestions.
So rather then make this a two part post(this being the second half). I will make it it longer(more posts) in more digestible chunks.
Okay, you have been curling the same weight in your exercise routine forever and just cannot increase the weight. What can you do to pass this roadblock?
Well there are quite a few ways but lets just address one here first.
First some definitions you need to know:
1) Concentric movement - the action that causes the muscle to shorten during a given movement. Example: Bringing a curl up to your chest.
2) Eccentric movement - the action that causes the muscle to lengthen during a given movement. Bringing a curl back down to the start position.
3) Hypertrophy - increasing the muscle mass from its present state to a bigger more "pumped" up appearance.
4) Isometric movement - you stress the muscle but the muscle neither lengthens or shortens under your guidance. Example: Holding the weight in the starting position or in the return position.
Eccentric or negative resistance is an exercise technique that utilizes the way the body handles stress to a muscle.
When you do a concentric movement you do not get the full benefits of muscle fiber stimulation. Though we have all been taught that "lifting" the weight was the primary way of building muscles - me included, we have been taught wrong. You get the most hypertrophy from eccentric conditioning in your exercise routine.
So what does this mean to a simple exercise such as a bicep curl. Well, it means that you lower the weight slowly (sometimes more then you took to lift it).
Why is this beneficial? It is through eccentric motions that the body breaks down the most muscle to hypertrophy.
Here is the science behind it: When you do an eccentric movement you cause the most resistance within a muscle. You have to control the slowing down of the movement as well as control the weight through a muscle fatigued already. The latest research shows .... that eccentric motions cause micro tears of the connective tissue and possibly the muscle fibers themselves. This means that the greatest gains are achieved through eccentric movements. And here we were all taught the exact opposite. We concentrated on just getting that weight up and just kind of letting the weight fall back to the start position without really knowing. Right? I was a victim of this logic as well. Wrong - Wrong!
When you design your exercise programs include one day of eccentric work per week for most exercises. I would not do eccentric work every workout since you really want your muscles healed 100% after eccentric motions. Eccentric work really traumatizes the muscle and to get the most benefits you really want to rest those muscles. I also would say NEVER start doing eccentric work until you have done your exercise program for a month. Again, you want your muscles ready and prepared for a gut wrenching eccentric workout.
When doing your eccentric contraction (coming back to starting point) make sure it takes at least 6 seconds to be back at the starting point. There is alot of talk in the industry about how long that eccentric movement should last but I feel a 6 second movement gives you just enough to achieve the expected results. This is my personal opinion based on my knowledge. Experiment if you want to see what works for you. I would not go over 10 seconds though or you risk an isometric contraction that kills what you were trying to accomplish.
You may be saying to yourself then how long should I do the concentric and isometric contractions during my workout. It is generally accepted that a tempo of 4 seconds concentric movement followed by a 1 second isometric contraction(you bring the curl to your chest then hold 1 second) suits most general population participants. If you are not doing your eccentric movement workout you should return the weight to the starting point within 2 seconds.
After an eccentric workout you may experience alot more muscle soreness during the workout and up to 75 minutes after due to lactic acid buildup) or after 24-48 hours have passed(DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). When you do eccentric movements you really are breaking down the muscle in a efficient fashion. And that efficiency comes at a price but with incredible gains in mass.
If you have questions on this please reach out to me - in fact I encourage anyone thinking about this type of workout to talk to me first. Eccentric workouts can be very rewarding but they are not for everyone. You really need to assess alot of areas to see if it is a good fit.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
I am going to make this a shorter post since some of you have asked me to post in smaller fashion. Not all of us have all the time in the world to read long posts. I will try my best for you - just realize that some topics really need a long winded explanation. I will do my best. Thank you for the comments/suggestions.
So rather then make this a two part post(this being the second half). I will make it it longer(more posts) in more digestible chunks.
Okay, you have been curling the same weight in your exercise routine forever and just cannot increase the weight. What can you do to pass this roadblock?
Well there are quite a few ways but lets just address one here first.
First some definitions you need to know:
1) Concentric movement - the action that causes the muscle to shorten during a given movement. Example: Bringing a curl up to your chest.
2) Eccentric movement - the action that causes the muscle to lengthen during a given movement. Bringing a curl back down to the start position.
3) Hypertrophy - increasing the muscle mass from its present state to a bigger more "pumped" up appearance.
4) Isometric movement - you stress the muscle but the muscle neither lengthens or shortens under your guidance. Example: Holding the weight in the starting position or in the return position.
Eccentric or negative resistance is an exercise technique that utilizes the way the body handles stress to a muscle.
When you do a concentric movement you do not get the full benefits of muscle fiber stimulation. Though we have all been taught that "lifting" the weight was the primary way of building muscles - me included, we have been taught wrong. You get the most hypertrophy from eccentric conditioning in your exercise routine.
So what does this mean to a simple exercise such as a bicep curl. Well, it means that you lower the weight slowly (sometimes more then you took to lift it).
Why is this beneficial? It is through eccentric motions that the body breaks down the most muscle to hypertrophy.
Here is the science behind it: When you do an eccentric movement you cause the most resistance within a muscle. You have to control the slowing down of the movement as well as control the weight through a muscle fatigued already. The latest research shows .... that eccentric motions cause micro tears of the connective tissue and possibly the muscle fibers themselves. This means that the greatest gains are achieved through eccentric movements. And here we were all taught the exact opposite. We concentrated on just getting that weight up and just kind of letting the weight fall back to the start position without really knowing. Right? I was a victim of this logic as well. Wrong - Wrong!
When you design your exercise programs include one day of eccentric work per week for most exercises. I would not do eccentric work every workout since you really want your muscles healed 100% after eccentric motions. Eccentric work really traumatizes the muscle and to get the most benefits you really want to rest those muscles. I also would say NEVER start doing eccentric work until you have done your exercise program for a month. Again, you want your muscles ready and prepared for a gut wrenching eccentric workout.
When doing your eccentric contraction (coming back to starting point) make sure it takes at least 6 seconds to be back at the starting point. There is alot of talk in the industry about how long that eccentric movement should last but I feel a 6 second movement gives you just enough to achieve the expected results. This is my personal opinion based on my knowledge. Experiment if you want to see what works for you. I would not go over 10 seconds though or you risk an isometric contraction that kills what you were trying to accomplish.
You may be saying to yourself then how long should I do the concentric and isometric contractions during my workout. It is generally accepted that a tempo of 4 seconds concentric movement followed by a 1 second isometric contraction(you bring the curl to your chest then hold 1 second) suits most general population participants. If you are not doing your eccentric movement workout you should return the weight to the starting point within 2 seconds.
After an eccentric workout you may experience alot more muscle soreness during the workout and up to 75 minutes after due to lactic acid buildup) or after 24-48 hours have passed(DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). When you do eccentric movements you really are breaking down the muscle in a efficient fashion. And that efficiency comes at a price but with incredible gains in mass.
If you have questions on this please reach out to me - in fact I encourage anyone thinking about this type of workout to talk to me first. Eccentric workouts can be very rewarding but they are not for everyone. You really need to assess alot of areas to see if it is a good fit.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Exercise Progression - exercise systems
Hello, Tonight I would like to address other methods that you can do to progress your workouts and maximize your fitness level. This will be a two part post with the second part coming tomorrow.
Does your gym have a pool that you can utilize? If so why not take your workout to a new level and go for a swim. Do laps, go to the edge of the pool and do ab lifts with the water as resistance, do calf lifts on one foot, put your arms up on a pool side and do kicks till you feel the burn, try walking back and forth through the water from side to side, rotate your arms through the water like you were swinging a bat, do squat jumps. If you own your own pool visit your local pool dealer and check out all the water dumbbells and exercise apparatus that has come on the scene for fitness in the pool, learn different swimming strokes and activate different muscle positions. Really, the options are endless. If you have a partner in the water play catch with a beach ball, play some water volleyball. Well you get my point. If a pool workout interests you email me and I will provide you many more exercises you can do. You might be surprised to see how much different exercises there really are.
Does your gym have a raquetball or tennis court. If it does go play a game with your partner or friend. Most gyms even have a list for single players looking to play a game with other singles. You will take your workout to a new level, activiate different muscles, and have a really great time. You brain may think it is getting a day off from the gym but you will be exercising all the same. Racquet sports provide a killer cardio workout.
Does your gym have an indoor or outdoor track? If it does why not try skipping the cardio workout and doing 30 seconds sprints followed by a minute of walking and do it again. try to achieve a mile or two. Again, the goal is to activate other muscles at a different range then they are currently being trained. As well as stem boredom in the regular workout.
Do not under estimate a simple walking workout for your cardio. A simple formula states that for ever 1/2 hour of jogging you can do you should be able to 1 hour of walking (reaping the same caloric expenditure). Another simple formula states that for every 2000 steps you take (via a pedometer) you will burn 100 calories. maybe you have heard it before about the virtues of taking 10,000 steps a day. Well that is great science because you will burn 500 calories extra a day amounting to 3,500 calories lost per week(if you do it every day - that is a loss of 1 1/4 pounds of fat off of your body per week). Many factors play into this but I hope you get the simplified point I am trying to make here.
As a Personal Trainer I urge my clients to do at least one of the things above at least once every few weeks. I want my clients to see that exercise is a love of life not necessarily sweating in a cold gym setting. Go out there folks and enjoy the scenery during a walk, cool off in the pool while getting fit, do some sprints in the gym or at the local high school track, go get competitive and experience some racquet sports. Get others involved as well. A lot of people would never think of working out at the gym but they would love to play some tennis etc. Enlist them in your goals for a fitter, healthier life.
Above all take at least one of these methods I listed above and pledge to do at least one per month instead of your daily workout. Think of it as a reward that rewards you with better fitness and a more positive experience towards working out.
Tommorrow I will address other training methods that can be incorporated in a gym setting.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Does your gym have a pool that you can utilize? If so why not take your workout to a new level and go for a swim. Do laps, go to the edge of the pool and do ab lifts with the water as resistance, do calf lifts on one foot, put your arms up on a pool side and do kicks till you feel the burn, try walking back and forth through the water from side to side, rotate your arms through the water like you were swinging a bat, do squat jumps. If you own your own pool visit your local pool dealer and check out all the water dumbbells and exercise apparatus that has come on the scene for fitness in the pool, learn different swimming strokes and activate different muscle positions. Really, the options are endless. If you have a partner in the water play catch with a beach ball, play some water volleyball. Well you get my point. If a pool workout interests you email me and I will provide you many more exercises you can do. You might be surprised to see how much different exercises there really are.
Does your gym have a raquetball or tennis court. If it does go play a game with your partner or friend. Most gyms even have a list for single players looking to play a game with other singles. You will take your workout to a new level, activiate different muscles, and have a really great time. You brain may think it is getting a day off from the gym but you will be exercising all the same. Racquet sports provide a killer cardio workout.
Does your gym have an indoor or outdoor track? If it does why not try skipping the cardio workout and doing 30 seconds sprints followed by a minute of walking and do it again. try to achieve a mile or two. Again, the goal is to activate other muscles at a different range then they are currently being trained. As well as stem boredom in the regular workout.
Do not under estimate a simple walking workout for your cardio. A simple formula states that for ever 1/2 hour of jogging you can do you should be able to 1 hour of walking (reaping the same caloric expenditure). Another simple formula states that for every 2000 steps you take (via a pedometer) you will burn 100 calories. maybe you have heard it before about the virtues of taking 10,000 steps a day. Well that is great science because you will burn 500 calories extra a day amounting to 3,500 calories lost per week(if you do it every day - that is a loss of 1 1/4 pounds of fat off of your body per week). Many factors play into this but I hope you get the simplified point I am trying to make here.
As a Personal Trainer I urge my clients to do at least one of the things above at least once every few weeks. I want my clients to see that exercise is a love of life not necessarily sweating in a cold gym setting. Go out there folks and enjoy the scenery during a walk, cool off in the pool while getting fit, do some sprints in the gym or at the local high school track, go get competitive and experience some racquet sports. Get others involved as well. A lot of people would never think of working out at the gym but they would love to play some tennis etc. Enlist them in your goals for a fitter, healthier life.
Above all take at least one of these methods I listed above and pledge to do at least one per month instead of your daily workout. Think of it as a reward that rewards you with better fitness and a more positive experience towards working out.
Tommorrow I will address other training methods that can be incorporated in a gym setting.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Exercise Progression - quiz (answers)
Which exercise position utilizes the most muscles for the row.
a) Standing row with barbell - body bent at 90 degrees.
b) Seated row off of a stability ball on a cable machine - one arm back at a time.
c) Standing row with barbell - body bent at 45 degrees.
d) One arm dumbbell row knee on bench.
e) Standing Row on a cable machine - two arms pull back at once.
Correct answer is (B). This exercise offers the MOST muscle action while challenging the core muscles.
Standing up for an exercise is better then sitting down on a stability ball in most cases.
a) True
b) Doesn't matter significantly.
c) False
Correct answer is (C). Though standing up does act on the core muscles it does not do so as much as the Stability ball. When you stand on the floor you do not have to worry about rolling off of a ball since you have a stable surface for your base. When you sit on the Stability ball your base is the ball and this moves.
A functional exercise is one that:
a) Performs a function.
b) Mocks a daily motion or movement in real life.
c) One that can be performed by most people.
The correct answer is (B). When you structure your workouts ALWAYS think about if the exercise is going to make your daily movements easier. Example: if you are a swimmer you would want to do Dumbbell flys because it builds the muscles that you use in your daily life in the same motion(this is key).
Using an exercise machine is the best way to work as much muscles as possible due to its design:
a) True
b) It depends
c) False
The correct answer is (C). An exercise machine is not going to work core muscles (unless it was designed to) better then using some other sort of exercise apparatus(dumbbells, bands, barbells, etc.). Also some people with low back issues will actually be doing more damage to themselves by sitting in an exercise machine due to the force on their tailbone. Even though a client has a bad back it might make sense in some circumstances to have them stand.
A person with balance problems should NOT do stability ball exercises. (tricky)
a) True.
b) False
The correct answer is (A). You must build up your balance before you progress to the challenging nature of the Stability ball. Or for that matter any other exercise. If a client or yourself have poor balance this is the first thing that must be trained and corrected before you progress to any other level of exercise (except possibly a modified machine-assisted Cardio routine). Without proper balance you risk injury to yourself in daily living as well as gym time.
I had alot of fun doing this quiz and seeing some of you attempt to answer them. Some of you surprised me with your knowledge. I will be creating these mini-quizzes more in the future.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
a) Standing row with barbell - body bent at 90 degrees.
b) Seated row off of a stability ball on a cable machine - one arm back at a time.
c) Standing row with barbell - body bent at 45 degrees.
d) One arm dumbbell row knee on bench.
e) Standing Row on a cable machine - two arms pull back at once.
Correct answer is (B). This exercise offers the MOST muscle action while challenging the core muscles.
Standing up for an exercise is better then sitting down on a stability ball in most cases.
a) True
b) Doesn't matter significantly.
c) False
Correct answer is (C). Though standing up does act on the core muscles it does not do so as much as the Stability ball. When you stand on the floor you do not have to worry about rolling off of a ball since you have a stable surface for your base. When you sit on the Stability ball your base is the ball and this moves.
A functional exercise is one that:
a) Performs a function.
b) Mocks a daily motion or movement in real life.
c) One that can be performed by most people.
The correct answer is (B). When you structure your workouts ALWAYS think about if the exercise is going to make your daily movements easier. Example: if you are a swimmer you would want to do Dumbbell flys because it builds the muscles that you use in your daily life in the same motion(this is key).
Using an exercise machine is the best way to work as much muscles as possible due to its design:
a) True
b) It depends
c) False
The correct answer is (C). An exercise machine is not going to work core muscles (unless it was designed to) better then using some other sort of exercise apparatus(dumbbells, bands, barbells, etc.). Also some people with low back issues will actually be doing more damage to themselves by sitting in an exercise machine due to the force on their tailbone. Even though a client has a bad back it might make sense in some circumstances to have them stand.
A person with balance problems should NOT do stability ball exercises. (tricky)
a) True.
b) False
The correct answer is (A). You must build up your balance before you progress to the challenging nature of the Stability ball. Or for that matter any other exercise. If a client or yourself have poor balance this is the first thing that must be trained and corrected before you progress to any other level of exercise (except possibly a modified machine-assisted Cardio routine). Without proper balance you risk injury to yourself in daily living as well as gym time.
I had alot of fun doing this quiz and seeing some of you attempt to answer them. Some of you surprised me with your knowledge. I will be creating these mini-quizzes more in the future.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Exercise Progression - Spicing it up
Hello, Well I have talked about some exercise progressions to pump up your exercises. Now I want to tell you some progressions you should consider for your cardio workouts.
1) Why not take a day off from your cardio machines and take a walk with your loved one or a friend through the local park at a brisk pace for a hour. You will be activating the muscles a little differently and you will enjoy it probably a lot more. Remember exercising at the gym is just one place to do it.
2) If your knees can handle it why not walk up and down some stairs. After 10-15 minutes of this you just might wish you stayed at the gym.
3) Jump some rope outside. Ten minutes of this provides an intense cardio response.
4) Take out your bike and tour your neighborhood or local park for a hour. Try to pick some hilly terrain and play with the gears. Try bicycling at the hardest gear ratio you can.
5) Go dancing at the local club. Think of it as a reward that is helping your exercise progression.
6) Shake up your treadmill routine by: walking backwards on it (if you can do it safely) at a slower speed then normal or increase the incline to the highest you can go and stay at each incline level for 1 minute or to. If you normally walk on the treadmill for an hour jog on it instead for 30 minutes.
7) Shake up your stair master by NOT holding on to the handles (if you can do it safely).
8) Shake up your Elliptical workout by trying one of the pre-programmed routines and increase your normal intensity.
9) Take an aerobic class or it that scares you do the ultimate calorie burner - a spin class. If you have never taken a spin class I urge you to do it at least once. I personally have never had my butt kicked more then when I have taken spin classes.
10) Go swimming and do lots of laps with different strokes (butterfly, standard, etc.)
As you can see you should try to integrate at least one of these activities or others I have not mentioned into your workout at least once every two weeks. It will keep boredom away from your cardio routines and it will challenge different muscles in different ways. Remember how just changing the angle of an exercise can change which muscle fibers are activated. The same applies here.
Exercising is about LIVING and having fun. Once exercise becomes a chore you dread you need to re-evaluate your exercise program.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
1) Why not take a day off from your cardio machines and take a walk with your loved one or a friend through the local park at a brisk pace for a hour. You will be activating the muscles a little differently and you will enjoy it probably a lot more. Remember exercising at the gym is just one place to do it.
2) If your knees can handle it why not walk up and down some stairs. After 10-15 minutes of this you just might wish you stayed at the gym.
3) Jump some rope outside. Ten minutes of this provides an intense cardio response.
4) Take out your bike and tour your neighborhood or local park for a hour. Try to pick some hilly terrain and play with the gears. Try bicycling at the hardest gear ratio you can.
5) Go dancing at the local club. Think of it as a reward that is helping your exercise progression.
6) Shake up your treadmill routine by: walking backwards on it (if you can do it safely) at a slower speed then normal or increase the incline to the highest you can go and stay at each incline level for 1 minute or to. If you normally walk on the treadmill for an hour jog on it instead for 30 minutes.
7) Shake up your stair master by NOT holding on to the handles (if you can do it safely).
8) Shake up your Elliptical workout by trying one of the pre-programmed routines and increase your normal intensity.
9) Take an aerobic class or it that scares you do the ultimate calorie burner - a spin class. If you have never taken a spin class I urge you to do it at least once. I personally have never had my butt kicked more then when I have taken spin classes.
10) Go swimming and do lots of laps with different strokes (butterfly, standard, etc.)
As you can see you should try to integrate at least one of these activities or others I have not mentioned into your workout at least once every two weeks. It will keep boredom away from your cardio routines and it will challenge different muscles in different ways. Remember how just changing the angle of an exercise can change which muscle fibers are activated. The same applies here.
Exercising is about LIVING and having fun. Once exercise becomes a chore you dread you need to re-evaluate your exercise program.
As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.
Regards,
Eddie Camaroto CPT
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