Hey, I know that many of you are heading out of town for “muscle beach” vacations! So, here’s a tip to help maintain your hard-earned fitness form while away on vacation this winter.

Using the hotel /ship gym, or following basic isometrics in your room:

1. Select 1 exercise for each of your major muscle groups (legs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, torso)
2. Undertake each of the 6 selected exercises, holding each “work” phase of the exercise (the real effort part) for 5  full seconds.
3. Repeat these 5 second work intervals for 1 full minute. (likely 8-12 times of 5 seconds each)

Example using Dumbbells:

• Standing Squats / down & hold for 5 /up for 5/ repeat for 1 full minute
• Lying Chest Presses / up & hold for 5 / down for 5/ repeat for 1 full minute
• 1-arm Bent-over row / up & hold for 5 / down for 5/ repeat for 1 full minute
• Standing Lateral raise / up & hold for 5 / down for 5/ repeat for 1 full minute
• Standing Biceps Curls / up & hold for 5 / down for 5/ repeat for 1 full minute
• Triceps Dips on Bench / down & hold for 5 / up for 5/ repeat for 1 full minute

Assuming a 30-45 second break between muscle groups, that means you’re finished in less than 10 minutes!

How often?  Only TWICE a week!!  That’s a maximum of 20 minutes out of your full week in the sun!

Of course you will not “progress” your workout by following this plan on vacation… but you WILL keep the shape that you arrived there with.*

“And that’s a Fact!”

*high-performance midnight Buffet participants may not qualify!!

Doug

MyTRAINER says…

DID YOU KNOW that the scapulae (shoulder blades) form the “mother-ship” of your upper body – at least A DOZEN muscles attach there!

As you can imagine, mistreat your “scaps” and you will lose – lose shoulder mobility, lose chest definition, lose posture.

Chest presses, rows, pulldowns, lateral raises, shrugs and many other exercises… ALL REQUIRE MOBILITY in the scaps!

See the illustration below to appreciate the important role of this mother-ship of bone!

Do your homework and read up on proper technique and then practice in the gym – or ask me to show you more.

Doug

“MyTrainer says…”

…Artistry in Anatomy: The Scapulae

… definition of ‘closed chain exercise’

A closed chain exercise typically “connects” the athlete to the ground and allows the body to use the ground as part of a lever system. EG. the Lunge.

In performing a Lunge, the key point is to push the front leg downwards into the ground, which becomes a rigid lever for properly executing the movement.

AND, the lunge is even more when performed as a “split squat” (scissored position) . Here, the back leg serves also as a balance point, and provides multi-purpose to the exercise: active stretch, mobility, strength and all-important balance. All these movements occur in a single rep!

Exactly why the lunge is a great, great exercise when performed correctly.

Doug
MyTrainer says…

I have always been an advocate of self-responsibility. I learned early in life to be self-reliant and to not depend on (vs. seek support from) others to dig me out of the dirt. Maintaining such a perspective reaps an extra reward as well – the right to unabashed celebration of personal & professional achievement!!

While working as your Fitness Trainer I’m sure you agree that the physical limit of my influence is within the facility. There I will guide you, teach you, support you, push you, test you. Your personalized Fitness program is just that – “personalized” for you.

Once outside the gym however, the responsibility for your fitness progress transfers to YOU – and hopefully my influence extends outside the gym as well.

Getting proper rest (important for recovery), scheduling workouts to maximize their effectiveness (no gaps), maintaining a healthy lifestyle (adding physical activity into daily routine) and, most important, ensuring proper nutrition (eating right, eating light, eating often).

I promise to do the very best with my part of the equation. Yours is to expend the effort and honour the commitment, from which you will earn the right to unabashed celebration of YOUR success.

It’s called shared Responsibility – and it’s what I like best about this business.

Doug