It is safe to say that the past two or so years have been a crazy roller coaster of events. The pandemic in itself was the main cause of the craziness. To prevent getting COVID, many people tried several different activities and remedies, but could exercise in itself better protect you from COVID? Although exercising does not prevent you from having the virus, it can build your immune system. In fact, one workout can already amplify your ability to fight off germs. One of the best ways to determine an individual’s ability for a successful workout program is by teaming up with a personal trainer. These professionals can help create a long term sustainable regiment for their clients, providing them long term benefits for fighting diseases.
Protein Powder: Tips From A Pro
Protein powder is very popular in the health and fitness community, but many people are not sure how and why it is used in many diets. Mike Paccetti, the co-owner of Dynamic Personal Training, sat down to tell us more about this item.
What is protein powder?
Protein powder provides the 22 essential amino acids, which are the building blocks to muscle hypertrophy and help with muscle recovery.
Are there different types of protein powder?
Yes, there are plant based proteins, whey proteins, and other specialized proteins. These varieties are to fit different needs, so the best type truly depends on your preferences. The one that I most often get is pea protein powder, since it is plant based.
How should protein powder be used?
Protein powder is most commonly used by athletes after a workout in the form of a protein shake.
What are the pros and cons of using protein powder?
Although protein powder in itself adds more protein to your diet, I advise that you get your protein from real food such as chicken and pork. If you are unable to get enough protein in your diet, then the addition of protein powder would be beneficial.
Super foods that are easy to include into your diet
Superfoods have become very popular over the years throughout social media, and are very easy to incorporate into your diet. This blog edition will help you become more familiar with some of these foods, and give you easy ways to add them to your diet.
*Please note that the following are just suggestions and may differ depending on individual’s personal needs
Leafy greens: Dark, leafy greens are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, calcium, and other minerals. Some examples of these greens include arugula, kale, collard greens, and spinach. You can incorporate these greens into almost anything from salads to sandwiches.
Berries: Fresh berries have many nutritional benefits as they are low in calories, high in fiber, and contain many antioxidants. Incorporate a handful of berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.) into some fat free yogurt and granola for a quick and easy breakfast!
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, etc.): These vegetables are great sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You can incorporate these vegetables into stir-fry, soups, and pasta dishes.
Legumes (kidney, black, red, and garbanzo beans, as well as soybeans and peas): Legumes are a plant-based protein that is also a good source of fiber. You can add them to salads, soups, chili, or make a hummus spread.
Transitioning From The Pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, we have made it our main priority to ensure the health and safety of our clients as they exercise. To guarantee our facility follows the CDC guidelines, we have rearranged our equipment to provide more space for social distancing. We also require and encourage all of our trainers and clients to wear masks at all times and to remain socially distant. While we are creating a safe environment in our facility, we also provide the option to have virtual appointments with a trainer in the comfort of your home.
4 PRO-TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL GYM SESSION
You've found a great gym, and you've set aside the time to go, so you're definitely on track to achieve your fitness goals, right?
Not necessarily. Showing up is the first crucial step, but there are a number of mistakes that can derail your progress and set back your growth. To make sure that your gym sessions will be successful, keep these four key points in mind.
1. Focus: Do not go to the gym to socialize. Go to the gym to WORK!
Making friends at the gym is great; it’s fun to meet new people who are also interested in a healthy lifestyle, and it can serve as extra motivation to make gym-going a regular habit. Gym friends can help keep you on track, but only if you stay focused on your main reason for being there. Standing around discussing last night's game or next Saturday’s barbecue won’t do your body any favors, but it might deplete the valuable time you set aside for your workout.
Try to limit your socializing to a friendly smile or a “Hi” in passing until after you’ve finished with what you really came to do.
2. Have a plan: Make a schedule and routine that you can track and follow.
You wouldn’t set off on a road trip without a map, or try to assemble a piece of furniture without consulting the instructions. Similarly, you shouldn’t embark on a new fitness regimen without a plan to guide you.
A good routine will allow you to understand where you're seeing improvements, and where you need to work harder. Consult a fitness professional if you need help designing one that is customized to your specific goals.
3. Push yourself: If you’re not sweating or tired at the end of your workout, you didn't work hard enough.
Even the best routine in the world won’t bring you the results you want unless you also bring the effort in the gym! No matter what your goals are—losing weight, building muscle, gaining strength or improving stamina—it takes real work and exertion to see the physical changes you desire.
Don’t be afraid to push yourself, and don’t be afraid to sweat!
4. Seek expert advice: If you are inexperienced in the field of fitness, consult a professional, even if it is simply for friendly guidance.
When adopting a new routine, it’s a great idea to speak to a qualified fitness professional who can introduce you to new techniques and workouts, give you important feedback, and keep you on track to meet your goals.
You might decide to take advantage of their expertise through a personal training session, but even if you don’t, you will take away some helpful advice or direction.
Showing up is important, but it doesn’t guarantee success on its own. But these four key strategies will help make every minute in the gym count—and lead you to real, measurable fitness improvements.
HOW TO USE YOUR HEART RATE TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF YOUR CARDIO ROUTINE
HEART FOCUSED CARDIO
A cardio workout provides a popular method for burning calories and increasing heart health. You can do cardio in a variety of different ways, from jumping rope to ellipticals or biking. Whether in the gym or jogging through the park, it's important to know how to get the most out of your cardio by calculating your target heart rate for your workout.
We consulted the Mayo Clinic to find the latest guidelines. Check out these tips to keep you in the zone.
How to Calculate Your Maximum & Target Heart Rate
Maximum heart rate represents the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute. Exceeding this maximum won't actually help you lose weight faster, but it can cause health-damaging stress to your heart and body.
Calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. For a 20-year old the maximum would be 200, and for a 35-year-old the maximum would be 185.
Your target heart rate zone will help you stay in the ideal range for the intensity of cardio workout you desire, whether low, medium, or high intensity. There are a number of steps required to find your target zone. After you have found your maximum heart rate (MHR), follow these steps.
Resting heart rate (RHR) - count your beats per minute first thing in the morning while relaxing. The average adult will have numbers between 60 and 100.
Heart rate reserve (HRR) - subtract your RHR from your MHR. (e.g. 185-85=100)
Low range target - multiply your HRR by 70% (or .7). Add your RHR to this number.
High range target - Multiply your HRR by 85% (or .85). Add your RHR to this number.
These high and low range numbers will represent your target heart rate range.
Low-Intensity Cardio Workouts
Low-intensity cardio workouts are often done over a longer period of time. Performing several intense workouts over a week may lessen muscles breakdown compared to a more intense cardio workout. Most low-intensity workouts are done at about 60-70% of MHR.
Medium-Intensity Workouts
Medium-intensity workouts are performed at 70-80% of your MHR. A compromise between high-level training and low-impact workouts, medium intensity cardio can fill that missing gap in your workout routine.
High-Intensity Interval Training
A high-intensity cardio workout is definitely a calorie burner, but it's important to remember to combine proper measures of rest when training at this speed. High-intensity workouts should be performed at 80% of your MHR or above. Designed for short intervals, high-intensity cardio is often referred to as HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, combining 2 and 4-minute exercises with 1 minute resting periods.
Learn more about adding cardio into your workout routine, and get in touch with a personal trainer to start your workout journey! Professional trainers can help you customize your training to fit your individual fitness level and goals.
DUMBBELLS VS BARBELLS: THE DIFFERENCES YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND
Chances are you have no intention of gaining upper body strength so you can ring a bell. However dumbbells got their start from that very activity, and the training equipment used to practice bell ringing now lends its name to not only dumbbells, but barbells and kettlebells, too. A bell that doesn’t ring is silent—dumb—so using dumbbells meant your bell-ringing practice didn’t wake the neighbors. Dumbbells came first, but are they better than barbells? Not necessarily; three important concepts about the two free weights can help you decide which is right for you, and when.
HOW SAFE ARE YOU?
In the gym, you have to protect yourself from two things:
Yourself
The equipment
If you do not know how to use free weights, and are determined not to ask for help (Psst! Ask for Help!) start with dumbbells. If you are working with a dumbbell and get in trouble, just drop it.
Barbells require good balance, an appreciation of the weight, and good technique. You can get pinned under a barbell all too quickly. You have natural movement with a dumbbell that you cannot get in a barbell, since you can turn hands and flex wrists as needed.
HOW FREE ARE THE FREE WEIGHTS?
Dumbbells are independent of each other, one for each hand. This gives complete freedom of movement on either side of your axis of symmetry, so your left arm can rest while your right arm completes a curl, for example. A barbell, by contrast, requires coordinated movement by your left and right arms and your hands are in fixed positions.
If you are training to recover from an injury, you may need to provide the injured side with more repetitions at smaller weight, something you cannot do with barbells. If you perform heavy, repetitive labor with your dominant hand (swinging a hammer, operating a drill press, lifting or pulling loads), a dumbbell can help you equalize strength in your non-dominant side.
HOW DEVELOPED ARE YOU?
New to free weights? Dumbbells help even out discrepancies in leg and arm strengths. Dumbbells increase awareness of the weight—you depend entirely on one arm for control, and you move more muscle groups in positioning and holding the weight than with a barbell.
Barbells for new lifters are also helpful, since you can tightly control the weights you add. Most dumbbells increase by 10-pound increments, while barbells can be changed by five pounds.
Well along the way to fitness and bodybuilding? Barbells allow you to use heavier weights, engage your legs more, and perform power cleans and snatches.
Do barbell exercises before dumbbell work, if you choose to do both
Use barbells for squats and deadlifts
Restrict explosive exercises to barbells, both for comfort and safety
As you increase weight, barbells tend to be more useful. In performing presses, for example, barbells are already positioned in the equipment, ready for lifting. Dumbbells may have to be lifted from the floor or a wall rack, adding strain and incorrect body positioning to your back.
HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED THROUGHOUT A WORKOUT PROGRAM
Setting a fitness goal is simple. Sticking to it, however, is a completely different story. So many people develop a workout routine but fail to keep up with it for more than a handful of sessions. Staying motivated when it feels like you aren't making any progress is tough. But if you are able to push through this initial slump, you'll be greatly rewarded with real results from all your hard work. Here are three ways to stay motivated when starting a workout routine.
SET SHORT TERM GOALS
It's great to set long-term goals for weight loss or your fitness performance. But when all you are doing is focusing on these long-term goals that are 6 months down the road or more, the mindset of "I'm never going to make it" quickly sets in. Or you might find yourself thinking, "It doesn't matter if I skip this one workout. I'll make up for it next time," but "next time" never comes.
Along with your long-term goals, set short-term goals that challenge you, but are achievable within two weeks. You might aim to do 15 push ups or jog a mile on the treadmill. Reaching your goals gives you a tremendous sense of accomplishment, motivating you to keep going. Once you've completed your short-term goal, set a new one to focus on. Our Fitness Fusion Classes are the perfect boost to get these short term goal mentality started!