BALANCE CORE EXPLOSION

I've told this story a million times, when I first started working out I literally tore Dorian Yates(former Mr. Olympia) workout out of FLEX magazine and went to the gym. I'm not being modest when I say that I was pretty horrible. Boy workouts have changed since then. Hell, gyms have changed since then. When I was 18 ,gyms were essentially "meat markets" .Chalk, big leather weight belts, spandex, and Otomix were the norm. Now gyms are "fitness centers". All kinds of people come in. The rich ,the poor,the super fit, the not so fit, the beautiful, and the not so beautiful all workout side by side.

I'm always in search of new ways to make people miserable. It helps when you have clients willing to do it. Take Adam here. There is no better way to feel bad about yourself than to stand next to Adam. No body fat, can compete in a triathlon, can add muscle just by saying"add muscle", and can do just about anything I throw at him. Oh and by the way a beautiful wife and two amazing children. Life just isn't fair.

Anyway, after I miserable workout I had Adam perform 6 of these pikes on the swiss ball combined with a plyometric clapping depth push up. Sick!

I love core exercises and I believe more people could benifit by adding core strength into their workouts. What I have been doing lately is taking plyometric movements and combining them with stability and core work. While this might be a tad advanced(that's right I said "tad") this exercise can give you some insight as to what you may be able to accomplish. Good luck!

WHAT A GREAT YEAR

I love a good story! I'm a sucker for romance. I cry these days over just about anything. Sometimes the very best stories are right in fromt of us. They don't need to have movie stars or big budgets. Just the people we know.
I wrote about Patti a few months back. In October of 2008 she found out that she had cancer. 2009 was to include 6 chemotherapy sessions, and 3 very invasive surgeries. In October of this year Patti and many of her friends and family ran/walked the Race for the Cure in Austin. It was amazing to see so many shirts that said "survivor" on them. What moved me the most were the shirts that said "in memory of". As I said before, I lost my Aunt to cancer . I think about her everyday. She was my inspiration to make fitness my career when others told me I was stupid. Everyday I go to work, I walk in with her in my heart.
Patti and her family have had a remarkable year. As I write Patti is at home recuperating from her final surgery. I'm so proud of the lessons that everyone has taught me this year. I may teach people how to get in physical shape , but in many instances my clients show me how I want to live.
I'm fortunate to have all these amazing people around me. So for Patti, Michael,Kathy, Brent,Jean,Anne Marie,Maureen,Ted, Chela,Norman,Geoffrey,Tim, Mark,Kendra,Michael, Susie,Hayden,Shallon,Sharon,Tim,Bridge,Alex,Annie Tate,Wendy,Heather,Kevin,Kathy, Charles,Angela,Pierre,Margaret,Mary,Big Dan,Matt,Brent, Nancy,Carrie,Rose,TJ,Becky(and baby),Teresa,Owen,Scott,Meg,Lee,Bob and Chere' Thankyou for opening your hearts and lives to me. I love you guys and hope you all have a wonderful Holliday. Be safe. And don't over indulge too much.

I got introduced to the swiss ball about 12 years ago. At first the swiss(stability) ball was used primarily for abdominals. The swiss ball has morphed into one of the best pieces of fitness equipment. You can do just about any exercise on the ball as well as a few new ones. One of the first things I tell my new soon to be moms is to get a swiss ball. At the very least, sitting on one will help your back. The swiss ball ranges in size from small to extra large. The following exercises are designed to engage your shoulders, chest and abs. Remember to try to keep your back flat(tuck your naval to your spine), and get your balance before you "slowly' start your exercises.

I was sitting down reading a womens health magazine while i was waiting for a client the other day and happened to overhear one of our trainers talking with one of their clients. I often people watch and listen to conversations. What i heard was a common question amongst clients. "How do I get rid of this?"(pointing to the tummy). What sparked my curiosity was two things. First this person did not need to lose "this" She was in phenominal shape. In her 40's and working full time, she had a physique most would aspire to have. Not too skinny, and deffinately not fat. She had great muscle tone. Regardless of all this she had it in her head that she needed to lose 10 to 15 pounds. Insane! But, this a common problem that reflects our(womens) morbid obsession with weight loss.

The second thing that caught my ear was the trainers response. I overheard a plethora of muscle groups named. The transverse abdominus, the rectus abdominus, the serratus. Pushing fat to the front with muuscle gain. Only this exercise can help spot reduce. WOW! What impressed me the most was not this verbal regurgitation of muscles , but the fact that the client bought it. Hook, line and sinker.

For the record there are NO exercise that spot reduce. Fat can be taken off your body one of two ways. Either control what you consume(your diet) so you don't overstuff yourself. Or increase the intensity of how you burn your calories. So hear are my suggestions:

5 small meals a day

10 glasses of water a day

Cardio 3 to 4 days a week(no more than 20-30 min)

resistance training 3 days a week

One complete day off

ANd do th circuit above

So lets talk about...Sugar. A trainers #1 enemy when it comes to helping people loose weight.Sugar is almost impossible to hide from. So what is sugar? Any carbohydrate that is not fiber is sugar.

The word "sugar" is like a double edged sword. On one hand sugar, in it's natural state, is arguably the most important food for all humans, because that's the only thing that the body burns for energy(glucose) . So important is glucose to the body that even if not supplied with sufficient ammounts of carbohydrates(which are transformed into glucose), the body has a built in mechanism to use fat reserves and turn them into glucose, and can actually, if need be ,turn protein to glucose. On the other hand elevated sugar levels mean elevated insulin levels. When insulin levels are elevated the body won't burn fat. In many cases it will store fat.

So the key is to consume enough carbs that the body can perform work but not so much that the body stores fat. It is a fine line to walk.

One thing to keep in mind is that during an intense interval workout, the body will burn a certain ammount of calories during the workout as well as significant ammount of calories post workout. Now one thing I have always said is that weight training can be aerobic and anaerobic all at the same time. Example: jumping jax with 8lb dumbells.

Included in this video is in my personal opinion one of the most complete weighted movements availabale. Holding a weighted olympic bar at waist level, perform a squat thrust with a pushup at the bottom. Once you tuck your knees up to your chest perform a powerclean in one swift movement, pause ,and than press the bar above your head. Perform 10 of these exercises in a row. Take a 30 sec. break and continue for 4 more sets. you will find that this movement works all your muscles and also elevates your heartrate.

So how many different ways can you do a pushup? Well there are several. The pushup has been around forever. I did my first one when I was 6 in P.E. class and I'm actually doing 100 of them right now. Blindfolded. with one arm tied behind my back. Seriously, with the many variations of pushups you can literally work almost every muscle in your body. so here is a sample of me "yes me" doing several pushups in sequence. Try doing 10 of each of these back to back with no break. It stinks, but I promise you'll feel miserable.....in a good way.

In your quest for the ultimate workout, wait that's my quest, don't forget that so many exercises can be done with out any fancy equipment. Just you and some floor space. Every week I am going to bring you variations of bodyweight exercises that you can do in your home. At the same time I'll discuss some current questions that get thrown at me.

ok, so it has been a while since I posted. But now I am recharged and undistracted. We find ourselves in the holliday season which has so many of us playing catchup when January 15th rolls around a we realize that maybe we shouldn't have indulged as much as we have. Two things to keep in mind:

Moderation

It's all about doing things in moderation. There is no rule that says you have to drink all the red wine. Just nurse a glass for a while. And once you've had a plate of food, think to yourself "seconds...realy?" Enjoy the food, just don't eat "all" the food. Make sure you leave time in your schedule the following day to do a workout.

It is the Hollidays

Don't be that one person at the party who says "I'll just have salad" Don't leave an event early or worse yet not go at all because all they are serving is corndogs and ice cream.I know, horrible combination. Plan ahead. Eat early and enjoy your friends and family. Don't try to make people who do eat feel guilty. And if you are a man with a brain don't look at your girlfriend,fiance,wife and say "are you realy going to eat that?"

Look forward to the next days workout. Speaking of which, I am always in search of fast efficient, challenging workouts.

Try this for your legs:

10squats

10left leg lungs

10 right leg lungs

10 in and out jumps

10 scissor jumps

10 tuck jumps

Back to back no break! Give it a shot. It is far and away one of the most miserable things I have ever done or had someone do.