Basically – if you want the best result, you need the best stuff.

If you are going to eat – eat the best food.

If you are going to exercise – do the most effective exercise.

If you are going to supplement – take the best supplements.

If you want to learn something – learn from the best experts in the field.

Thanks to Alwyn Cosgrove for this advice.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

In business, success and financial reward depends on Reputation.

Personal training is my business and my reputation depends on the EXPERIENCE and the RESULTS that those who hire me achieve. I am in the business of motivating people to safely reach all of their S.M.A.R.T.* fitness goals. (*Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Timely.)

I just read a great article at realjock.com that expressly addresses this topic… maybe better than I’ve ever seen written before.

“To sort out if your trainer is a match for you, take some time to think through the following five questions:

1. What is the trainer’s experience? Specifically what is their experience with my needs and wants, and with helping people reach my particular goals?
2. Does my trainer have certifications? If so, what are they in? If not, where does their experience come from?
3. Does this trainer ask me questions about myself? Does he assess any of my previous injuries? Does he ask about my own experiences? How well does he try to get to know me before we actually begin to train?
4. Does my trainer do the same things with me as with all the others? If so, can he explain why?
5. Does my trainer help me get better and feel good? Have I improved not just in my physical appearance, but my mental state as well?

“For many people, training is an excruciating time that feels closer to suffering than improving your health and wellness. If it wasn’t so tough everyone would be doing it themselves and obesity probably wouldn’t be the epidemic it’s considered to be today.

“But take any of those individuals that have achieved some measure of success and ask them how they feel about what they’ve done and the person that has helped them get there, and the response is usually the same: joy and a sense of pride in accomplishment.

“The most important aspect of a good trainer in my opinion, is how they make you feel at the end of the day.”

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Believe me – it will make a positive difference in the way your muscles respond and recover.  Plus, possibly save you from injury that could back-track your progress.

YouTube has a few great video channels devoted to proper exercise form. Then again, there is a lot of crap too – I trust you’ll be able to spot the difference.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Still, I fully agree with this simple and holistic approach to your strength-building program:

1. Focus on Strength. More strength is more muscle. More muscle is more calories burned. Focus on strength whatever your goal is. Start light and add weight systematically. You should lift more today than 1 year ago.
2. Use Free Weights. Free weights force you to stabilize the weight, allow for natural movement patterns and build functional strength. The bulk of your routine should consist of free weight barbell exercises.
3. Use Compound Exercises. Exercises that hit several body parts at the same time stress your body more. Your routine should include Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pull-ups, etc.
4. Use Proper Technique. Decreases the risk of injury and allows for more weight. Bad technique is acceptable on heavy attempts, but build good habits from the start by learning proper exercise technique.
5. Eat Whole Foods. Supplements make your life easier, but whole food is better. Eat proteins, veggies & fruits with each meal. Carbs for energy. Plenty of water. Eat every 3 hours starting at breakfast.
6. Don’t Be Perfect. Junk food is ok 10% of the time and bad workouts happen to everyone. Train hard 45 weeks/year & eat healthy 90% of the time, you’ll be muscular with a healthy body fat.
7. Do It for Yourself. What people think of you doesn’t matter. You have nothing to prove to others. This is your life. Do what you need to do to be who you want to be. Dare to be different. Set trends.
8. Experiment. Don’t take anything for granted from anyone or anything, including this site. Science doesn’t matter, results do. Be open minded, read everything and find what works by experimenting.
9. Master Your Fears. You’ll be intimidated first time in the gym. You’ll stall. You’ll get injured. Don’t fear failure, learn from it. Do what pushes you out of your comfort zone. Your self-confidence will increase.
10. Believe. Listen to those who have walked the path before you. You can achieve anything you want if you copy what they do. Aim high with your goals and believe in yourself. If they can do it, you can do it.
11. Persist. How long it takes you to achieve your goals doesn’t matter, as long as you achieve them. Focus on the long-term. Never give up until you are where you want to be.
12. Keep it Simple. Forget about the details. Focus on the big picture. The most effective way to achieve your goals is often the simplest approach. Stick with what’s proven to work, don’t reinvent the wheel.

source: Stronglifts.com

- male; 5 feet 10 inches
- 165 pounds; 15% body fat
- Goal: “lose fat -gain muscle”

When guys start back to the gym, many think that they need to focus on a fat loss program first, which is usually when I hear “I’m just going to concentrate on my cardio for a couple of months to lose this jiggle“.

Most often though, that is the worst thing they could do, because their bodies do not have enough muscle mass to sustain a fat loss program without losing even more muscle. So the guy starts burning a lot of calories, dieting too much, and then ends up a smaller version of his skinny-fat body.

What should the “skinny-fat” guy be doing?

He needs to be focussed on gaining more muscle and eating a little extra carbs and proteins before and after working out.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Tip: If your focus is on building more muscle, lift weights 3-4 days per week for 45 minutes. If you need to burn fat too, do 3 full body workouts with some timed interval training using short-burst treadmill sprints. Long, slow, mind-numbing cardio doesn’t cut it.

Yes… You can (and will) read lots of fitness mis-information on the Internet – it’s rampant. And some of it is downright dangerous.

Yes… You can spend hours (as I do) sifting the good from the bad to determine what applies, then formulate a strategic fitness plan for yourself.

Yes… You can search and view YouTube videos to learn the best (& worst) way to perform each exercise in your evolving program.

Yes… You can register for one of many Fitness Seminars held each year across North America, then accompany me for an entire weekend to learn all the applications of 1 particular fitness regime.

Yes… You can join a gym, then visit it regularly – making each visit focused, disciplined, consistent, time-efficient, safe and (most importantly) progressive.

Yes… You can do all of that for yourself during the non-working, non-sleeping, non-choring hours of your week.

Or… You can afford to hire a Personal Trainer for 2-3 hours a week who can prepare all of that especially for you.

You just show up with a vision of better health and appearance.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Many times in a day we need to pick something up from a stationary position. It may be a very light item (like a dropped pen); it may be a heavier object (a 10 kg toddler); and sometimes it may be something much heavier (a filled BBQ propane tank).

Perfoming Deadlifts in the gym progressively builds back strength. Perfecting Deadlifts trains you to instinctively keep your lower spine rigid against a load while keeping your back in a neutral position. Both are critical to avoiding injury when lifting objects. How many times have you heard of someone who “threw out their back just picking up a sock”?

Unfortunately Deadlifts have a bad reputation, but only from those who have not learned proper technique.

This brief video shows proper Deadlift technique. (Don’t be scared off by the weight that the guy is using – simply substitute the barbell with a pair of dumbbells of a weight appropriate for you.) Watch the starting position, back alignment, knee & hip movement, and the finishing position.

Rounding your back when doing a Deadlift (or when picking up that toddler) significantly increases risk of spinal disc injury. And this is generally the reason why people have sore backs to begin with – lack of muscular strength surrounding the spine.

Try a Deadlift now – just standing where you are, using your own body weight.

Check for these common errors when doing the exercise:

Hips Too High. Use your knees: it’s not a Stiff-legged Deadlift. Beginning height is when the bar is mid-shin and your shoulder-blades are directly over the bar.
Hips Too Low. It’s not a Squat. Again, beginning height is when the bar is mid-shin and your shoulder-blades are directly over the bar.Shoulders in front of the bar.
Bending Your Back. Increases the pressure on your spine thus increasing risk of injury. Keep your chest UP at all times and look forward.
Over-Arching Your Back (hyper-extending). As bad as bending. The Deadlift ends when your hips and knees are locked. No need to arch at the top.
Rolling the Shoulders. Dangerous and inefficient. Your hip muscles move the weight, not your shoulders. Extend your knees and hips, then stop.
Shrugging at The Top. Unnecessary. If you need more trap emphasis do a set of shrugs.
Pulling with your Arms instead of “standing up”. You could tear your biceps by pulling with bent arms. Keep your arms straight, tighten your triceps and stand up with a neutral spine.

And what’s another benefit that comes from doing “Deads” regularly?

A sexy, firm ass and legs!

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

1 – Behind the neck lat pull-downs (danger: cervical spine strain)
2 – Behind the neck military (shoulder) press (danger: ditto)
3 – Upright rows (danger: shoulder nerve impingement)
4 – Lying leg press machine – deep knee (danger: lumbar spine compression)
5 – Squats using the Smith machine – feet too far forward (danger: thoracic spine muscle strain)
6 – Bad form on cardio machines - particularly leaning forward (danger: spine erectors muscle strain)

7 – Trying to “spot” reduce – endless reps working a “problem” area (time-waster: science just doesn’t work that way)
8 – Using a weight belt (danger: jeopardizes important core strength)
9 – Bad shoes; and I’m not talking fashion (danger: Achilles, arches, ankles, knees, hips… all affected negatively by bad shoes)

Helping you do it well and get better results.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

When you go to the gym, do you wash your hands before and after using the equipment? Bring your own regularly cleaned mat for floor exercises? Shower with antibacterial soap and put on clean clothes immediately after your workout? Use only your own towels, razors, bar soap, water bottles?

If you plan to work out in a gym or use a locker room, Mr. Foley suggested that before choosing a facility, you quiz the management about the cleaning agents used (they should be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency) and daily cleaning schedule for all surfaces and equipment. If exercise mats are not cleaned between classes, he suggested bringing your own. Antibacterial wipes or spray bottles should be provided and used by everyone to clean equipment after a workout.

If you answered “no” to any of the above, you could wind up with one of the many skin infections that can spread like wildfire in athletic settings.

In June, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, known as N.A.T.A., issued a position paper on the causes, prevention and treatment of skin diseases in athletes that could just as well apply to anyone who works out in a communal setting, be it a school, commercial gym or Y.

The authors pointed out that “skin infections in athletes are extremely common” and account for more than half the outbreaks of infectious diseases that occur among participants in competitive sports. And if you think skin problems are minor, consider what happened to Kyle Frey, a 21-year-old junior and competitive wrestler at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Mr. Frey noticed a pimple on his arm last winter but thought little of it. He competed in a match on a Saturday, but by the next morning the pimple had grown to the size of his biceps and had become very painful.

His athletic trainer sent him straight to the emergency room, where the lesion was lanced and cultured. Two days later, he learned he had MRSA, the potentially deadly staphylococcus infection that is resistant to most antibiotics.

Mr. Frey spent five days in the hospital, where the lesion was surgically cleaned and stitched and treated with antibiotics that cleared the infection. He said in an interview that he does not know how he acquired MRSA: “The wrestling mat might have been contaminated, or I wrestled with someone who had the infection.”

If it could happen to Mr. Frey, who said he has always been health-conscious in the gym and careful about not sharing his belongings, it could happen to you.

The Risks

Recreational athletes as well as participants in organized sports are prone to fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections. Sweat, abrasion and direct or indirect contact with the lesions and secretions of others combine to make every athlete’s skin vulnerable to a host of problems. While MRSA may be the most serious skin infection, athlete’s foot, jock itch, boils, impetigo, herpes simplex and ringworm, among others, are not exactly fun or attractive.

Athletes who are infected should be kept from competing in matches for a week or more until treatment renders them noninfectious. The authors of the trainers’ study warned against simply covering infections like herpes and active bacterial lesions in order to return to competition.

Likewise, people like you and me who work out at a facility or swim in a public pool should stay away until cleared by a doctor who is well versed in skin diseases.

Steven M. Zinder, a trainer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and chief author of the new paper, said in an interview that these recommendations are not esoteric.

“It’s what we all learned — or should have learned — in sixth-grade health class,” he said. “It’s all common sense. You need to keep yourself and your equipment clean. You never know who last used the equipment in a gym. It can be a great breeding ground for these bugs, some of which are pretty nasty.”

The report, published in the August issue of The Journal of Athletic Training, stated, “Athletes must shower after every practice and game with an antibacterial soap and water over the entire body.”

Dr. Zinder noted that after a workout, women tend not to shower at the facility, while men, who are more likely to shower, often fail to cleanse their entire bodies, including their feet. Well-equipped facilities should provide antibacterial liquid soap.

“You should be showering at the gym and putting on clean clothes that are kept separate from the dirty ones,” he said. In fact, he added, it’s best to have two bags, one only for clean clothes, and to wash the dirty-clothes bag now and then.

Assume Exposure

Jack Foley, athletic trainer and director of sports medicine at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and co-author of the report, said athletes should always assume they are exposed to skin infections.

At any given time, he said in an interview, one person in three in the United States suffers from a skin disease that can be spread to others, even while in the incubation stage.

The report noted that there had been “an alarming increase in the prevalence of MRSA” in the noses of both healthy children and adults. Thus, sneezing into one’s hand or blowing one’s nose without washing with an antibacterial cleanser afterward may spread these dangerous bacteria to others.

While hand hygiene is most important over all , avoiding fungal infections requires a daily change of athletic socks and underwear; carefully drying the armpits and groin and between toes (perhaps blow-drying the feet on low heat); and using foot powder. Shower shoes can help prevent infection as long as they don’t keep you from soaping your feet.

A viral infection called molluscum contagiosum may not be on the popular tongue, but it is commonly seen in young children and , spread through skin-to-skin contact, is not uncommon among athletes, including swimmers, cross-country runners and wrestlers, the report stated.

Prevention of this highly contagious infection requires “meticulous hygiene” after contact with secretions from other athletes through benches, towels and mats.

Showers for all!!

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

You go to the gym, you step onto the nearest elliptical cross-trainer, you hit ‘Quick Start’ and you begin your workout. Maybe read a bit. Check out the other people around you. Bore yourself watching some lame show on the TV.

As you start to feel more comfortable, you may decide to add a level. Or not. Then you get bored and decide enough is enough after 15 minutes.

People! There is so much more to gain out of your training experience. I have written about this before: Time isn’t the issue, it’s all about Intensity.

A short, high intensity workout offers greater fat-control benefits than a long, steady routine.

Short routines with minimal resting time give you a high power workout that is NOT boring and, most importantly, does NOT leave you disappointingly short on fat-loss and anti-ageing results.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

1. Learn what “neutral” spine feels like.

Recognize what neutral spine alignment looks and feels like (it’s that natural “S” curve of the spine that you’re familiar with seeing in pictures). When people first reform into a neutral spine position, most describe it as feeling “unnatural” – only because our muscles have become so trained to hold the spine in mis-alignment. And remember, your neck is a very important part of your spine to hold in alignment.

2. Keep reminding yourself.

When you catch a glimpse of yourself in a window reflection, or in the bathroom mirror, or even in your shadow on the sidewalk, remind yourself to become posture-conscious. Postural muscles that are responsible for holding their contraction will soon do so more easily and naturally.

3. Shift position frequently.

Science is identifying more and more negative health effects of too much sitting. Counter the damage as much as possible by standing whenever you can.  Standing with proper spine alignment is far easier than sitting with proper spine alignment.

4. Strengthen your hips.

Weak hip muscles that attach to your pelvis can affect posture. Particularly if you sit a lot, make sure you’re following an exercise program that includes flexibility and strength training for the hip flexors, extensors, abductors, adductors and rotators.

5. Do appropriate core exercises.

Learn exercises that train the abdominals to hold the pelvis in neutral alignment. Active core stabilization training (like stability ball roll-outs and planks) is really effective for postural correction. Remember to keep your scapulae retracted.

6. Extend your spine to increase its range of motion.

Learn how to correctly perform back extension exercises. On the floor, using a machine or while standing, back extension exercises can significantly reduce or eliminate back pain.

7. Remember to work front AND back sides of your upper body.

Work muscles that you can’t see in a mirror as frequently as you work those that you can. Look around the gym, you’ll easily see what I mean. You need balanced upper body strength front and back to exhibit good posture. Rear deltoids, infraspinatus, rhomboids, latissimus, lower trapezius.

8. Shift exercise style.

Don’t dismiss the occasional yoga or Pilate’s class from your overall fitness program. After all, you’re going to be working out for the rest of your life, so vary it up a bit to keep from getting bored. Full range of joint motion is a key element of good posture.

9. Visualize good posture.

Imagine a hook placed just under your sternum lifting you gently. Notice how your thoracic spine responds to that. Or a puppet string gently attached to the crown of your scalp lifting you straight up. When you walk, concentrate on your posture and imagine yourself moving with a coordinated, symmetrical alignment. Imagine Royalty. Practice your wave.

10. Get checked out.

Besides muscular weakness and muscular imbalance, postural problems can arise from other factors and conditions. Yes, I can help with muscle training. I can also put you in touch with other specialists who can help diagnose and treat any skeletal issues that may be impacting your posture.

Stay strong and upright well into your future.

Doug

MyTrainerSays.com

But now that we’re adults – how can you tell for yourself if your posture needs some improvement?

Here are tell-tale signs:

• collapsed arches in your feet
• an elevated hip or shoulder
• one side of the body rotated forward or back
• pelvis and hips tilted to the front, back or side
• rounded back
• drooping chest and shoulders
• head jutting forward

These subtle deformations indicate that your body has got locked into poor movement patterns over the years – and for any number of reasons:

• muscle imbalance
• compensation for injuries
• ergonomic problems at work and home
• poor alignment during fitness and sports activities.

It is possible to change bad postural habits.

By learning the proper postural exercises specific to your situation, you will develop postural habits that build a fit body that functions effectively.

In an upcoming post I will teach you 10 simple, easy to implement, tips to immediately improve your posture.

Doug

MyTrainerSays.com

Yes, your metabolism does slow as you get older – but it’s not just because you get older, it’s because you stop moving as much!

Body metabolism is largely influenced by two factors:

a) Genetics

If your parents were either lethargic by nature or athletic by nature, you will be more genetically disposed to lead a similar kind of life. This association has been well documented, and is certainly easy to observe in modern society.

b) Muscle Mass

Lean muscle requires more fuel (calories) to sustain than does fat. Thus, even at rest a lean and toned body needs to burn more calories than does a fat, out of shape body. Substantially more.

The Link to Exercise

Since a younger person tends to be more active than an older person, one can assume that lean body mass in an individual will steadily decrease as he or she ages unless they begin to exercise regularly or continue to exercise regularly at an appropriate level of intensity.

To those who are starting to notice worrisome changes in body composition and proportion as they age: my strong recommendation is to keep moving, stay in shape and maintain a high proportion of lean muscle tissue on your body. That way, you’ll keep the motor humming and the metabolism firing on all cylinders long into the future.

Doug
MyTrainerSays.com

The Body Mass Index uses weight and height to determine body condition – thus indicating a general level of fitness. What the Index doesn’t take into account however, is how much muscle you already have (by volume, muscle weighs more than fat), your frame size (“Hey, I’m not fat, I’m just big-boned!”) or your gender, all of which can skew the results. More importantly, it doesn’t measure how your body fat is distributed, which is the most important factor for predicting your risk of heart disease, obesity-related illnesses and death.

Here is a handy tool for calculating your BMI…

Gender:	Male Female
Height:	ft in
Weight:	pounds
BMI Calculator

Most experts agree that it is your Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Waist Circumference (along with BMI) that provides a clearer picture of your long-term health. That’s because carrying excess fat around the waist puts anybody at a higher risk for heart disease and death.

Click this link for an online tool to calculate your own Waist-to-Hip Ratio.

Knowing your basic numbers will give you a starting point for making the changes you need to lose weight and improve your health. Tracking your BMI and waist-to-hip ratio over time, as well as your body fat and girth measurements, can help you figure out if you’re on the right track.

Doug
MyTrainerSays.com ]]> http://www.mytrainersays.com/tape_measure_scale/feed/ 0 http://www.mytrainersays.com/a-simple-stretch-to-reduce-neck-stress-and-help-posture/ http://www.mytrainersays.com/a-simple-stretch-to-reduce-neck-stress-and-help-posture/#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:58:40 +0000 Doug http://www.mytrainersays.com/?p=214274337 In past articles I’ve written about postural dysfunction that can be attributed to frequent use of technology and electronics – in particular the cervical spine (neck), mid-thoracic spine (middle back) and shoulders.

As well, I know from both my own experience and that of my clients how shoulder “hunching” and “shrugging” are two common muscular responses to stress - which is why it feels so good when someone massages your upper shoulders after a stressful day at work.

Writing, typing and mousing activity – especially when seated in a non-ergonomic position for a long time – keeps the shoulders elevated, which re-enforces postural deformity.

Shoulder “elevator” muscles include the Levator scapulae and the Trapezius.

As a result, they end up tight, short and thick, with barely any range of motion (particularly on your dominant side). Because of this, you may have noticed how one shoulder rests lower than the other.

That’s why the stretch shown below is so important, and why it feels so good.

By elongating muscles groups lateral to the neck, your shoulders ride lower, with less tension (pull) placed on the cervical spine and clavicle (collar bone).

2 “pulls” per side – each held for 15-30 seconds is all it takes to provide relief and return the shoulders to a postural position that is far more functional and attractive. To ensure extra affect, let your resting arm hang as low as possible.

If you notice that tension on one side is greater than the other, be sure to spend some extra time balancing out the stretch – doing one or two additional stretches on that side.

Keeping you in perfect form….

Doug @ MyTrainerSays.com

Pair these with a healthy, complete, low fat diet and you’ll be uncovering that hidden 6-PACK before summer’s gone!!

1. Plank with your arms on a Stability Ball (works the core 360 degrees).
2. Progress to Plank on Stability Ball in & outs.
3. Stability Ball Roll-outs.
4. Hanging Knee Raises (done correctly to protect the lower back).
5. Push-up Plank with 1-arm Row (great for obliques).
6. Jackknife in-outs on a Stability Ball (push-up form, feet on the ball).
7. Progress to Jackknife in-outs with a Rotation.
8. Progress to Jackknife in-outs with a Push-up.
9. Mountain X-Climbers (diagonal knee-raises) on Bench. low bar or floor.
10. Progress to Stability Mountain X-Climbers on Stability Ball.

If you’d like further explanation or more thorough instruction about these 10 exercises – just drop me an email.

Doug@MyTrainerSays.com

MyTrainerSays…

The oft-reported challenge of an ageing population to pension plans and health care systems doesn’t compare to the extraordinary challenge that ageing presents to an unfit individual.

Actually, each person can be described by 4 different “ages”:

1. Chronological age. “I am 55 years old.”

2. Functional age. “Compared to the average, my functional ability is similar to an individual 10 years younger.”

3. Psychological age. “I have a state of mind and mental ability that compares with a 40 year old”.

4. Social age. “I behave in a manner similar to a slightly younger individual.”

Of course, as we age there are DOZENS of structural and functional changes that we go through.   And although “Anti-aging” is a term tossed around a lot, some things work and some things are simply hype. By now however you should have no trouble naming the 2 Superheros Working Against Ageing.

Nutrition and Exercise.

If you want to learn more about Ageing and how a personalized exercise program can target areas where you may be ageing faster than you want to – drop me a line.

Doug
MyTRAINER says…

Right up there with squats and lunges, the move is a common motion that you use over and over in your ADL (activities of daily life).

Deadlifts make your body strong for so many activities. It works directly on your booty, also involving your quads, hamstrings, lower back, abs and most every other muscle in your body.

Good, safe execution of the deadlift requires full range of motion in the hips, knees and ankles – all of which can be trained progressively through proper warm-up, lead-in exercises and post-workout stretching.

Take the time to learn how to do a Deadlift properly, using strict form. Either with dumbbells or with a barbell.

Stay strong. Stay Young.

Doug
MyTrainer Says…

A tight mid-section with strong core muscles generally signals a pretty fit individual and new research findings confidently report how to achieve accelerated results. By combining dynamic core exercise like medicine-ball slams and land-mines with endurance core exercise like stability ball planks and roll-outs, you can firm your mid-section MUCH more effectively (and functionally) than by doing old-school ab work like crunches and sit-ups.

A word of caution however, before attempting ab exercises that you have not done before – be sure that your lower back muscles can withstand the extra demands that are required to stabilize your spine, particularly during endurance exercise like the plank. Remember that one of your objectives is to strengthen muscles on EACH side of a joint. For the spine, that includes abs and lower back /hips.

TIP: Learn the PROPER method of doing a plank (ask any of my clients who an edge on that one)! Too often I see planks being performed in ways that do nothing to strengthen the core.  KEEP THOSE HIPS DOWN and maintain a disciplined straight line from your ankle bone to your ear.  Think cantilever, not arch.

Keep up the good work everybody.

Doug

P.S. – If you know someone who would appreciate knowing about this web-site, and who might benefit from the fitness tips and information that I freely distribute, why not pass a link to MyTrainerSays.com along to them?  I cross-post to Facebook, so you could also send them to my page - Facebook.com/MyTrainerSays . (While you’re there, leave me a message to say Hi.)

MyTRAINER says…

OK, what does “in shape” look like to you? Lose a bit of your jiggle? Pack on a bit more muscle?

In 6 weeks you can do that – and more.

1. If you already work out, YOU NEED TO BUMP UP THE INTENSITY A FEW NOTCHES, and try a different program.

2. If you’re just starting out, or returning to the gym after an absence, YOU NEED TO GET IT RIGHT FROM THE START.

Now. Because in 6 weeks it will be the July 1 /July 4  long weekend.

I currently have room for 2 or 3 eager, goal-oriented clients who want to work 1 on 1 with me.

My specialty is efficient, intense, athletic gym programs that will change your shape, improve your health, and keep you young!

We’re all doing this together.

Doug

Think: Puppet strings.

FACT: Muscles can excessively shorten (become tight) through vigorous activity (e.g. how the pecs tighten after a bench press), OR through static positioning (e.g. hamstrings lose length from sitting too long, traps shorten from holding tension).

FACT: Muscles can also excessively lengthen through vigorous activity (e.g. running hurdles, swimming lengths) OR through static positioning (e.g. poor posture, awkward sleep positions).

I have written several posts in this blog about body posture, particularly “rounded shoulders, forward neck” syndrome.

The culprits in this type of DYSFUNCTIONAL POSTURE are the smart phone, cell phone, laptop, computer screen, car seat, soft couch, airplane seat, yada, yada, yada – ADLs (Activities of Daily Life) that put us into positions that accentuate a slouched upper back, shoulders rotated forward, protruding belly, chest caved in, neck poking ahead.

Think about it –  here you have the spine, the chest, the neck, the shoulders – all doing the same thing – muscles at the front (pecs, sternos, abs, front delts) passively being shortened - while muscles at the back (traps, rear delts, rhomboids) are passively being lengthened. And gravity really sucks when you’re off kilter.

That’s why, when I watch most people go through their ritual of  ”pre-exercise” stretching at the gym, I must say that RARELY DOES WHAT THEY’RE DOING MAKE SENSE!!

From this day forward I want you to stop and ask yourself  WHAT you’re stretching and WHY you’re stretching it.

Get personal with it:

Are you stretching a muscle that’s already spent half of its day in a stretched out position?

Are you stretching a muscle and lengthening it just before you’re about to ask it to lift a 55 pound dumbbell? (Think: stretching the heck out of a bungee cord, then expecting it to shorten and hold something tight.)

1) DON’T stretch what you don’t need to stretch: Muscles that are already stretched out. Muscles that are about to do their job.

2) DO stretch what you need to stretch: Muscles that have been in a shortened position all day. Muscles that have completed their job.

3) DON’T CONFUSE muscle “warm-up” with muscle “stretching“. They are distinctly different.

Does this guy really need to be doing...

... this rear-deltoid stretch? NO!

Your workouts should focus on making sure that you perform exercises that shorten & strengthen muscles where they need to be (for the guy on the left – upper shoulders, mid-back, rear deltoids) and leave stretching for muscles that need to be lengthened & strengthened (in this case, pectorals, abdominals, hip flexors, hamstrings.)

Do you have questions about anything you read or hear – either on this blog or elsewhere?

Write to me at > info@MyTrainerSays.com

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