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2/10/2020 0 Comments Finding the Right Gym PartnerFitness Friend In a world where we need motivation & willpower to accomplish goals, meet deadlines and manage our lives without giving up, I would say having social support is important because it offers the motivation, ignites some willpower within you and for some reason creates a purpose to keep going when they want to give up. Now, I am a lone wolf when it comes to working out at the gym and always have been; it doesn't bother me and I enjoy being on my own during my workouts -- but with this means I have to be my own motivation, be my own reason and have to embark on a journey that is hard because I don't have someone cheering me on in my corner, or someone to keep me accountable-- but it has made me stronger and has given me a bigger meaning to my health/wellness. However, some people prefer and need the social support when trekking on their fitness adventure (especially those who are new at the gym) because it can be intimidating and when someone isn't sure of themselves, they grow impatient and give up. This post is going to list some things to look for if you are looking at adding a best friend to your workouts -- or need to find a class/group of people to workout with. Keep in mind, everyone has their own needs; so the list is generic but it will give you an idea on how to choose someone.
I hope this list was helpful, feel free to add your own tips/advice in the comments.
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2/3/2020 0 Comments Foam Rolling For FitnessDo You Foam Roll?
You should! although most people only consider doing so during rehab after an injury; but foam rolling is great for warming up before a run, or before getting started on your lifts. The motto goes "if it doesn't hurt, you aren't doing it right" and to be honest, that motto fits the bill quite well in my opinion. While rolling out the muscle in tender spots can be a tad bit uncomfortable at first, once the muscle has enough blood flow from the rolling technique and the knots are out - the end result will be worth the pain. Foam rollers come in many different varieties, some are bigger -- which are useful for bigger muscle groups and some are smaller for the hard to hit areas -- and all of them work towards the same purpose but some work better than others due to their specific characteristics. Before diving in head first, keep in mind that foam rolling does require technique, patience and consistency; as said before, it will hurt but it will work wonders for you as a result. I found on "Runners World" some examples of using a foam roller on certain muscle groups, it shows you a picture & describes in detail how to go about using it: Runners World Foam Roller Techniques this is important for those who haven't yet used a foam roller and even for those athletes who don't think they are getting the benefits from it and need to check to make sure they are using it correctly. Even as a personal trainer, I have to check myself when teaching my clients how to properly use a foam roller. In the past I have had a client whom suffered from lower back pain, he was going to physical therapy 1-2 days a week and wasn't happy with the results (he felt as if physical therapy was making the pain worse and not hitting the area that was needed). My solution was to have him continue physical therapy but to give foam rolling a chance during our sessions -- we made it a constant before our workouts (he didn't like it at first, because it was painful) but with time and patience and consistency, he was well on his way of feeling much better and being able to overcome obstacles he couldn't before due to lower back pain. Eventually he quit his physical therapy (because he didn't want to put money into something that he felt wasn't doing the job) and with my suggestion of purchasing his own foam roller for when he was at home -- the end result was he was feeling better, more confident with his workouts, little to no pain and saving money. Now, this might not be a solution that works for every client and/or patient, but it does happen to be an option that can and should be used if possible in hopes it helps and if not rid of the pain, subside it. Foam rolling is not the end all, I do believe physical therapy is necessary for rehabilitation for injured persons, and can be very beneficial for most individuals who stick with the plan and continue to follow their routine at home - however, some people are more or less stubborn or refuse to pay the cost of going to physical therapy, and I find that if the injury permits it, foam rolling should be an option (check with your physician or physical therapist) and again you don't have to be injured in order to gain something from it, use it before workouts to release tightness and rid of knots, and to warm up those muscles. How many of you have used a foam roller? Were you happy with the results , why or why not. 1/21/2020 0 Comments Warm Up FirstPrevent Injury
It's true, we are most likely skipping our warm up due to the mindset of "I don't have time, I need to get in and out", or "I don't need a warm up, I feel fine" - says gym goers everywhere. Truly, I can take into consideration that both of these reasons are valid and hold some weight in a debate but if we are being totally honest with ourselves, then we both know that these excuses can only be used so many times before they are ONLY excuses instead of actual reasons. As a personal trainer, it took me a long time to get into the habit myself to start with a dynamic warm up -- as a matter of fact, my warm up in the beginning was much like most people; walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes at a slow speed. I can't complain because at least some people are "trying" and I was thinking that I was also "trying" at the time but little did I know that 5 minutes on a treadmill at a slow speed would not be a warm up that serves a decent purpose for a workout (especially my workout routine). There is so much more to warming up. A warm up should feed the purpose of your workout -- it should replicate or work the muscle groups being used in your actual workout. i.e for example: if you plan on doing squats and deadlifts; then your workout should warm up your quads, hamstrings, glutes and lower back so that when you are ready to perform the exercises, you are doing them while blood flow is working its way through you vs while being cold/stiff. A warm up doesn't need to be LONG, I'd say 8-10 minutes at the very least. Mine take 12-15 minutes typically. Warm up should be dynamic in the beginning of the workout vs static. Leg swings, bicep curls, band pull aparts, bodyweight squats, inchworms, etc are all dynamic exercises vs sitting down to a hamstring stretch. Warm up should get your HR up. NOT to the point where you are too fatigued to do your workout. Next time you are at the gym or beginning an at home session, take a few minutes to warm up, your body will appreciate it more and your performance might be better off in the long scheme of things. 1/15/2020 0 Comments Squat AlternativesIf Doing Squats is not for you... Try something new Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash For most people, squats are the essential part of leg day. even more so for those who want work on their glutes and build strength in their legs - but as a personal trainer, I have had clients who weren't fond of squats or couldn't yet entertain doing them because they have a weak core, weak mobility in their ankles, not yet strong enough, or aren't comfortable with the movement/ self conscious. Whether you enjoy doing squats or have no interest in learning -- I think it is important to see the alternatives to an exercise to aid in variety and to build self confidence in working similar muscle groups. As a trainer, I always stand by the motto "Have a plan A, B, and C" because as a trainer you have to be willing to adapt to your client's needs and if plan A isn't in their best interest then to have a Plan B and C to replace A or build up to A would be a better solution than to cancel the workout session - not to mention when you skip an exercise due to the person not being able to manage the movement, you are basically telling your client "you can't do this" (in turn makes them self conscious and they lose motivation because they feel like a failure). Instead it is better to start with Plan A and if plan A can't be performed safely with good technique/form then plan B and C should compliment A as either a regression or an exercise that is working as an alternative in order to work the same muscle groups. In the same context, if you are someone working out and happen to have a hard time performing squats --- then do your research and find an exercise that helps to build your weakness so that you can work up to squats or find an alternative that works the same muscle groups & can be performed confidently. In this blog post, I am going to name off a few alternatives (exercises) that can be done in place of squats or that work same or/similar muscle groups as the squat does. Keep in mind that the squat is a compound movement -- so it works as a full body exercise but without proper form/technique it can cause injury. Keep in mind that these exercises I list can also be used to build the strength needed for a proper squat. 1. Lunges 2. Bulgarian Split Squat 3. Deadlifts 4. Step ups (keep in mind, there are different variation of step ups) 5. Sled Push If anyone would like to add to this list, leave comments! There are plenty of other exercises that can be used as alternatives not mentioned, so explore your options, and may LEG DAY be with you! If you enjoyed this post and enjoy fitness/health -- follow me on social media & this blog! Instagram - Shay_FitnessWonderWoman Facebook - ShayMFitnessWonderWoman Blog site - fitness9555.wordpress.com/ Coming soon - podcast / E-book / More updates on the social media platforms 1/12/2020 0 Comments Coconut Oil & HealthGood Oil? Healthy Oil?
For the everyday American, oils are usually used in most diets, recipes, and labelled on most food products we see on our shelves. However, the type of oils we include in our diets for a healthier lifestyle pend on what's available, what we hear from social media/news sources/professionals, what's financially feasible. and whether we like the taste or not. Unfortunately, when the world speaks of something "trendy" or "hip" we as humans want to take the world up on its offer and assume that if the majority of people are using it, then it has some truth to it - sadly this isn't always true and in the long term of things, it doesn't always hold weight to follow a pack (doing your own research does wonders- even in small doses). Coconut oil has been and is one of those oils that the world spoke very highly about in replacing the canola and vegetable oils because of it being a healthier alternative to the oils that we know don't offer any nutritional value. All the while coconut oil does have its benefits, but it also holds risk -- and much like anything else. should be used in moderation for good health practices. I for one, will admit that I bought and used coconut oil in the past for a long streak of time -- it was something new to try and explore and I wanted to experiment with it & I didn't at the time do the proper research to know that while it was a healthy alternative --there were things that I needed to know / to take into consideration before entertaining this new fad. Now that I am better educated and more versed on the positives and negatives of this particular oil, I want to share my research with others in order to help individuals make better choices and understand the benefits it has but also make them aware of the risk it might have on our bodies as well. For starters, coconut oil is mostly made up of saturated fats (which we know of as the "bad" fat) - whereas unsaturated fats are the healthier form of fats found in fish, nuts, seeds, etc. The AHA - American Heart Association made a claim that Americans should consider replacing their saturated fats with more unsaturated fats. Also claiming that those who are at risk of heart disease / cardiovascular disease should consume 6% of saturated fats compared to not at risk individuals who should consume no more than 10% of saturated fats -Harvard Blog Personally this makes sense to me, considering the fact that unsaturated fats help to reduce bad LDL cholesterol. Now the health claims that are made about coconut oil are true as far as benefits go to a certain extent, but the type of coconut oil sold on shelves is NOT the same formulated coconut oil that professionals speak on when stating these claims in ALL cases so we have to be aware that there are different forms of coconut oil in how it is made -- making it harder for us consumers to understand what all we are getting when we buy it from our store shelves. Which brings me to my next point - the type of coconut oil sold on shelves usually has what is called "lauric acid" - which is said to have health benefits where it raises HDL cholesterol levels as well as the LDL. Harvard blog Based on the information I have read from various studies, professional blogs, and articles - coconut oil is neither a superfood nor poison - which means we need to treat coconut oil with the same respect as we do with most of our food products: use it in moderation/sparingly, read the food label of the coconut oil you buy from our supermarkets (look up ingredients you don't know), be curious and research the product, and try to follow healthy food guidelines when consuming this product. 12/3/2019 0 Comments Measuring Body Composition - BIABIA Measurements (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis)
So we are on our last body composition phase now and this time we have something a little more techy compared to the last 3 body composition measurements. My gym had a handheld version of this technology but now we no longer use it, and use something a little more savvy called "Evolt" -- which I will talk about in another post (because I have only used it once & it is a new form of technology for me) For those of you who are new to BIA, it measures body composition (typically body fat and body mass) using a weak electric current that flows through the body & the voltage is measured in order to calculate impedance/resistance of the body. The current is effected by the amount of water in the body (including blood, etc) I personally found that I enjoyed using this method of measurement for my clients for a while because it was non invasive and gave them a sense of where their body fat lies compared to only managing weight -- which as a personal trainer, I truly believe that body fat is much more important to look at than to look at only weight. However, there are pros and cons of using this mechanism that one should keep in mind when utilizing it. a PROS:
If all else fails, use multiple methods or have a professional in the field take your body composition with something more up to date and accurate - with science and technology constantly changing and developing; there are always better methods being invented. Skinfold measurements
It has been awhile since my last blogging post - sorry about the long pause, I was trying to get a new structure going for my clients at the gym / working on my own scheduling so I wouldn't be driving back and forth so often/ and working on getting to know the new clients I have taken on, not to mention, my gym had a grand opening and I wanted to be present so I could sell myself to possible new members. With all this being said, I took a break from blogging & haven't been as present on Instagram either BUT this will all change, I am going to start back at blogging and getting on instagram more often again so I can rebuild myself as a personal trainer and have recent post for my clients at the gym to read. On that note, I am going to continue where I left off talking about body composition measurements. Skinfolds, have any of you heard of this before? In college was my first time being introduced to it and learning how to properly measure someones body using calipers. Since then I haven't used this method in a really long time, and my gym doesn't use this method -- we have something new called "evolt" (high tech machine) and seems like it will be the future for body composition measurements. Anyways, for those of you who don't know what I mean when I say "skinfold measurements" -- it is another way of saying pinching the skin using calipers & basically there are multiple ways of doing this: 1) The 7 site skinfold 2) The 3 site skinfold Men and women have different areas of the body that needed measured during the skinfold measurement. If we are doing the 7 site skinfold -- both men and women will need to use the calipers to measure: chest, abdomen, thigh, triceps, axilla, subscapula, suprailliac For women the 3 site skinfold sites: Triceps, thigh, suprailliam For men the 3 site skinfold sites: Chest, thigh, abdomen Steps to take proper skinfold measurements:
Pros/cons? Of course there are some pros and cons using this method, but for the most part personal trainers learn this method early on because it can be a decently accurate method if done correctly and efficiently. I'd say the con that seems to bother people the most is the fact they have to show their body in the first place -- especially if they feel self conscious about their physique and/or weight, Most clients will not be a fan of this if they are self conscious / low self esteem/ modest/ or don't like the feeling of the calipers pinching their skin. While the positive I have seen is, the fact clients then know where the majority of their fat stores inside their body. I think the important thing to take away from using this instrument is taking your time and being as precise as possible and being empathetic towards clients whom may not feel comfortable having their fat seen or pinched. Otherwise, I would say it is a great tool due to it being relatively inexpensive, and small enough it can be taken anywhere. Leave me comments if you are someone who has used skinfold measurements for yourself or others? 10/29/2019 0 Comments New Gym Location -- Soft OpeningEXCITING NEWS!
My gym has finally moved to its new location (same town, but different side of the road) and this is HUGE! because one it is HUGE, and two, it now will be across the street from one of our competitors (but also, because now people will be able to see it from the road and marketing the gym will be much easier) . For those that did not know, I personal train for Anytime Fitness & have been there for 2 years now and love the people that attend this gym and the motivation behind it with the new ownership. Friday was the "soft opening", I believe sometime in Nov or January we will be doing the "Grand Opening" -- so that will be something to look forward to and something to talk about on the blog. For now, I just wanted to tell you, how happy I was to be there Friday to meet new members / new faces, and to be with my team throughout the day catching up and talking about the future of this gym/ company. This especially means a lot to me because it will hopefully bring more opportunity to my door as a trainer -- which if I plan on developing myself as a trainer and person, I need to stick to working on bettering myself in the field and outside the field as a person. I am nervous with excitement, but looking forward to a positive future with my team. 10/16/2019 0 Comments Body measurements - CircumferenceIt has been a few days, but in the last post I discussed BMI -- in today's post we will go over another form of body composition measuring; called circumference.
When using this term, it means to measure the body's "girth" using a tape measure. There are many sites that can be measured on the body using a tape measure, but typically you will see the thighs, waist, arms, chest and possibly the hips as well. pending what is important to you at the time, you may decide to measure all of the above or one particular part of the body. Measuring girth / circumference can have its advantages and disadvantages; personally I find that it is easy to use and inexpensive and now a days, you can purchase measuring tape specifically for body fat measuring on Amazon, and they aren't much more than the original. Some disadvantages you will run into with using a a tape measure is, pending the type of clothing you are wearing, what you have recently digested, how tightly you hold the tape around you, and the placement of the tape around the specific body part will determine how accurate your number will be & it is highly recommended you have someone else measure you to make sure you get the best results. Keep in mind that knowing your circumference doesn't mean you will know your body fat % necessarily but it can tell you if you have gained or lost inches, or perhaps it can be used when wanting to fit into something specific -- such as knee sleeves ( I would know because I need knee sleeves for a competition in powerlifting and all of the websites recommended I measure my thighs in order to have the best fit). Utilizing this type of body composition tool can be helpful for starters but eventually you will want something more accurate depending on how serious you want to be about reaching your goals and how serious you are about wanting to know where your body fat and weight is compared to where it was. Learn this type of body measuring to use as a reference in the future, but again don't rely on it heavily because it definitely has its disadvantages. 10/7/2019 0 Comments BMI - Body Mass IndexMeasuring Body Composition
Part one So, I am almost sure most of you have heard of the word "BMI" or body mass index. Most doctors of medicine today still use this as a prescribed way of letting their patients know if they are within a healthy weight class (hints why when you go for appointments, they check your height and weight). As a personal trainer, I have my own reservations when it comes to utilizing BMI with my clients due to the fact it leaves out A LOT of information but at a Dr's office, they only need to know the basics unless for some reason your health brings up some concern -- otherwise don't expect them to look much further than the BMI system. When would I use it?
BMI is important, yes, but not important for everyone -- BMI doesn't take into account our body fat % or how much lean muscle mass we have -- so it leaves out details, and categorizes people by their height and weight which can give false readings. For example, for the general population this would be a beneficial form of measurement because most of these clients are everyday people looking to become healthy and currently live sedentary lifestyles or very low activity lifestyles. Whereas, someone who is bodybuilder or basketball player have a very active lifestyle and probably have more specific needs. The issue is, someone who is a bodybuilder who weighs 190lbs at 5'8 is considered overweight -- which is the same for someone who is inactive at 5'8 and weights 190 lbs is considered overweight as well (regardless of male or female). obviously the bodybuilder isn't overweight - BUT if we base it off only BMI then technically by those terms he or she is (which is unfair and gives people a false perception of themselves) As a personal trainer, whenever I measure someone's BMI, I always explain what it means and how it contributes to the person's well-being -- but for all of my clients, especially athletes there are much better measurement methods to determine a precise read on someone's overall weight/health/and body fat content (which I will speak upon in part two of body composition). The one thing to take away from this, BMI is very vague and doesn't take into account other details besides height and weight -- so with this being said, there are better, more precise methods to take into account before you decide to rely on just this form of body measurement. |
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