“Different Equipment, Different Goals”: Free weights (#24)

Free weights: “Strength and Size”

 

Today at your local gym you’ll likely find more of the experienced lifters using free weights. This is not by mistake. Maintaining proper lifting form while moving a free weight requires a concentrated effort. This is why I look at stationary machines and cables machines as more of a “safety” pre-requisite. Nevertheless, lifting free weights comes with its own set of benefits as well.

 

One of the first things you’ll notice while lifting these type of weights is that you’ll start to experience soreness, more frequently, and in more areas. This increased soreness is actually a good thing as your body learns to grow and adapt to higher stress demands. Furthermore, this soreness indicates that you’re activating ALL your muscles and not just the primary ones.

 

‘Soreness’ is an indicator that your muscle are repairing themselves and becoming stronger.

 

For instance, there are several “assisting muscles” that are actually inhibited when performing arm curls on a stationary machine, whereas with free weight arm curls you’re activating your core, glute muscles (stabilizers), and even secondary muscles like your chest.

 

If you are fairly new to using free weights it’s always a good idea to start off light and then gradually increase in weight. As a matter of fact, it’s always a good idea to start off “light” regardless of experience because doing so will help you develop proper technique. As you continue along your fitness journey don’t forget that person growth is a process! Encourage yourself each week by keeping track of your progress with each machines, cables and free weight exercise. Good luck!

 

Try starting with these! Here are six common free weight exercises that you’ll be able to do in just anywhere:

 

  • DB bicep curls

 

 

  • Triceps extensions (bent over)

 

 

  • Dumbbell back rows

 

 

  • DB shoulder press

 

 

  • Dumbbell chest bench press

 

 

  • DB squats

 

 

 

Key Takeaways:

Free weights…

  • are the most advanced of the three types of weight lifting
  • promote stabilization and core activation
  • should be increased gradually to avoid injury
Continue Reading
By
0 Comments

“Different Equipment, Different Goals”: Weight Lift Machines (#22)

Weight lift Machines: “Recommended for the Beginner”

 

Ah, the lovely weight lift machines.

 

Back when I did personal training at the gym I would always start new clients off with weight lift machines for a few good reasons. For one, weight lift machines are the easiest to use due to their controlled design. Not only does this helps minimize injury, but it also eliminates the likelihood of improper lifting form.

 

Another thing I appreciate about weight lift machines is that they usually carry visuals on the targeted body muscle group, as well as instructions on how to properly operate them. I’ve had clients in the past who’ve shared how they felt self-conscious about looking “silly” in front of people because they didn’t know what to do. The good thing about using these machines when starting off is that everything is set up for you to look like a gym pro right away!

 

Try starting with these! Here are five of the most common weight machines that you’ll find at just about any gym:

 

  • Bicep curl machine

 

  • Chest fly machine

     

    • Triceps press machine

       

      • Back row machine

         

        • Leg press machine

         

        Next: “Different Equipment, Different Goals”: Cables 

         

        Key Takeaways:

        Machines…

        • are ideal for beginners
        • easily lets you know which muscle group you’re activating
        • enables the gym novice to look good right away when first starting out

         

Continue Reading
By
0 Comments

Mini Habits! (#21)

You and I are creatures of habits. It’s amazing how many decisions are made in our daily lives without thinking. Some studies even show that subconscious habit makes up 40% of our daily actions! Therefore, in order to keep that ‘40%’ full of healthy actions we’ll discuss how to change unhealthy habits with “mini habits”.

 

One misconception about habits is that they take a lot of effort to build, but I disagree. Nature shows us that a small snowball rolling downhill will eventually get bigger and stronger with enough momentum. The snowball doesn’t require much “effort” once it gets going. In the same way, we’ll use effortless mini habits to build daily momentum towards our goals.

 

 

A small snowball (mini habit) doesn’t require much effort once momentum kicks in.

 

 

There’s a saying that goes “success is built upon success”. Fortunately this quote never mentions how big the success has to be! Think of a mini-habit as a daily task towards your goal that’s SO simple that it’s hard not to do it every day. For instance:

 

  • If your goal is to improve your gym consistency, start a mini habit of driving past your local gym on the way home each day (nothing more!)
  • If you want to build a strong core, start a mini habit of simply laying in sit-up position on the ground for a few seconds (yep! that’s it!)
  • If you want to drink more water each day, start a mini habit of simply filling up a water bottle (I didn’t even say you had to drink it!)

 

“Great! But isn’t this a little TOO simple…what’s the catch?”

 

Mini habits are designed to get you comfortable with taking the first step towards your new goal (a healthier habit).

 

 

Therefore, these too-easy-not-to-do mini-habits simply serve as your “daily bare minimum” accomplishment for the day. However, I assure you it won’t be long before you naturally feel compelled to do more simply because you “might as well”. You’ll figure:

 

  • “I’m already driving by the gym each day (mini habit accomplished), I might as well go inside on the treadmill for a couple minutes”
  • “I’m already down here in sit-up position (mini habit accomplished), I might as well do a couple”
  • “I’ve already filled my water bottle (mini habit accomplished), I might as well drink some”

 

Remember: The “mini habit accomplished” is your main goal, anything else is an extra bonus.

The power of a simplistic habit checklist goes a long way.

 

Furthermore, I would seriously recommend making your momentum visible by utilizing a journal or checklist calendar. Keeping track of your progress this way is a great way to see your “success building upon itself”. Seeing your daily momentum gives yourself a satisfying sense of accomplishment every day. The longer your daily “success streak” gets, the more you’ll want to keep it alive.

 

And boom – you’ve just created discipline without even realizing it.

Let’s get that snowball rollin 🙂

 

Key Takeaway:

  • New habits are best acquired through daily momentum
  • Daily momentum is best sustained through simple, mini habits
  • A mini-habit (baby step) is something that’s “too-easy-not-to-do“
  • Keep track of your daily progress in a journal or calendar checklist
Continue Reading
By
0 Comments

Non-weight Exercises (calisthenics) (#19)

Man doing abdominal workout

When designing this blog, I wanted to keep in mind those of us who don’t always have the time and money for a monthly gym membership. In this case, body weight exercises are the next best thing.

 

One of the more obvious benefits to body weight exercises is that you can do them anywhere without the need for any equipment. This particularly comes in handy when you find yourself traveling a lot with unpredictable schedules.

 

 

The following are a list of benefits for body weight exercises:

 

  • Helps maintain and establish lean muscle mass
  • Convenient and easy to modify
  • Safer on joints and ligaments
  • Smaller muscles get worked, along with larger groups of muscles simultaneously
  • Emphasizes core stabilization and balance
  • Use your own body for cardio

 

 

Personally, I like to use body weight exercises as a building block for other gym exercises. For instance, at one point I was doing hundreds of push-ups each day. Doing all of these push-ups didn’t necessarily make me look or feel much stronger right away. However, once I went back to lifting heavy weights at the gym again I noticed that my chest was able to handle a lot more strain than before!

 

The same thing started happening with my legs. I started practicing dozens of body weight squats at home and before I knew it I had established a firm foundation for squatting with heavy weights.

 

Building a strong fundamental keeps you process-minded and is essential for any task you take on in life.

 

Therefore, I encourage you to practice the following body weight exercises on your own!:

 

Lunges (legs):

 

 

 

Squats (legs/gluts):

 

 

 

Jumping Jacks (cardio exercise):

 

 

 

Bicycle crunches (abs/core strength):

 

 

 

Push-ups (chest):

 

 

 

Push-ups alternatives (beginner/easier):

 

 

 

Shoulder taps (chest/core stability):

 

  

 

Bridges (gluts/hip stability):

 

 

Planks (abs/core stability):

 

 

Scissor-kicks (abs):

 

 

 

Box Jumps (legs/cardio):

 

 

 

Superman holds! (back):

 

 

 

 

BONUS: Learn how to turn these workouts into a High Intensity Cardio Circuit!:

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Implementing body weight exercise routines are a great alternative to going to the gym
  • One of the main benefits to body weight exercises is that it is convenient and schedule-friendly
  • Body weight exercises are great for building a foundation for weight machines and heavier lifting
Continue Reading
By
0 Comments