Workout Wednesday Tip: Resistance Bands for Upper Body

Last week we covered how and why to work a resistance band into your workout. This week, we’ll show you how to get your resistance program started.

But before you get started, you have to find the band that is right for you. Follow these tips when shopping:

• It’s best to start with at least three bands– easy, medium and hard--since different muscle groups will require different levels of resistance.
• Make sure you buy a band that is comfortable, and easy to use. Avoid those with hard plastic handles.
• If you're just getting started, stick with your basic long tube with handles. As you become more advanced, you may want to work in some of the different varieties available.

Now that your bands are selected, you’re ready to start your basic, total upper body workout. Be sure you warm up for 5-10 minutes before beginning this routine. For beginners, perform one set of 16 reps; intermediate and advanced levels, do 2-3 sets of 12-16 reps each. As you progress, increase the difficulty by using thicker bands or adjusting your positioning.

Back- Bent Over Rows

Stand on the band so that it is centered under your feet. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back flat and abs in. Grab the tube close to your feet and slowly pull toward your waist, keeping your elbows close to your side. Be sure to pull with your back, and not your arms.

• Chest – Standard Chest Press

Wrap the band around something stable behind you, and hold each handle. Squeeze your chest as you press arms out in front of you (simulating a bench press).

• Shoulders - Lateral Arm Raises

Stand with one end of the tube under your foot and the other end in that hand. Raise your arm out and away from your side, to shoulder level, and slowly lower. Repeat on the opposite side.

• Arms- Bicep Curls

Stand on the band so that it is centered under your feet and grasp the handles. Bend your elbows, and curl your hands up toward your shoulders. Lower and repeat.

• Arms – Triceps Extensions

Start by holding the tubing in your right hand behind your head. Hold the other firmly along your left side. Straighten your right elbow until your arm is fully extended. Return to the starting position and repeat. Perform on both sides.


For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/

***The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.***

Sources: www.exercise.about.com
www.sport-fitness-advisor.com

Preventing Lower Back Pain With Exercise

Back pain and injuries affect approximately 60 to 90 percent of all U.S. citizens at some point in their lives. The second most common reason to visit a doctor’s office, the treatment of back pain has become a multi billion-dollar business. In fact, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the overall costs of treating back pain rose 65% from 1997 to 2005. But is it worth it? The study took a broad-brush approach to answer whether or not the overall increased spending on back treatments is actually making us feel better; and the simple answer, is no, it’s not.

In light of the unsettling information above, perhaps the best treatment for back pain is to prevent back injuries. Do so by keeping your back, abdomen and legs strong and flexible. Below are a few tips and exercises to help you build your strength and increase your flexibility, and hopefully, decrease the likelihood of developing back pain.

Strengthen

· Prone Leg Raises. Lie flat on your stomach. Lift one leg off the ground 2 feet into the air hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with your opposite leg, performing five sets on each side.

· Supine Leg Raises. Lie flat on your back. Lift one leg off the ground 2 feet into the air and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with your opposite leg, performing five sets on each side.

· Wall Slides. Stand upright with your back against a wall and feet shoulder width apart and slowly bend your knees, sliding your back down the wall until your knees are bent at a 45 degree angle. Hold this position for five seconds. Slide up the wall until you are fully upright with knees straight. Repeat five times.

Stretch

· Hip Stretch. Lie on your back with both legs outstretched. Grasp behind your left thigh, and gently pull your left leg, with the knee relaxed, toward your right shoulder until you feel a mild, comfortable stretch. Alternate legs, and continue until each leg has been stretched at least three times.

· Hamstring Stretch. Sit on the floor with both legs out straight.
Extend your arms and reach forward by bending at the waist as far as possible while keeping your knees straight. Hold this position for 10 seconds.

· Prone Back extension. Lie on your stomach, propping yourself up on your elbows and extend your back by pushing your stomach into the floor. Straighten your elbows, further extending your back until a gentle stretch is felt. Hold for 15 seconds them return to the starting position. Repeat 10 more times.



For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/

***The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.***

Source :www.health.howstuffworks.com

www.forbes.com

www.physicaltherapy.about.com

Workout Wednesday Tip: Using a Resistance Band in Your Workout

Working a resistance band into your workout allows exercisers at all levels to add variety and difficulty to their usual routine. A great form of strength training, resistance training is quickly becoming one of the most widely recommended forms or exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. In fact, resistance band exercises are widely used by a variety of health and fitness practitioners – both for general strength and conditioning and rehabilitation or injury prevention.

The design of a resistance band—a lightweight and portable rubber band available in a variety of different resistance levels—allows you to easily incorporate a strength training regiment into your fitness routine without the hassle of bulky and expensive free weights. And here's how.

When you pull against the resistance band, like all other resistance training, your muscles contract against that external resistant force. With each contraction, microscopic tears are made to the muscle cells, which are then quickly repaired by the body helping the muscles to regenerate and grow stronger. This process helps to build lean muscle fiber creating more toned and developed muscles, as well as better muscle endurance, strength and recovery. As you progress and your muscles grow, you can easily increase the intensity of you workout by switching to a band with a higher resistance level.

And the benefits of resistance training are a lot greater than just helping you to firm up and drop a few pants sizes. Some research indicates resistance training can slow down the natural weakening or muscles with age, prevent osteoporosis, speed up your metabolism and even help lower moderately high blood pressure. building muscle, tone and strength.

With countless exercise routines that can be modified to work the entire body and the convenience and versatility of the band itself, a resistance band routine is a great addition to your workout.


For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/

**The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.**

Sources: www.exercise.about.com
www.exercisebands.factexpert.com
www.sport-fitness-advisor.com
www.emedicinehealth.com

Weighing in on Weight Loss—Why Dieting is just not Enough

We all know exercise—or the lack thereof—plays a leading role in the on-going weight loss saga so many Americans are caught in the middle of. Though dieting is an absolute necessity in the battle of the bulge, the fact is, dieting alone is just not enough to make you reach your weight loss or fitness goals. The best way to achieve the strong toned, and most importantly, healthy body you are working toward, is to combine a regiment of both a nutritionally balanced diet with regular aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

To successfully tackle the weight loss challenge, you must first understand a few basic principles of how our bodies work, and the complex processes of our metabolism.

Here's how it works.

• Like the simplest machines, our bodies require energy in order to perform even the most basic functions, such as breathing and circulating blood.

• We consume this energy in the form of calories found in what we eat and drink.

• The rate at which we burn these calories and create energy to keep our bodies operating is called our basal metabolic rate, or metabolism, which is in part naturally determined by our body size, gender, and age. Our basal metabolic rate, a.k.a the energy we need to keep us alive, accounts for about 60 to 75 percent of the calories you burn every day.

Knowing what we now do about our metabolism, this simple equation helps us to understand why and when we lose or gain weight.

Number of calories consumed daily – Number of calories a day a body needs to function = Weight

Very few we have the discipline required to consume only enough calories needed to fuel our body. That’s where exercise comes into the equation. Exercise helps our bodies burn the excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat. In addition, consistent physical activity can even increase our metabolic rate, and help our body’s burn calories more efficiently, by increasing lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Plus, aerobic exercise keeps your metabolism burning calories long after you’ve stopped exercising, sometime for up to 8 hours.

To summarize, balancing the number of calories you expend through exercise and physical activity with the calories you eat, will help you achieve your desired weight.

For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/


**The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.**

Sources: www.thedietchannel.com
www.webmd.com
www.mayoclinic.com

Workout Wednesday Tip: How to Use a Medicine ball in Your Workout

Long gone are the days of training with a tattered and bulky, leather medicine ball a la Rocky Balboa style. Today, medicine balls are far more versatile during a workout than virtually any other piece of gym equipment. Incorporating one into your workout is a great way to liven up your usual routine while taking your fitness to the next level!

Available in a variety of colors and weights—ranging from just one pound for those who need to take it easy, all the way up to 50 pounds for the real heavy hitters—their soft, rubber exterior and flexible handles make for easy gripping and movement, allowing you to use them while training with a partner or by yourself.

With exercises that work your chest, back, arm, ab, glute, hip and leg muscles, a main reason you see results with a medicine ball routine, is plyometrics. Plyometrics is a type of exercise designed to produce fast, powerful movements and create explosive performance. A go-to for strength training and fat burning, a medicine ball routine can be a plyometric workout because….

- It builds strength and explosiveness. Because medicine balls bounce, are flexible and can be tossed around, they allow you to workout using random movements and an increased range of motion that you just don’t get using a barbell, dumbbell or machine workouts. This allows you to incorporate more muscle fibers in your muscle building routines, helping you to build muscle faster. They are also great for resistance training.

- It raises your heart rate. The quick, explosive type exercises most often associated with a medicine ball routine raise the heart rate and allows you to enter target zone best for burning fat. They also are easily incorporated into a circuit training program, another big hit for fat loss.

- It is great for sport-specific athletes. Since they are easy to throw and catch, medicine balls can be used when simulating the motion of swinging a baseball bat, golf club, tennis racket, or when going up for a rebound, or throwing that discus, among many other movements used in sports.

Here are a few tips and guidelines when incorporating a medicine ball into your workout…

- Always warm up before starting a medicine ball routine.

- Ensure you have plenty of space when performing these drills.

- Complete your medicine ball routine before you begin a heavy aerobic or anaerobic workout that day.

- Though developing speed in your movements is important, do not do so as to sacrifice proper technique.

- Most importantly, choose a ball that is the right weight for you.



For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/


**The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.**

Prevent Illness Through Exercise

For those who have been following this blog, recently you learned the very powerful psychological effect of exercise, and its role in increasing your confidence, enhancing your mood and even lessening symptoms of depression. Of course, anyone who has exercised regularly has seen the very positive physical effects of exercise—i.e. sleek toned bodies, heightened levels of energy, and of course, a smaller waistline. It's true. Exercise makes you feel healthy. It makes you look healthy. But does it actually make you healthier? And the answer is yes.

Aerobic exercise not only makes you look and feel better, it does make your body healthier. In fact, some research shows a direct correlation between regular exercise and the prevention of the common cold, flu, and even alleviating some symptoms for asthma sufferers.

A quick review of an elementary school science class reminds us that our bodies are equipped with an automatic and powerful protection tool—our immune system. As we all know, our immune system defends us against the millions of bacteria, toxins and viruses—such as the flu and common cold—that can invade our bodies and make us sick. Each day, as we inhale germs that float in the air, our immune system responds to eliminate them, preventing a more serious response, such as a cold or flu.

And with regular exercise, we strengthen our immune system. Here's why.

Improved circulation. Studies show aerobic exercise improves circulation, strengthening the heart to pump larger quantities of blood though our bodies.

Improved lung capacity. Exercise causes us to breathe faster, more efficiently transferring oxygen from our lungs to our blood.

Sweat production. As we exercise, we sweat to help regulate our rising body temperature.

All of these responses by our body help to stimulate our immune system and keep our natural virus- and bacteria-killing white blood cells—such as T cells and macrophages—strong and circulating. Studies have even indicated positive long-term physiological changes in the immune system as a response to regular exercise.

In general, leading a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, plenty of sleep and reduced stress, helps keep our bodies strong, and gives us the ability to fight the common cold, flu and effects of asthma. Most agree however, if you do get bit by the seasonal bug, its best to take it easy if you do workout, and to be sure you're still getting plenty of rest and drinking more than the recommended 2-3 quarts of fluids daily. And of course, consult your physician.

For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/

**The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.**

Sources

http://www.webmd.com/

http://www.about.com/

http://www.my.clevelandclinic.org/

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Wednesday Workout Tip – The Proper Sit-up

Sit-ups are one of those exercises that everyone thinks they know how to do properly. But, it’s important that you really know the proper form. Incorrect form during sit-ups can not only diminish the benefit of the exercise but it can actually lead to harm and injury, particularly in regards to your back and neck muscles. So here are some tips to help you maintain proper sit-up form.

Crunches or Sit-ups?

What should you start with crunches or sit-ups? If your abdominal muscles a very out of shape you might want to start with crunches rather than sit-ups. As you condition your abdominal muscles you can gradually increase your crunch motion until you reach a full sit-up.

The Perfect Sit-up

Start with lying on an exercise mat or a carpeted floor to help protect you from a hard surface like a wood or tile floor.
Your knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle. For the position of your feet you have two options, either place your feet flat on the floor or if you choose, you can place your feet on a chair that maintains that 90 degree angle.

To get the most out of your sit ups it’s a good idea to have a partner hold your feet down to avoid using the wrong muscles during the exercise.

To avoid undue stress on your neck I suggest crossing your arms over your chest. This helps to pinpoint your effort on the abdominal muscles and not your arms. I’ve also seen plenty of people in the gym thrusting and pulling at their neck while doing sit-ups. This abrupt motion of pulling at the neck not only looks like poor form but it can really lead to neck and back injury.

The key to it all

After you have mastered form, they key to a perfect sit up is to go slow. Slowly start to move from a lying position to a sitting position. I often see people in the gym doing fast reps, quickly sitting up and then flopping back down to the floor. The best results come from slowly moving from a lying to a sitting position. I even suggest that you hold your sit up a few inches from the ground either on the way up or back down. You really start to feel your sit-ups working on the abdominal muscles as they start to burn.

A personal trainer can make sure your doing all of your exercises properly, even the ones you thought you knew how to do. Contact Train With Corey to discuss our personal fitness programs designed just for your needs no matter what level of shape you’re in.



For more information: http://www.trainwithcorey.com/

**The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine. **

How To Begin An Exercise Program

Getting started on an exercise routine is not a difficult task. It all really starts with a commitment. Deciding that you want to lose a few pounds or drop a pant or dress size can lead to the beginning of a better healthier life. But it all starts with making the commitment to try.

After you’ve made the commitment to begin exercising here are a few steps to get you started the right way.

A good way to start is to determine your current level of fitness. You can take a simple approach such as timing how long it takes to walk or run a mile. You can also take a more exact approach by having a professional, such as a personal trainer, complete a basic fitness assessment. By putting you through various exercises a trainer can document your general level of fitness to use as starting point to track your progress.

Now that you’ve determined your current level you should establish your fitness goal. The goal is different for each person. A goal could be a simple as completing a 5k, losing 10 pounds, or reaching your ideal body mass index. It’s also important to realize that for lifelong fitness, you will need to continually update your goals. A personal trainer plays a key role here. By continually updating goals as they are reached, they will keep you motivated. This where many people fall back into old habits, they reach their goal and they become complacent and ultimately drop their fitness routine. A personal trainer can make sure that change becomes a permanent habit.

Next you should get the right equipment. A good pair of shoes is essential. Talk to your local sporting goods retailer. Explain what your goals are and how you plan to exercise and they can help you choose the right pair. Also consider that to keep from getting bored and to achieve new goal, you’ll need more than just basic exercise equipment. As your fitness goals progress, you’ll need to find a facility such as a gym or personal fitness studio that can meet your needs.
Talk with Train With Corey if you’re considering starting a fitness routine. We’ll get you started the right way.



For more information: www.trainwithcorey.com



**The fitness tips provided on this site are for informational purposes only. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.**