Take Your Workout & Family Outside!
Last weekend we took off for the hills to enjoy some of this beautiful weather. Being located in Lodi is actually pretty awesome we have so many great places to go and visit that are literally right in our own backyard. Being the active outdoorsy people that we are and also having our four year old little girl we needed a get away that wouldn’t be too far to drive and would offer up hiking that the whole family could handle. We found Chaw – Se National Park, located in Sutter Creek, Ca off of old Highway 49. 
The main attraction to the site is an old indian grinding stone, where hundreds of holes have been ground into a massive rock from grinding acorns from the surrounding oaks. In addition to the stone there is some of the most beautiful rolling prarie and hills to hike along – perfect place for a picnic. From Lodi I think it took us maybe 40 minutes – not bad for a day getaway! It offered great trails that had enough of an incline to be challenging, and of course if you want to run them you can really get a workout! Check this place out!
Posted in Workouts on May 13th, 2007 by | | 0 Comments
Learning To Run Article #3
Posted in Workouts on April 23rd, 2007 by | | 0 Comments
Focus in On Your Training
Some people call it focus others say they are in “The Zone” and that when they are in it they are able to have a phenomenal workout. I call it putting your mind in your muscle – I know my clients have heard me say this time and again – but it works. Its amazing what a difference it makes when you conciously work out and think about the muscle you are training verses just going through the motions. This article gives some great pointers on how to do this if you aren’t already. http://www.building-muscle101.com/staying-focussed-for-weight-training.html
Posted in Fitness Tips, Workouts on March 17th, 2007 by | | 0 Comments
Super Sets
Super setting exercises is one of my favorite ways to train when I need to get my workout in but am short on time. Between juggling the house, kids, business, school, 2nd job and volunteering to be chaufers and coaches to our kid’s soccer, football teams act. Who has extra time? It is hard with all this extra stuff going on to make it in for a workout – if not from sheer exhaustion alone! 
So what I do is superset! Basically what a Super Set Does is pair up two exercises for the same body part like a Push Up and Bench Press for chest or; for directly opposing muscle groups like the biceps and triceps. The two exercises are to be performed one right after the other with no rest in between. So essentially you are cramming two different exercises into one set!
Not only does this give you a great pump in your muscles but it also gets your heart rate up a bit and incorporates a little more cardio into your workout – Who couldn’t use more cardio? Well I guess there are some of us who don’t have to do cardio – but that’s just wrong and disgusting alright. I was talking to this guy at the gym the other day who said he had such a hard time gaining weight that he would be picking up and eating extra calories off the floor if he could. Boy I wish I had that problem – Don’t you?
So if you’re short on time but need a great explosive workout try Super Setting your next workout! Here are some examples of workouts I like to do for myself and my clients.
Posted in Articles, Fitness Tips, Workouts on January 16th, 2007 by | | 0 Comments
Are You Maximizing Your Cardio 2006-10-20
Are You Maximizing Your Cardio?
One of the most common questions I am asked by men and women is, “How do I get rid of this?” This is usually accompanied by them grabbing some excess skin on their body usually in or around the stomach area and or butt. The other question is How do I get rid of this followed by what we call the wave where they reach out there arm and proceed to wave their hand back and forth where the skin on the back of the arm loosely waves back and forth on its own! My answer is Cardio, Cardio and yes more Cardio. Usually they reply with but I am on the treadmill for an hour at least 3days a week! Yes I say but are you sweating or out of breath at the end of that hour? Usually the look I get is that of bewilderment. And then an answer of No why?
The reason is simple if you are not getting into your target heart rate zone, the zone in which your body starts to burn fat – you are wasting your time! Your target heart rate should be between 60-80% of the maximum your heart can beat. No one wants to hear that they are wasting time in the gym when they thought they were doing so good but the truth of the matter is that unless you are getting your heart rate up you are not burning an effective amount of calories to lose the fat. If you train with me you know that losing the fat is simple 1lb of fat = 3,500 calories, if you create a deficit of calories through doing your cardio the right way and eating right you can lose up to 1-2lbs of fat per week.
One of the funniest things I think of when it comes to cardio is being in spin class one weekend and remembering the instructor telling a girl that she needed to have a towel with her to cover the handle bars of the bike because in that class we sweat a lot and we like to keep the bikes clean. Her reply was “I don’t sweat.” My immediate thought: Honey if you’re not sweating you’re not working hard enough!
Figuring out your target heart rate is not brain surgery. It is determined by age and fitness level being beginner, intermediate and advanced. There is a formula you can do or simply use the chart I have provided below. Once you have your number how do you know if you are staying within that range during your workout? Most of the cardio equipment except the revolving stairs at the gym has heart rate sensors on the handles for you to hold on to that will tell you where your heart rate is allowing you to determine whether or not you need to increase or decrease the intensity of your workout. The other thing I have found to be useful is a heart rate monitor. There are several types and brands of heart rate monitors ranging from $50 – $200. The one I have is a watch with a heart rate monitor built into it that only cost me $55 at Big 5 Sporting Goods. It does the job and the price fit into my budget. I really like to run and with the timer and monitor in one I can see how long I’ve been running as well as see where my heart rate is at. The other thing I like about having your own heart rate monitor is that it gives you the freedom to take your workout outside – so if you are serious about fitness and tired of playing the guessing game of whether or not you’re burning the calories this is a really good tool to have in your toolbox.
Posted in Articles, Workouts on January 5th, 2007 by | | 0 Comments
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