Please check out my new blog at http://premiertraining.blogspot.com/

Mike

What's the best ab exercise I can do?

I get so many questions on how to do ab exercises and how to get a six pack. First off it is so hard to get a six pack especially if you need to lose more than 5-10lbs. If you are looking for a lot of weight loss you shouldn't be thinking about a six pack until you drop your weight a significant amount. That doesn't mean you don't workout your abdominals it just means it should be a concern that you can't see your abs.

I think the best ab exercises whether you are working on a six pack or just working are ones that use other muscles as well. For example a crunch just isolates the abs and works nothing else. Chances are you've done crunches for a long time and they aren't really a challenge. Try performing different exercises that your body isn't use to and that require a lot of work for the entire body. One of my favorite exercises is the Stability Ball Mountain Climber. Not only are you working your abs but you are working your arms, shoulders, chest, and hips at the same time.

To perform the exercise start with a stability ball against a wall. Place your hands on the ball and straighten your legs so you look like you are going to do a push up. Then slowly raise one knee and try and touch your elbow. Put your foot back down and alternate sides. The slower you go the tougher it is. If you need more of a challenge move the ball away from the wall.

Mike

Are you working out enough?

Here is a link to an article that is summarizing a weight loss study.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1827342,00.html?cnn=yes

The bottom line is we are starting to realize that although any exercise is good exercise light exercise a couple days a week is not going to cut it. If you are trying to lose weight and keep it off you need to step it up. This study had participants exercising twice as much as the recommended amount of 30 minutes. They increased to around 60 minutes a day for 5 days a week. These were the ones that lost weight and kept it off. Can you find 5 hours in your week to exercises? If you can't then you aren't looking hard enough or your health isn't a top priority.

Don't count your daily dog walk for 30 minutes as your exercise for the day. It is time to step it up and burn some calories. Get to the gym, run outside, go for a swim, .... your options are endless.

Mike

Protein Review:

I get so many questions on different supplements each day. The most common ones are about protein. I know I have posted alittle about protein supplements but another won't hurt. My first comment is to remember is you are trying to build muscle protein is not a magic powder that turns you into a huge body builder. First you need to be doing the right type of workout and secondly you need to be filling your body with the right fuel. Protein shakes are an easy and effective way to get some fuel for the body and muscles. Two types of protein supplements that I highly recommend, especially if you are trying to build muscle, are whey protein isolate and casein protein.

Whey Protein Isolates are more easily absorbed by the body and therefore are better for post workout to get the amino acids you muscles need to build more muscle. My favorite whey protein isolate supplement is by IDS:



Casein Protein on the other hand, is absorbed very slowly. Amino acids are released at a much slower pace than isolates so it is helpful for providing a longer state of muscle building. The best time to take this type of protein is at night before bed so you have that constant release of amino acids for you body to use while you sleep. Here is a very good product for casein protein:

Fitness Together North County 6 Week Personal Training Give Away:

If you live in the San Diego area and are interested in 6 weeks of free personal training please read on. Fitness Together North County in La Costa, CA is giving away 6 weeks worth of personal training to one lucky winner. There are no tricks, we are just giving away these session for one deserving individual. If you feel like you deserve this opportunity you may write a short essay to explain exactly why you deserve to win.

You may send your writings to md@ftnorthcounty.com

Thanks,

Mike

Final Post on TNT Diet:

Well I've been on the diet for a few weeks now and I just wanted to make a few final thoughts. Overall I was very happy with the routine. While my weight did not change I could tell my body fat must have decreased because I have become very lean. My abdominals are becoming very defined which is always fun to see. I had some company with the diet as well. I had two clients who wanted to try the diet with me. They both had a lot of success as well. In just a few weeks one lost 8lbs and the other lost 7lbs and counting. They both decided to continue the diet since it was working so well for them. While I didn't see a big weight change I was still happy because I wasn't looking to really gain or lose much weight.

I will continue a modified version of the diet. I do not think it is healthy to stay on a low carb diet for very long so I will slowly start to introduce some nutrient based carbs back into my diet. I do not expect much will change after I do this. I did learn some great recipes on this diet. If you are interested in trying any of them out please feel free to contact me.

Mike

Pushing the limits:

One of the most common complaints that I will hear is that a person works out at the gym 5 days a week and never gets anywhere. I first must make the point that if you are working out 5 days a week you are getting an enormous amount of benefit. You are keeping your heart healthy and improving your overall fitness. Unfortunately a longer life isn't what my clients are usually looking for. Sounds weird to say but people want to see what they are working for now. The fact that you are making your life easier by staying active and improving your ability to function as you age, aren't very appealing.

I understand though you need proof that your workouts are doing something to your body and unfortunately you cannot see all the benefits of exercise. So why aren't you getting results you can see if you are constantly working out. Chances are you're stuck in a routine and you do the same things over and over. Even if you are changing things up you might not be progressing properly. The key to any work out plan is to constantly progress. You need to be challenging yourself more and more each workout. This can be done by making the exercise more difficult by changing the stance or position or increasing the weight. The only way that you will get significantly stronger and see muscle definition is by stressing your muscles more than they have been stressed before.

For example if you normally perform push ups during a workout try performing them with one leg off the ground. If you normally perform 2 sets try 3, 4, or even 5. It is sometimes can be helpful to keep a workout log. This way you can see how many reps you are performing and how much weight you are lifting. If you are always staying with the same weight you are not going to see the results that you are looking for.

Whether you are looking to lose weight or gain muscle this plan will work.

Have a great workout.

Mike