When I get a new client, I often hear, “I just don’t have a strong upper body. It’s always been that way.” It’s a well-known fact that men have more skeletal muscle than women – particularly in the upper body. Although men might have more skeletal muscle, it doesn’t mean we can’t increase our strength in our upper bodies.
Read moreBeginners Guide: Eating & Drinking Before Exercising
The quickest way to derail a workout is to suffer from that queasy, I-just-ate feeling. When is the ideal time to eat and drink before a workout? What should you eat?
Snacking and hydrating yourself before a workout can provide you with the extra energy boost you need to power through a workout. Figuring out when to snack and drink can seem tricky. I have had many clients come to a workout saying, “I skipped lunch. I wasn’t sure when it was too late to eat before working out, so I just didn’t eat.” Their workouts suffer – or sometimes come to a crashing halt - because they lack the energy they need to last the entire workout.
Read moreThe Science of Exercise: Benefits for Your Mind and Body
Exercise provides amazing benefits for our bodies and minds. People who participate in regular exercise, have an up to 50 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, up to 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke as well as 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Those are some pretty impressive statistics…but there’s more!
Exercise can reduce symptoms of depression, and it can help reverse the effects of stress on us and our aging process. Studies have also found that regular exercising can help individuals with asthma, as it reduces the airway inflammation.
Exercise does amazing things for our bodies and minds. People who participate in regular exercise, have an up to 50 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, up to 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke as well as 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Those are some pretty impressive statistics…but there’s more!
Read moreHeart-Pumping, Bodyweight Ladder Workout
I created this workout while we were on vacation. I just happened to be reading a Men’s Health magazine the night before, and one of their articles/workouts inspired me to create this ladder workout. (I LOVE Men’s Health magazine. They have some of the best workouts.)
This workout starts slow, but by the time you get into rounds 10-15, you are feeling it. If you struggle doing push-ups or any movement that places pressure on your wrists or hands, check out the wrist-friendly version included below.
Read moreWhen to Breathe During Strength Training Exercises
Recently, a client asked me about the timing of her breathing during a strength training workout. When should she exhale? Inhale? The easiest rule to remember during a strength training workout is to exhale when you are exerting force and inhale on the recovery. That’s easy to master – in theory. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what is the exertion portion of certain exercises. Let’s look at some popular strength training moves and identify when you should exhale and inhale.
Read moreSore Knees? Try These Knee-Friendly Exercises
When I was younger, I would jump and hop around with little to no thought about the impact on my body. Now, I cringe when I see someone doing repeated tuck jumps or box jumps. It hurts my knees just watching someone else do it!
Often times, if we have an injured body part, we assume we just need to give up fitness. But, that’s not the case – you just need to find exercises you can do to keep yourself active but not further aggravate your injured area. The important thing to keep in mind is that if you do feel pain in your knees (or any other body part) while doing a movement, stop. No workout is worth injuring your body!
Read moreFull-Body Dumbbell Workout
Some of my favorite workouts are created by accident. This workout is a result of one of those recent workout sessions. I knew I wanted to do a strength training session with minimal equipment, and I needed it to be full-body.
The only equipment this workout utilizes are dumbbells. If you don’t have any dumbbells, you can easily do this workout with bottles of water or no weights at all. Repeat each circuit for a total of three times before moving on to the next circuit.
Read moreGet a Full-body Workout From Home in 20 Minutes
I love workouts that require no equipment and minimal space. This workout fits that criteria perfectly – it’s comprised of bodyweight exercises that can be done anywhere. There isn’t any complicated choreography in this workout, so you can focus on your form. Knee-friendly/ back-friendly modifications are listed next to each movement. This is an ideal workout if you don't have time to go to the gym or you prefer to workout from home. Set aside 20 minutes, find a small space in a room and get started!
Read moreTop 3 Bodyweight Workouts to Get Ready for Summer
Whether we are ready for it or not, summer is here. If you are easing back into working out or need a quick workout to change up your routine, check out these quick, bodyweight workouts that are guaranteed to get your heart rate up and make you feel better!
Read moreThe Beginners Guide to Tabata Workouts
Tabata training is a type of a High Intensity Interval Training workout that is highly effective and efficient. It is named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, who founded the workout format with his team of researchers at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Tabata and his colleagues found that this workout format burned more calories in this 4-minute circuit than would be typically be seen in a 4-minute segment of exercise. They also found that participants saw increases in both their anaerobic system (muscles) as well as aerobic system (cardiovascular); whereas participants who only participated in a moderate intensity program (that was not Tabata) only saw increases in their aerobic systems.
Often times Tabata is associated with cardio and plyometric exercise moves, but I like to use it with both cardio and strength training moves. Because of its intense interval format, you are only going to do it one or two times a week and never on consecutive days. If clients are completing it with the intensity that the workout prescribes, then I don’t usually do more than 4-5 circuits (20-25 minutes).
Read moreBad Knees? Try This Knee-Friendly Cardio Workout
Did you know that women are more likely to experience knee pain than men? In fact, knee pain is the second most common cause of chronic pain, and more than one-third of Americans experience knee pain at some point in their lives.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Summer Vegetables with Sausage & Potatoes
I’m not always the best at getting my daily allotment of veggies in my diet. I don’t mind vegetables – I just often forget to make them as a side or incorporate them into my meal. I’m really trying to do better, so today’s Recipe of the Week is a great tasting, veggie-packed dish.
Read moreHate Working Out? Try This Alphabet Workout
A former client of mine posted a picture on my Facebook page last week featuring another trainer’s alphabet workout. She commented that it was just like something I would make my clients do! Little did she know, I’m a huge fan of alphabet workouts. If you are constantly watching the clock while working out, then this one is for you. Time flies by while you are doing it.
Read moreCan Too Much Cardio Hurt Your Weight-Loss Goals?
I had a client who participated in a doctor-monitored weight-loss program. She hit a plateau and was trying to figure out what was going on with her body. The weight-loss program coordinator suggested that she was actually doing too much cardio, which was harming her weight-loss journey.
I hadn’t ever really given it much thought until the client mentioned it. After our conversation, I began researching if too much cardio could negatively impact your strength training and fitness goals. In a nutshell, yes, too much cardio can negatively impact your fitness journey.
Read moreRecipe of the Week: Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
I caught a bit of spring-fever the other day, so I ordered some fun summer clothes. The clothes arrived, and I immediately ran upstairs to try them on. As I tried the clothes on, I realized three things: 1) I don’t look the same as I did last summer; 2) I haven’t worked out for several weeks because of sickness; and 3) my legs have not seen sunlight for six months. Needless to say, ALL of the clothes were returned.
Rather than feeling bad about not looking as fit as I did last summer, I decided to concentrate on my eating. I was doing pretty good until I got sick. Since then, I’ve just been snacking on whatever sounded good. Now that I’m feeling better, it’s time to get back to tracking what I’m eating and making sure I’m fueling my body with GOOD, nutritious food.
Read morePopsicle Stick Workout
I like to be surprised – a card in the mail, a compliment from a stranger or an unexpected call from a friend. (Let’s be honest – getting a surprise check or gift in the mail is the BEST.) I especially love it when my husband surprises me by doing the dishes or folding the laundry!
I also like to be surprised during a workout. When I create my workouts, I always know what’s coming next. Sometimes I take a class or go for a group workout that someone else is leading to give me that “surprise” workout. If time is short and I don’t have time to find a class to attend, this popsicle stick workout is a great “at home” surprise workout.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Rosemary Chicken and Wild Rice
I’ve been battling a cold for the past two weeks, and the last thing I’ve wanted to do is cook. I’m finally starting to feel better, but I’m only cooking meals that sound good to me. Sorry, family – no requests this week. That’s where this "Recipe of the Week" comes in – it’s warm, filling AND healthy.
Read moreStay Inside Workout - Full-body, Low-Impact
Cold and flu season is in full swing, and several of my clients have been out of commission because of a cold. As my clients ease back into their workout routines, we've been trying to keep workouts low-impact. Heart rates still get elevated, but I've taken out most of the jarring movements. Let's be honest, no one wants to do a bunch of jumps and high intensity movements during their first workout after being sick.
Read moreWhy You NEED to Change Up Your Workout Routine
I once had a co-worker proudly boast that she had been doing the same Jane Fonda VHS step workout everyday for years. Yet, in the same conversation, she said she couldn't understand why she wasn't progressing in strength and cardiovascular gains. She wasn't interested in what I had to say, but the solution was an easy one - change up your workout routine!
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Like hundreds of other people, I fell in love with the lettuce chicken wraps at P.F. Changs. I wanted to make them at home, so I started hunting for recipes. After trying a handful of recipes, these two were the most requested by my family: Damn Delicious Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps and The Novice Chef Lettuce Wraps. Both recipes are fairly healthy and easy to pull together, which is a win-win for me.
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