All posts by NTrainers

Looking To Improve Your Biceps Workout

March 8, 2022

bigger biceps tipsWorking To Get Bigger Biceps 💪 

For many people, working your arms tends to be an afterthought or the second half of a daily workout program.  Whether it is biceps or triceps, it is often combined with a larger muscle group for the day’s workout.  If you are going to look to grow your biceps, you need to make them more of a priority.  The main things you can do are change your grip, change the angle of your movement or change your workout order.

Change Your Grip

Making sure you have a proper grip is first and foremost.   Make sure to keep your wrists straight.  Also, your hands should be spaced evenly on the bar.  The three main variations you can are you use a standard grip, a wide grip or a close grip.  You may also choose to do a palms down grip for some exercises, instead of the more common palms up grip.   You may choose to vary your grip during the same workout over several sets.  Or, for example, you may keep a grip the same throughout the workout and then use a different grip upon your next biceps workout. 

If you work with a personal trainer, they will design a workout plan that incorporates this plan properly.

Change your angles

Once you have changed your grip, this will undoubtedly lead to changing the way you hit the muscle.  Changing the angles on the way you hit the muscles will help you build the base of the muscles, as well at another angle hit the peak of the bicep to help you gain that rounded look.   You can also change your angles by doing a mix of dumbbell and barbell exercises.  An efficient and economical way to switch between dumbbell and barbells is with Dualbell.

Split Your Biceps workout or Do It Earlier

Many people usually do their biceps workout along with another muscle group on the same day.  Typically, a day for a back and biceps workout.  As the name suggests, the biceps workout is the second part of the day’s workout.  This is born out of the idea that you want to work your larger muscles first, and your back muscles are clearly the superior choice.  However, during a back workout your biceps are part of the action, leaving them a little less ready for an completely explosive workout.  Thus, they may not perform at the highest level.  

If truly creating larger biceps is your goal, it may make sense to work your biceps on a separate day from another muscle group or consider doing them before another muscle group.  Discussing these goals with a personal trainer may prove fruitful.  Or you may simply want to go through a period of trial and error.  However, that may take longer than having the opinion and accountability from a fitness professional.

Plus Size Fitness Tips

February 23, 2022

Lisa snow personal trainerFitness Means Different Things For Different Body Types

By Lisa Snow, personal trainer

Starting a fitness routine can be challenging for anyone, but even more so for plus size people.  With masking, shutdowns, and remote work, EVERYONE — slim and plus size alike — has lost some strength and endurance, so now we’re ALL beginners together.  Here are a few tips to help you restart your routine this year.

 

  1. Set your course. 

    Consider what you want to get out of fitness, be kind to yourself.  Remember that some plus size personal training clients want to lose weight, while others want to get stronger, have better balance, and become more flexible, all while staying at their current weight.  BOTH goals are valid.

 

  1. Fire the peanut gallery. 

    plus size fitness tips

    Once you start losing weight. Or staying the same weight, but getting more energetic and vibrant), friends, family, and coworkers may start to comment on the positive change.  They (mostly) mean well, but even comments meant to be encouraging can be triggering or depressing for some plus size people.  If you want them to stop, thank them for the good intentions, then make it clear that this is NOT a topic you want them to comment on.

 

  1. Try a TRX or other small equipment items.

    Buying a big, expensive treadmill and then NOT using it daily can make beginners feel guilty or defeated.  On the other hand, TRX straps take up zero space, and cost under $250.  So if you end up using it once a week instead of once a day, it’ll still feel like a win.  I’ve seen clients up to 400 lbs use it and feel empowered.  A TRX may last a decade or more. Unlike bands, a TRX can’t be ripped by overly enthusiastic cats or dogs.  And unlike dumbbells, you’ll never need to buy heavier ones.  By changing the angle of your body, you can take the exercises from beginner to advanced.

 

  1. Consider an incline (“cheese wedge”) mat (instead of a bench)

    For dumbbell exercises.  For tall, broad shouldered, or heavy clients, an old school weight bench can feel uncomfortably narrow.  Incline mats are wide, durable, and comfortable.  They’re not just for kids doing gymnastics.  They can help adults do dumbbell exercises like bench presses, flys, pullovers, and rows.  Many plus size clients are surprised to learn that (even if they struggle with cardio) they are naturally good at strength training!  Here’s an example: https://www.ucsspirit.com/gymnastics-softplay/product-detail.cfm/category/Skill-Development-Shapes/product/Wedges

 

Be your own cheerleader.  Phone apps like Strides, Habit Bull – or even putting a checkmark on your paper calendar each day you workout – can help you celebrate small wins.

 

Benefits of Strong Legs

January 31, 2022

benefits of strong legsWhy It Helps to Have Strong Legs

As someone who tries to get in my 10,000 steps per day, I am always moving on my feet.  As a runner, I find myself pushing my legs to move faster, beyond what is expected or needed during the daily requirements of the day.  In strength training, I know I am building my leg muscles to be able to push higher volumes of weight than what might otherwise be required from me during the day. 

On any given day, at any given time, I never know when or if I will be required to need the extra leg strength or endurance to complete a challenge, a favor or remedy a problem.  A strong fitness program created by a personal trainer can help you prepare, too.  Having strong legs has its benefits, and here are a few more reasons.

Greater Independence As You Age

Having strong legs keeps us standing upright.  And standing up longer.  Standing on strong legs is also easier than standing on weaker, tired legs.  This has its benefits whether you are working into the later stages of your life or are retired and traveling to sightsee in places around the world.  Being on your feet will be a big part of your day.

Decreased Lower Limb Injury Risk

Stronger legs will, in many cases, mean that you have spent some significant time working your legs at earlier stages of your life.  The time one spends in the gym pushing weight to grow leg muscles also helps with bone density.  The increased leg strength can also help with balance and symmetry.  When your legs are stronger and more ready for action, you will have a greater tendency to avoid injury versus someone who lives a sedentary lifestyle and seldom is asked to spend hours on their feet or even help to simply lift a box and carry it across a room.

Decreased Risk of Falls

As mentioned above, strong legs will help you maintain better balance.  Stronger muscles, also lead to stronger bones because of the load bearing exercises. This all helps you stay upright and not fall at the first step onto uneven ground.  Strong legs help us to support our bodies even when the weight distribution is far beyond a 50-50 even split per leg.  We are able support and rebalance ourselves.

Improved Endurance Performance

Athletically speaking, stronger legs will improve performance.  Even runners need to strength train.  Yes, all of the above is realized when runners do strength train, but what you will also find is the strength training makes you a better runner.  If leg muscles are the engines of running, then having a bigger engine makes you a more efficient runner.  This will also allow running to be “easier”, thus giving you the chance to run longer and improving your endurance.

So, what can you do to get stronger legs muscles?

Strength training for your legs calls for some exercises that allows for multiple muscles to be called upon during a movement or repetition.  Start with main moves such as a squat, deadlift, front squat, lunges or raises.  If you aren’t sure what to do, consider enlisting the services of a personal trainer.  They will create a tailored program specifically for your fitness goals.

@neighborhoodtrainer

Benefits of Strong Glutes

January 14, 2022

strong glutes benefitsTop Benefits of Having Strong Glutes

Your glutes aren’t the glamour muscles everyone works hard to show on the beach or by the pool.  However, they can be a good indication of how you carry yourself and how you maintain your body for performance.  Glutes are part of your core muscle group.  With a strong core, you can help bring out your beach muscles even more.  You’ll achieve better overall results when you have a strong core.  Having strong glutes helps you improve your posture, prevents injury, reduces back pain and improves athletic performance.

Improved Posture

Few things are as simple as good posture for making improvements.  Standing taller makes you look and feel stronger.  At some point, we’ve all caught ourselves slouching.  Our immediate reaction is to stretch, extend our arms and head straight up and make an effort to sit, stick straight.  Same goes for standing.  You can add a few inches to your height simply by not slouching.

Athletic Performance

Strong glutes can also help you on the field, on the court or any other sports arena you are in.  Your glutes help you with that initial push, or thrust.  That initial burst of speed you need to get off the line in a race, a kick through the ball, or a push during a power lift.  Few things feel better than when you can shave a few seconds off of your time or add a few pounds to your lift, simply because you have a stable and strong core.  Personal trainers thrive at creating programs for you to get the most out of your athletic performance.

Injury Prevention

The fastest way to end your day of play is getting injured.  The same can be said for the quickest way to cut a workout short.  Injuries stink.  They kill momentum and can knock you out of competition for days, weeks or months depending on the severity of the injury.  Strong glutes help you to stabilize you. You’ll have better balance, posture (as mentioned above) and more control over steadying yourself.  You can be strongest at your extremities,  when you are strongest at your core.

Defeat Back Pain

The king of all reasons to want to have strong glutes.  Back pain strikes everyone from high performing athletes to parents carrying their toddlers everywhere to young student athletes.  Personally, I have back pain less often now that I have incorporated several lower back and glute work into my workouts.  Plus, Back pain can be chronic, last for days, leave and come back at any time.  Keeping up with your lower back and glute exercises, such as deadlifts and squats, will help you stave off back pain. 

@neighborhoodtrainer

Exercising To Go On Vacation

January 13, 2022

fit at 50Exercising to Prepare for Vacation

In a previous article, we went over some of why it is important to be in shape to go on vacation.  Today, I am going to be a bit more specific about my own trip.  Here are a few times where my fitness level has enhanced my vacation engagement with my temporary environment.

Scuba Diving

I’ve been a certified scuba diver since college.  In the three decades since, when possible I like to do a couple of dives to immerse myself in the underwater scenery and activity.  Your fitness level plays an important part in how you enjoy your dives, from the simple to the essential.  In order to descend, you need to wear extra weights, courtesy of a weight belt.  Heavier people need more weight to get down. 

If you carry extra body weight, you could be looking at having to strap on 20-30 pounds around your waist.  It’s an ordeal picking it up, but also carrying it around.  This can also create issues with trying to find neutral buoyancy so you can relax and enjoy your dive.

Secondly, you need to be able to control your breathing.  If you are not prepared for the activity, you may increase your heart rate, thereby increasing your breathing rate.  Kicking around underwater for 30-45 minutes at depth is a workout. Heavier, faster breathing will shorten your dive as your tanks only have a limited supply of air.  Slow, controlled breathing will help you extend your dive so you can enjoy the dive site’s sights, sounds and colors.

Hiking

 When I pictured hiking the highest point on the island, I envisioned a rocky path, steep at times, leading to the top.  What I found was a boulder strewn, tree route grabbing climb full of natural, “staircases” all the way to the top.  I was not expecting a climb of this difficulty level.  Especially not on vacation.  Fortunately, my family is active regularly and each of us handled whatever the path presented us.  We could not have done this without having been regularly training, strength and cardiovascular. 

As our guides told us, many people turn back in the first 30 minutes of the two hour climb, because they cannot handle it.  All of our collective workouts paid off in a successful climb and descent.  Whether you train on your own or with a personal trainer, strength is essential to tackle life’s known and unexpected activities.

Zip lining

This is definitely for the thrill seeker and not for the faint of heart. Hanging from a rope may not be physically demanding, but it can be mentally taxing.  Plus, you want to know that you are physically ready and capable for the end of the zipline.  Lastly, ziplines have a weight limit.  You certainly don’t want to be disqualified from going because you are overweight.

Sightseeing

Even on a beach-centric vacation, it’s difficult not to go sightseeing.  You’re in a new place, new foods to try and new things to see and do.  At the very least, sightseeing requires walking.  Lots of walking.  Sometimes up stairs or hills.  Walking for hours can wear anyone out.  Even those in the best physical shape.  Of course, shoes are important, but you don’t want to be the person who needs to take a break on the closest bench while everyone else is ready to move on.  Train to walk long distances.

@neighborhoodtrainer

Exercising To Enjoy Vacation Activities

January 11, 2022

Training is Essential for a Fun Vacation

Admittedly, our most recent vacation was a little more on the active side.  It was our first family trek away from home in two years. (When we booked it, Omicron was not known and things were improving.  Thankfully, we all made it back free from any COVID issues.)  Our trip to a tropical volcanic island included some beach time, but also included a hike, scuba diving and zip lining. 

fit at 50Part of this is because of my own passions, but is also fueled by the need to keep up with three teenagers.  I am grateful for my fitness level. Maybe grateful isn’t the right word.  After all, it is something I worked for everyday.  Making healthy food choices, most of the time, and engaging in physical activity everyday.  Without it, I would never have enjoyed the trip.  Thank you exercise!  This got me thinking about sedentary people and vacations. If you fully want to enjoy vacation you need to be in shape for it. 

Training for vacation is essential.  

This is not just for your own enjoyment,  but also for everyone else in your traveling party.  Engaging in the activities with everyone is a binding part of the vacation experience.  Whether you are with your family, or a tour group, you don’t want to be a burden.  Sitting on the beach in a lounge chair might be the primary driver for getting away, and I enjoy that too, but lots of other things are going to happen.  You want to be ready. 

There are some days where I struggle to motivate, and quite frankly, a day off can be helpful.  Just not too many in a row.  If you struggle with a lack of motivation, it may be time to seek the help of a fitness professional.  Personal trainers are experts at finding your motivational factors, helping you define your goals and creating a program to help you become a better version of yourself.  If you struggle with making healthy food choices, then you may want to reach out to a nutritionist.  Overhauling your kitchen cupboards and learning some simple recipes is a tremendous step forward.  Optimal health is only a few choices away.

@neighborhoodtrainer

Healthy Changes for 2022

December 18, 2021

Make this the Year of You!

by Dana Levit, Pilates instructor

dana levit online pilates instructor

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I am all for making a change, but how many of us actually stick to our goals? Like me, have you ever found yourself quietly giving up on your goals and then 10 or 11 months go by as you wait to do it all over again? New Year’s resolutions are often how we set ourselves up for failure.

So how do we achieve what we want this year? How do we make this year THE year for us?

It all starts with healthy habits and a commitment to self that we can actually keep.
Think about it, if you don’t consistently work out and then all of a sudden say you want to work out 5-6 days a week for an hour a day, you are taking yourself from 0-100.

Instead, what if you say my goal is to workout 2-3x/week for 20-30 minutes at a time?

Reasonable goals that make sense for you allow you to earn some early wins, which creates accountability and a higher likelihood of long term success.

 

fitness community supportBut why wait until New Year’s?

The time for daily healthy practices is now!

You’ll always find reasons to wait or quit, so if you really want to create change in your life, start today. Just a few minutes at a time. Find movement that brings you joy. Find a coach or community that can hold you accountable. Just remember it takes small steps to see big goals.

Ready for change it 2022? Contact Dana today!

Benefits of a Leg Press Workout

December 2, 2021

Don’t Skip Your Leg Press Workout

leg press workout

A leg press is a weight training exercise where individuals lift or push the weight away using their legs. This exercise is done on a leg press machine.

There are two main types of leg press; diagonal and seated leg press. In the diagonal type, the user sits below the sled as they push it upward, while the user in seated leg press sits upright as they push the sled forward.

There are leg press variations that help you to target all the muscles in your lower body. A user who has difficulty doing squats because of back or knee pain is advised to use this machine when working out.

There are several benefits associated with this type of exercise and below are a few of them. Also, you can read more online when researching for the best products that could work for you.

  1. Building Stronger Bones

Generally, any weight-bearing exercise helps us stay fit by building strong bones. Weight-bearing routines insert pressure and weight on the bones.

Activities that require you to lift weights help the bones to get bigger and stronger. The osteoblasts in the bones produce more bone mass when lifting the leg press machine to compensate for a large amount of weight.

Bigger and stronger bones make up an equally more powerful skeletal system. Having a solid skeletal system is vital because as people grow old, bones become weaker. Simply put, leg presses are bone-building exercises.

  1. Strengthening the Quadriceps

Quadriceps are the group of muscles in the front of the thighs, between the hips and knees. Most of the strength and power to push and lift the machine when doing a leg press comes from the quadriceps.

On the other hand, they act as stabilizers when letting weight back down. The ability to hold the body weight, sit down, and even stand up are the primary functions of the quadriceps.

Leg presses aid in strengthening the quadriceps, which help an individual perform simple actions like walking. Strong quadriceps also translate to overall physical capabilities. Read more here.

  1. Achieving Greater Balance

These exercises are a contributor to achieving a more outstanding balance. For a person to have a good balance, they need strong legs and adapt to various positions. The leg press machine helps to strengthen the legs hence translating to more excellent stability.

Regularly using the machine to do the different leg exercises goes a long way to make your legs stronger. Strong legs help achieve more outstanding balance compared to weaker legs. Imbalance can cause slips, falls, and injuries.

  1. Strengthening Gluteal Muscles

Glutes are a group of muscles mainly located in a person’s buttocks. During different exercise phases of the leg press, the gluteal muscles are fully engaged.

The steps that help strengthen gluteal muscles include the lifting phase and the holding phase. When doing these exercises, the number of weights matters more than the number of reps you do.

A person who does many reps but with a few weights gains glute endurance, while one who carries more weight with a few reps increases the muscle mass of the glutes and makes them thicker.

This advantage is appreciated especially by ladies because glutes define the shape of the butt, making it look nice and tight.

  1. Total Leg Development

Unlike many exercises that aim to work on one major muscle or muscle group of your body, the leg press is a compound exercise that works on the whole lower body.

As a compound exercise, it helps to exercise and work on every muscle and muscle group on the lower body.

It is beneficial as it is efficient and stops you from engaging in multiple exercises.  It also increases our physical performance, which is carried out efficiently if the legs are solid and well-developed. Strong and toned legs are also attractive. Click here to learn more.

Conclusion

There are more benefits of the leg press other than the few discussed above. All the benefits are valuable to a person who is working out. Beginners should not be afraid to include this exercise in their routine because the machine is easy and safe to use. The weights are also adjustable to your liking. With fitness, choose quantity over quality. It means that you are more likely to see a difference if you use more weights than when you do more reps with no weights or resistance.

Training Harder, Recovering Smarter

December 1, 2021

TRAIN HARDER /RECOVER SMARTER 


By Lamar Mckay, personal trainer

training harder and smarterI have had the benefit of growing in the health, fitness and strength world over 3 decades and experienced  numerous methodologies. 

The longest lasting mantra was to be successful you had to train hard. Followed by its children  Play Hard /Train Hard , Beast Mode, and its anime inspired variation Train Insaiyan. The end result was the final form of Train Hard which  became known as over training. 

Over training can happen(Rhomboidalis)

In most cases what is really happening is under recovery.  Some coaches drive their program parameters in spite of an athlete/client’s injuries. and other coaches spend so much time on rehabilitation protocols that they barely train.

What is the solution…recover smart.

Time is a factor so teach your athletes pre-training warmups or home work. Deloading phases of training whether by load or intensity.  Recovery isn’t limited to self generated movements although they are valuable tools in recovery. You can also direct you Athletes or students to qualified health care professionals massuers, chiropractors.

And the most important recovery tool is sleep.

Ready to train harder? Contact L.R Mckay

@neighborhoodtrainer.com

Four Reasons to do Online Personal Training

November 30, 2021

online personal trainerShould I Do Online Personal Training?

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, the fitness industry seemingly came to a screeching halt.  Gyms that opened Monday morning were told that afternoon that they would not be opening tomorrow.  Anyone with a gym membership was stopped cold from going.  Suddenly, all workouts were frozen.  Many people stopped completely, while others simply exercised at home or outdoors.  Personal trainers were put out of business overnight, except for those that quickly transitioned to online personal training via FaceTime, Zoom and Skype type services. 

As the pandemic continued, these services became increasingly popular for one-on-one training, as well as group training, online classes.  Now, as we move past the Delta variant and Omicron variant seems to be evident, is it a good idea to hire an online personal trainer?  It seemed as though most gym goers were getting tired of interacting via screen for their fitness motivation.  However, online personal training may be your best bet for the foreseeable future.  It’s safer from contracting an illness, cleaner, more private and more affordable.

Safety from getting sick

Online personal training has grown exponentially over the past two years for the obvious reason.  People are scared of getting COVID-19.  Even though 60% of the country is vaccinated, the fear still exists beyond the unvaccinated.  Working out at home helps you stay out of facilities where people sweat, breathe heavily in close proximity to one another and fail to keep themselves home when feeling ill.

Cleaner

If you have your own equipment at home, you are responsible for how clean it is kept.  More importantly, you don’t have to worry about who or how many people touched this before you.  And you must go with the assumption that the last person to use the dumbbells did not wipe the handle.  Also, gym members are also notorious for not replacing the weight to the space they found them in.  Nor will they tell someone if something is broken.  At home, you know the condition of your equipment at all times and you know where it belongs when not in use.

Privacy

When you train online, it’s just you and your personal trainer.  They are watching you at your home and you are focused on them on your screen.  There is no one else there watching you.  For those that are self conscious about their bodies, this is the most important aspect of personal training online.  When conditions improve you may decide to do in-person training at a gym.

Affordability

Generally, personal training with a trainer online is less expensive.  Several factors go into this.  The personal trainer does not have any travel time.  They can jump from client to client within a minute.  Second, they also don’t have to pay for any gym rental space.  Third, if you live, for example in New York City, you do not need to hire a NYC personal trainer.  You can work with a trainer in other parts of the country where the cost of living is cheaper.  Thus, as the consumer you have some additional leverage on price and now you have more trainers to choose from.

Stay strong!

@neighborhoodtrainers