All posts by NTrainers

Dairy is for Babies

February 7, 2016

Otis collier personal trainerBy Otis Collier, personal trainer

You know the saying milk does a body good? I know I have heard this until the cows come home (no pun intended). You know what? This statement is absolutely true. Milk provides an abundance of nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. There is only one problem. Adults are not able digests dairy adequately because of the lack of rennin. Rennin is an enzyme that acts on casein, a milk protein, converting it to a substance that resembles sour milk (Marieb & Hoehn, 2007). Rennin also causes the protein to precipitate so it can be acted on by pepsion (Columbu, 1985). Adults lack the quantity of rennin found in the digestive systems of babies and toddlers.

Moreover, many adults lack lactose, which is an enzyme that converts milk sugars into simpler sugars (Kloss, 2009). When unchanged during digestion, lactose can cause gas, constipation, headaches, coated tongue, cramps, and lose bowel movements. That doesnt sound fun to me. How about you??!! If that wasnt enough, diary causes a layer of fat to form beneath the skin and results in a loss of definition (thats lean and tone folks). No wonder Arnold Schwarzenegger said milk is for babies. Its because adults have major allergic reaction to dairy. Now I know this doesnt hold true for every single adult population do not take well to dairy. You can ingest appropriately, by all means go for it. As for the rest of the adult population, another alterative is warranted.

I suggest nut milks, such as almonds or cashew. I personally do not suggest soy due to the uncertainty of the soy quality within the United States. So please do your research prior to making your nutritional decisions. Diary has been promoted as a great overall nutritional source and that is accurate for babies and toddlers, not adults. I guess cows will have a lot more time on their hands, lets hope anyway!!!

Reference
Marieb, E.N., & Hoehn, K. (2007). Human anatomy & physiology (7th). Pearson Benjamin Cummings: San Francisco.
Kloss, J. (2009). Back to eden. Revised & Expanded 2nd. Lotus press: Wisconsin.
Columbu, F. (1985). The bodybuildings nutrition book. Contemporary Books: Illinois.

Subway Workout: Shin Raises

February 4, 2016

Alexander Sramek personal trainerSubway Workout: Shin Raises 
By Alex Sramek

A morning subway or bus commute is a great time to put together a routine for ankles, wrists, and hands. They’re typically neglected in the gym, and can be worked in situations where space is tight. Today, let’s look at an easy option you can do while seated, to distract you from smells, solicitors, and showtimes.

The front of the lower leg serves an important role, in raising the toes toward the shin, providing counterbalance to the powerhouses in the calves and contributing to healthy ankle movement (and injury prevention). While it’s not terribly necessary for it to do heavy lifting, there’s a huge benefit to giving the tibialis anterior and its friends some TLC. And one of the easiest and most effective ways to do so is while seated.

If you’ve managed to snag a seat, try this routine while you stare transfixed at your neighbor’s record-breaking run at 2048…

1) Keeping your heels on the ground, raise your toes and hold for a quick count of 2, then lower back to the ground. Repeat 20 times. Rest a bit. Repeat.

2) Tilt your feet inward so that the insides of your feet are up, and only the outside edge of your shoes is touching the ground. Raise your toes in this position, bringing your big toe up.

3) Tilt your feet outward so that the insides of your shoes are touching the ground. Raise your toes as above, leading with the little toe.

4) This time, start with feet flat on the ground. Heels together, toes apart at a 45 degree angle.

5) Now toes together, heels apart at a 45 degree angle.

6) Start with your feet at hip width apart. Raise your toes, then point them inward and lower them to the ground. Then raise them, point them outward, and lower them to the ground.

7) Start straight ahead. Raise your toes, then move them back and forth like windshield wipers a few times, then lower them back down.

Play with different variations, don’t go overboard your first time out, and see how you feel the next day. You might even just do a few runs of variation 1 your first time, or a different variation each day. You can make this as long as you like; I recommend at least 5 sets during a commute. You should feel a burn in the front of your leg. If something *hurts*, then, obviously, don’t do that one. You can also vary the speed and number of reps.

You might also mix this up with other subway-friendly exercises, such as wrist circles or finger stretches. You’re not looking to work up a sweat, just to wake things up and remind your body what they’re capable of.

Be well!

Start taking these two steps today! Contact Alex!

3 Easy Ways to Stretch the Calves

 

By Lisa Snow, personal trainer

Whether you’ve had plantar fasciitis, an ankle injury, or just want to take your calf and ankle flexibility to the next level, stretching at the end of your workout can be helpful.  Stretching the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) only takes a few minutes and doesn’t have to be boring!  Anything that brings the toes and ball of the foot up towards you (the opposite of pointing your toes) will stretch the calf.  Here are 3 easy ways:
3715PLUse a “Slant Board.” This is a wood wedge with a nonstick coating.  It lets you stretch one leg at a time (perfect for people with injuries or imbalances) or stretch both legs simultaneously (great if you are pressed for time).  A slant board is also a good option for someone with poor balance who feels unsteady using other calf stretch gadgets, or someone who gets vertigo leaning over / being upside down in positions like downward dog.
Slant boardTry a “Pro Stretch.”  This durable plastic gizmo found at many gyms lets you stretch one leg at a time, which is very helpful for people who’ve had foot or ankle injuries.  Less expensive than a slant board, it’s also a great option for runners, dancers, cyclists, or anyone who puts a lot of strain on their calves.
Skip the equipment, and go for a Downward Dog.  If all you have is a mat, the classic yoga pose called Downward Dog is a wonderful way to stretch the calves.  While you’re at it, you’ll be strengthening your shoulders.  Plus proving to yourself that you don’t need to be extremely flexible to be able to do this and plenty of other yoga poses.
With any of these stretches, try to hold still for 30 seconds – 1 minute for 2 sets.  If you’re doing 1 leg at a time, remember to do each side twice.
Lisa Snow is a Manhattan personal trainer specializing in senior fitness and post-rehab for all ages.

 

Burning Calories Throughout the Day

 By Geo Chang, personal trainer

geo

 Being physically active, doesn’t just mean going to the gym for an hour a few times a week.  It’s our daily rituals and habits that ultimately shape our fitness abilities and prowess.
 Physical activity burns calories from the foods we eat and improves the body’s ability to remain active and functional in our day to day living. But because we’ve eliminated many of the physical demands of daily living, we need to find ways of making more physical activity part of our daily routines.
For most, exercise means workouts involving commitment to gym memberships and carving out time from your already busy day.  The real key to success is changing your lifestyle by increasing your level of activity throughout the day, each and every day. All it takes are little steps that add up to big changes!
Although yes, for some it may be difficult to find time to get that hour at the gym, here are some examples where you can make small changes to give you that push forward to eventually committing to consistent workouts:
-Get off the bus or train one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way home
-Limit your subway/taxi rides and walk or bike more often
-Stand up and walk around while on the phone instead of being sedentary
-Walk up the stairs instead of taking the escalator. This one is my personal favorite!
-Use your breaks at work to walk around the building
-Remind yourself to stand up every hour to stretch and move around.
 As human beings, we weren’t meant to lead a destructive, sedentary lifestyle. This has only happened in the last fifty years. We were always meant to be Active!  So get up, get moving, and don’t stop.
Once you’re ready for the next level, it’s time to give me a call!
Geo Chang, C.P.T.
Start making changes today!  Contact Geo!

Geo’s FITNESS TIP OF THE MONTH

 

reusable-water-bottle.jpgWe already know the benefits of drinking water and how important it is to our body. We also know how annoying it is to ingest 2-4 liters a day. Here’s the trick. Buy a liter jug from your local drug store so you can accurately guage your intake.  Consume a liter at each meal and stop two hours before going to bed to avoid middle of the night bathroom breaks.  After a few weeks it becomes second nature!

Make Small Incremental Changes For Long-term Health

January 19, 2016

By Geo Chang, personal trainer and nutritionistgeo chang personal trainer nutritionist

With January off to a fantastic start, many have fitness goals in mind as their main New Year’s resolution. Year after year, have I seen people resolve to get in shape come January, only to give up after a few short weeks.

If you think you can get away with only going to the gym a handful of times and expect excellent results, you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, focus on making a small incremental changes to your daily lifestyle so that it becomes feasible and sustainable. You can increase your weekly exercise as well as limiting the amount of times you eat out to once or twice a week.

Grab a friend, or hire a trainer to keep you motivated and accountable to being consistent. Having vigor and passion is fantastic, but if you’re not consistent it is difficult to push forward to reach your goals. As a trainer and nutritionist, I believe in the importance of creating an organized, feasible, regimented meal plan or dietary modifications in order to persistently reach your goals.

There’s no better time to start than the beginning of the new year!

2016 Goals, or…What does tying your shoes have to do with exercise?

As my clients in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are setting their 2016 goals, they’re thinking about more than just weight loss-it’s how you FEEL, not just how you look.  Sure, they want to reach or maintain a healthy weight and they also want to be able to do all the everyday things they could when they were in their 20s and 30s.  They want to be able to cross one ankle over the other knee to tie their shoes.  They want to reach overhead to put something on a high kitchen shelf just as easily as they threw their arms overhead to dunk a basket, serve a volleyball, or hang from the monkey bars when they were a kid.
A fitness program is more than just how much weight you can bench or how fast you can run a mile.  What matters to busy professionals is how well their gym routine translates into their everyday routine.  For example, maybe you want to be able to stand and balance on one foot while you put on the other sock.  You can still do it, but it’s not as easy as it used to be.  At the gym, you could practice standing on one foot for a few seconds at a time, gradually working up to longer steady holds.  At home on your mat, you could practice the Tree Pose(http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-tree-pose-in-yoga) from yoga.  If sitting to tie your shoes isn’t as effortless as it used to be, you could try a seated stretch.  (http://www.experiencephysio.ca/seated-gluteus-stretch/)  With balance and flexibility, as with any training program, you can exponentially increase your results by working with someone.  Recruit a friend, your spouse, a coworker, a yoga teacher or a personal trainer to help you stay on track.

TWO EASY STEPS to getting into better shape 

By Alex Sramek, personal trainerAlexander Sramek personal trainer
The New Year is upon us, and the gyms are full of resolutioners doing their best to get in better shape. Some have thorough plans, others are testing the waters, and the internet and magazines are teeming with article upon article of the one thing to eat or the five must-do exercises or the great new rubber cylinder that’s going to take everyone’s fitness to the next level!!!

So I, a fitness professional, am going to throw my hat into the ring, to provide my take, based on experience, on which strategies, tools, protocols, and paradigms are the most effective in getting you leaner, stronger, healthier, and more capable of taking on the stresses of the real world. Here are just TWO EASY STEPS that will GUARANTEE an improvement in your physique and well-being.

Step 1: LIFT HEAVY. OFTEN.

When I say lift heavy, I mean properly heavy. It should always feel heavy. If it felt heavy at one time but it no longer feels heavy, then it no longer counts as heavy, and you must lift heavIER. It must always feel heavy. And you must lift heavy things often. At least three times a week, so that your body remembers that lifting heavy is a “thing” that it has to do often and prepare itself for.

Step 2: EAT WELL. OFTEN.

Eating well once a day isn’t gonna cut it. You have to eat well the overwhelming majority of the time. If you’re asking “But does _____ count as eating well”, the answer is most assuredly “No.” You know what eating well is. Lots of fruits and veggies, a decent amount of protein, some healthy fats, some carbs for energy as needed. When you indulge in other things (I won’t turn down a good single malt), overwhelm them with how well you eat the rest of the time.

That, my friends, is it. As much as the fitness industry likes to promise a quick fix or a miracle diet or a toy or a pill or a shake or a dance party, or pretty much EVERYTHING OTHER THAN A CONSISTENT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, consistently lifting heavy and eating well *WORK*. They have always worked. They will always work. .

Why Compound Movements?

January 18, 2016

By Ariel Brill, Personal Trainer

Fitness Tip: The New Year is upon us and many beginners will be hitting the gym for the very first time. A tip for the beginner, someone who is new to exercise or getting back into it, is to focus on compounding movements. This means staying away from small isolated exercises that will only train a single muscle group. Instead, use your time more efficiently and perform movements such as a squat, deadlift, bent over row, pull-up, and bench press that activate multiple muscle groups leading to a more complete workout.
Ariel Brill
Personal Trainer
(617)-669-1718
New York, NY

Strengthening the core for better overall strength

When getting into shape, it is no secret that building up your core is the great way to optimize your body’s structure and strength. However, most people don’t realize that simply doing traditional abdominal exercises like sit-ups won’t build up the core strength that can help you advance to the next level of fitness training or activity.

 

While a strong core can make your stomach look flat and toned, it is crucial for improving your overall body strength. First of all, using your core helps relieve significant pressure on your spine and back, and can promote healthier posture. Core strength is also incredibly helpful with improving balance and flexibility, which can be useful in exercises from yoga to surfing.

 

The reason simple sit-ups don’t increase your core strength is that there are three different muscle groups in the abdominal areas. The upper abs are those that benefit from sit-ups, and are one of the first to show success in your ab routine. The oblique muscles are the muscles that run along your side, and can also be addressed through more traditional routines.

 

However, the target area to really increase your core strength is the deep muscles in this area, the ones that aren’t always engaged with traditional sit-ups. This deep layer is the one that helps support the spine and engages with other muscles throughout the body, making it easier for you to both participate in activities and handle daily life.

 

For those looking to strengthen their cores, finding somewhere to do Pilates Brooklyn can be the quickest way to focus on this area. Pilates is a great choice because it is designed to engage the core and a number of other related areas, meaning that your body’s muscles are all working together to increase strength and flexibility.

 

Working with a personal trainer NYC can also be a great way to focus on building up your core as well as addressing the other elements of your body that you’d like to work on. A trainer can help you learn movements and exercises – some of these based on Pilates and yoga – that will optimally address each area, helping you on your way to a stronger body and a leaner physique.

 

Remember, whether you’re looking to build up more strength or simply get into better shape, focusing on building up your core will help your body look and feel better for years to come.

Getting Ready for That Amateur Bodybuilding Competition

Amateur bodybuilding competitions have become popular options in the past few decades, particularly for athletes who find themselves unable to continue to participate in their sport. Since bodybuilding competitions are a great fit for those who already have weight lifting experience, entering a competition can be a great way to take your training – and physique – to the next level. If you’ve made the decision to participate in a bodybuilding competition, it’s time to get down to business and start training.

 

First of all, make sure you’ve attended several competitions as a spectator. There is a pacing and sense of control that participants exhibit in their respective categories, and you’ll want to have that down before you compete. Plus, it will be a great way to gain some exposure to the people you’ll likely be competing against.

 

Next you’ll want to make some goals. Start with training goals – how often you’d like to lift, your goal weight, your goal BMI – which can help you identify what you need to do to achieve them. If you find yourself stuck in your routine, consider finding a Manhattan personal trainer who will make sure you have a variety of exercises that will tone and sculpt your body.

 

Training for a bodybuilding competition will require lots of different exercises in addition to weight lifting, so it can be helpful to have a guide during this process. You’ll need to incorporate cardio at least several times a week, and you’ll need to follow a strict diet that is heavy in protein to make sure you look cut and lean.

 

If you can, find a local bodybuilding group that can help you find a community of support in your training. If that’s not an option, at least identify a few friends who will be honest with you about what kind of results you’re getting.
Remember, training for an amateur bodybuilding competition is a long road of hard work, so you’ll want to start planning at least a year in advance of your first foray onto the stage. This includes finding the right outfits and working on your poses, so that when you are on the stage all of your movements seem natural and unforced.

 

Entering an amateur bodybuilding competition will put you on the stage with a number other contenders who have been training for this, so give yourself an extra edge by finding personal trainers Upper East Side who will push you to your maximum potential.