Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 2 of 21)

      Exercise tips for couples

      June 25, 2009 /

      I once had a girlfriend that asked me if I would train her if she signed up at my gym. Since she hadn?t exercised in years, I was generally excited that she was taking an interest in her health again and that she had asked me for help.

      After two or three training sessions and one massive fight later, we never worked out again. That was also the last time I figure to help a lady friend out at the gym, but if you?re look for better luck than I had, Men?s Fitness.com offers these exercise tips for couples that want to work out together.

      1.) Forget your own training.
      “If you’re trying to show off by demonstrating how much you can lift, you’re going to have problems,” says Rachel Cosgrove, a strength and conditioning coach and co-owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif. “She wants you to pay attention to her.” This means concentrating on moves that she can do and enjoy (unless you want a dumbbell dropped on your foot).

      2.) Say the right things.
      Feed her compliments?and try to ensure that she processes them as such. “Don’t say, ‘Wow, your arms are getting so big,’ or, ‘You’re looking really buff!'” says Cosgrove. “If a woman hears that, she might never come back with you to the gym.” Instead, reinforce her work by telling her that her arms are really “toned,” or that her legs are “defined.”

      3.) Know what she wants.
      Her goals are to burn calories and fat, and get more “shapely.” So take it easy on the isolation exercises, use lighter weights and higher reps, and keep her moving. “Women are multitaskers,” says Cosgrove. “They want combination exercises, compound movements, and circuit sets.” In terms of body parts, she’s concerned with her legs, glutes, and?most of all?abs. “As much as guys love the bench press, that’s how much women love ab work,” says Joe Stankowski, a trainer of pageant contestants in Wilmington, Del. So grab a Swiss ball and crunch!

      4.) Disguise the workout.
      Women often fear weights, so hide weight training in moves like medicine-ball squats and med-ball overhead presses. You can also use those colored, plastic kettlebells for figure eights and swings. And here are always cable moves like wood chops. She will find these exercises more fun and less intimidating, and she won’t feel like she’s turning into the Incredible Hulkette.

      To read the rest of MF.com?s tips, click here.

      General training, Uncategorized, Weight training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Ten simple steps to getting stronger now

      June 10, 2009 /

      Follow these 10 steps by Men?s Fitness.com to gain more strength (and essentially, more muscle).

      1.) Own the “big four.”
      The squat, deadlift, bench press, and shoulder press are the best strength-building exercises, period. The chinup and row are great moves too, but don’t make them the focus of your workout ? they can be assistance lifts to complement the bench and shoulder press, keeping your pulling muscles in balance with the pressing ones.

      2.) Use barbells first.
      Forget all the fad equipment. The barbell is king, the dumbbell is queen, and everything else is a court jester ? it may have its place, but it’s not essential. Start your workouts with barbell exercises, such as the “big four,” as described above. Barbells let you load a lot of weight, and lifting heavy is the first step toward getting stronger. Once your heaviest strength exercises are out of the way, you can move on to dumbbell and body-weight training.

      4.) Maintain a log.
      Write down your exercises, sets, reps, and the fate of each workout. Keep track of your best lifts and the most reps you’ve done with a certain weight on an exercise. Constantly strive to improve those numbers.

      7.) Add weights slowly.
      The main reason people plateau and stop gaining strength is that they go too heavy for too long. Abandon your ego and do your main lifts using 10% less than the most weight you can lift for the given rep range. Increase the weight each session ? but by no more than 10 pounds ? and stick with the same lifts. You’ll rarely plateau again.

      To see the entire list of 10, click here.

      A lot of beginners (and veterans of the gym for that matter) like to do a variety of exercises and a variety of different movements in efforts to gain muscle. But as the article notes, keeping it simple is key. Doing compound movements and keeping track of your gains is crucial. After that, everything else is just additional.

      Bodybuilding, Exercise, General training, Power lifting, Weight training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Barbell Workout for Hard Gainers

      May 28, 2009 /

      If you only have access to a barbell, try these workouts from MensFitness.com:

      Workout I

      1 Front Squat
      Sets: 5 Reps: 5 Rest: 90 sec.
      Start with the barbell on the supports of a power rack at about shoulder height. Grab the bar overhand and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Now lift the bar off the rack, letting it roll toward your fingers-this is where it should rest throughout the exercise (as long as you keep your elbows raised, you won’t have trouble balancing the bar) [1]. Squat as low as you can [2], and then drive with your legs to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

      2 Snatch
      Sets: 5 Reps: 5 Rest: 90 sec.
      Place a barbell on the floor and grab it with an overhand grip, hands twice shoulder-width apart. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, crouch down behind it as if you were going to perform a deadlift [1]. Now explosively stand up and raise the bar straight up in front of your torso. When the bar reaches chest level, flip your wrists to face the ceiling and allow the momentum to help you press the bar straight overhead [2]. Reverse the motion to return the bar to the floor. That’s one rep.

      3 Barbell Shoulder Press
      Sets: 5 Reps: 5 Rest: 90 sec.
      Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower and grab the bar with a slightly wider-than-shoulder- width grip (wrap your thumbs around the bar). To get the bar into position, you can either explosively heave it up off the floor and up to your shoulders, or set the bar at shoulder level on the supports of a power rack. If the bar is on the rack, nudge it off and let it rest against the front of your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and push your chest out [1]. Begin pressing the bar overhead, retracting your head as the bar rises to keep it out of the way. When the bar passes your head, press it up and slightly backward so that it ends up in line with the back of your head [2]. Hold for a moment, then lower the bar back to your shoulders. That’s one rep.

      Check out the other workout by clicking here.

      If you?re a hard gainer, these workouts can be beneficial because they?re all compound movements that incorporate more muscle groups.

      Arms, Back, Bodybuilding, Chest, Exercise, General training, Legs, Power lifting, Specific workouts, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Improve your golf game with these exercises

      May 26, 2009 /

      The New York Sports Clubs shares some tips to get your body in golf shape for when you attack the links this summer.

      Big Bertha ? Driving power from your legs and arms will increase your yards. Grab your driving club and get started:

      Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder width. Bending at the hips and knees, lower into a squat and hold the position. Hold the club with both hands in front of you, parallel to the floor. While holding the squat, bend the elbows bringing the club to the chest at an angle, press out and repeat with the angle in the other direction. Continue pressing in and out at a diagonal for 30 times, working your way up to 75.

      Caddy Shack ? For stamina to walk the course, follow this move to get your heart rate up and cardiovascular system conditioned:

      Place three tees on the floor about two feet from each other in a line. Starting on the left of the first one, hop over each with a dbl hop between them. When you get to the end, hop back to the starting position. Try to continue hopping for 30 seconds, working your way up to a minute.

      Hole in One ? Core strength is imperative to drive the ball down the green. Try this core strengthener to get that hole in one:

      Sitting on the floor with your feet flat on the ground, grab a golf ball in your right hand. Lean back slightly, lifting your feet off the floor a few inches holding yourself stable by contracting your stomach muscles. Holding that position, gently lower right leg as you slightly lift the left and pass the ball through the legs to the left hand. Switch the legs and pass the ball back to the right hand, through the legs. Continue for 20-30 repetitions.

      Back Nine ? With all the swinging and bending, a golfers low back is a must to strengthen

      Lie on your stomach, legs out straight and arms straight at your side. Lift up your head and legs at the same time, keeping your spine in line with your head. Hold the position with your low back and glutes for 3-5 seconds and release. Start with 8-10 working your way up to 15.

      Club House ? When your game is over, before hitting the showers or clubhouse, make sure to stretch

      On all fours, round your back so you feel your spine open, lifting up your belly button to the ceiling, tucking your glutes and head under. Hold for 3 seconds. Reverse the move by lifting your head to the ceiling and curving your back under, tail bone to the ceiling.

      There you have it. If your game still stinks, then it might be time to pick up another hobby!

      Exercise, General fitness, Specific workouts, Sports Health and Fitness, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Build the Ultimate Sandwich

      May 21, 2009 /

      Men?s Fitness.com helps you create a healthy lunch that actually tastes good with their guide to building the ultimate sandwich.

      GO WITH THE GRAIN
      Just because the bread’s brown doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Check out the ingredient list. “Whole wheat” should be the first thing listed?not “refined grains,” which have fewer nutrients and less fiber than their whole-grain counterparts. Also be sure the loaf has at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and doesn’t contain any high-fructose corn syrup.

      RAID THE PRODUCE AISLE
      Pile on all the cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, onions, bell peppers, or jalape?os you want. The extra calories they add to your meal are virtually nil.

      ALL ABOUT MEAT
      Ham: It’ll only set you back around 60 calories yet packs 11 grams of protein. Select a nitrate-free variety, though (these preservatives have been shown to increase the risk of cancer when consumed over time). Less sodium means you’ll also avoid that after-lunch bloat.

      Turkey: The king of the healthy lunch meats. It’s low in calories, fat, and sodium but loaded with protein. Buy 100% baked or smoked sliced turkey breast.

      Roast Beef: Red meat gets a bad rap for being high in fat, but with many lower fat brands out there, you can now pile on the beef without adversely tipping the scale.

      Check out the rest of Men?s Fitness ingredients to the ultimate sandwich, here.

      Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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