Last issue we focused on the treadmill. Because of that, I have to inform you that there is no “best” machine. What determines the type of machine that is “best” for you at each stage of your fitness routine depends on many factors. The elliptical trainer is probably most known for having less impact on the joints, esp. the knees–this is true. Your feet stay planted on the legs of the machine and in contact throughout your workout. This constant contact decreases the force of pounding on your ankles, knees, hips and spine.
For anyone with injuries in these areas- this is a great thing! I actually have a client now who went from running on the treadmill to loving the elliptical because he broke his toe! He didn’t want to lose momentum in his program so he found this machine to provide him a good workout that would even help him last longer and burn more calories and not put pressure on his broken toe. Talk about dedication! But he has one major component of all cardio training down in our system and that is the use of the Heart Rate Monitor. Let’s go over how to maximize your time on the elliptical trainer.
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As a beginner in the gym, you might be highly intimidated to look around at all the people who are already in their “routine”. You know that you are there to lose weight, build muscle, improve your health and so on but where do you start? There are many myths about the gym, how to workout, what works and what doesn’t. Some trainers have even named some of these myths “Gym Science” because many techniques often lack any scientific information–only experience of individuals. These myths that I am going to point out might seem very basic but I assure you that if we all understood these basic facts, our workouts would be very different and the industry would not have the same amount of gimmicks out there to confuse you. Once you read this article, you will start asking questions- lots of questions. You may send them to the magazine at ______________________ or to me directly at jj_flizanes@invisiblefitness.com. I will try to incorporate the answers either into the Q& A section of this magazine or in the second half of this article, Gym Myths for the more advanced. The first myth I would like to point out is that “everyone knows how to workout”. So relax… you are not suppose to know.
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- Ladies don’t be afraid of leg exercises. A lot of women think that building their legs will only make them “bigger”. Well they will get bigger
if you only do resistance training and forget to tweak your diet and add cardio! Most lower-body exercises include the glutes, otherwise known as the “toosh”, and will help firm and tone that backside.
- Kickboxing is a great form of cardio that uses the quads and glutes to lift and push. I have seen all my female clients improve their glutes through this and get their own “butt lift”.
- Spinning also can kick your butt literally if you climb those hills!!!!
- Stair climbing- and I don’t mean the stair master. Try taking every other stair next time you have steps to climb. Be sure to have your entire foot secure on the step ahead of you though before you transfer your body weight. GO SLOWLY. The slower the better. Caution- don’t do this in heels please!
- Isometric training- depending on the state of your knees, a wall sit or isometric squat will burn your bottom into shape! Start to perform a squat, stick you butt back behind you as you lower yourself down like you were going to sit back on a chair. When you get 75% of the way down to where you can still hold yourself upright, stop and hold! Hold it for 60-90 seconds. Repeat as many times as you can handle
About the author:
J.J. Flizanes is the director and founder behind Invisible Fitness and the creator of the 90 Day Health and Body Makeover: http://www.90dayhealthandbodymakeover.com She was selected as one of the top six personal trainers for 2003 by Shape Magazine and was named the Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine’s Global Black Book “Best of the Best”. J.J. has been featured on NBC, KTLA CBS and has appeared in many national magazines such as Fitness, Muscle and Fitness HERS, Elegant Bride, E Pregnancy, and more. Invisible Fitness can be reached at 1 800 571 5722, www.invisiblefitness.com
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Resistance Training: Yes this mean weights. But it also means water, tubing, sand, wind, babies, people…. whatever force provides your movements with resistance. Why resistance? Your metabolism is based mostly on how much muscle you have. Muscle is active, fat is not. Muscle requires energy, fat does not. If you are made up of mostly muscle, you will need more energy then someone made up mostly of fat.
Make sense? YOU WILL NOT LOOK LIKE A BODYBUILDER. Unless you want to train for that and take steroids or creatine– building muscle does not mean looking like a body builder. This would be why most of us do the WRONG exercises and wonder why it’s so hard to keep the weight off. Resistance training builds bone, increases your metabolism, and helps you burn more fat and energy when you are NOT working out. Sound pretty simple? It’s not. Picking up a weight and pushing or pulling it won’t be very effective if you have no idea why you are doing it exactly and what you hope to gain from it.
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So what do I do when I get to the gym? What are the basics that I should keep in mind while I am exercising?
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Know what neutral spine is—how your head, ribcage, pelvis and legs are aligned and practice standing in it always—ESP when you exercise. Back injuries and joint injuries can occur when you practice “ imbalance”
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Abs/Core: Learn how to engage and use your core. You can produce at least 50% more strength when you use your core muscles then when you are not. Ask me to show you.
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Breathing: Exhale when you do the “harder” part of the exercise. Do not hold your breathe—use it to help you push/pull/lift
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Do repetitions SLOWLY with control: if you can’t do it slowly, it’s too heavy or you’re not ready. Exercise is suppose to be good for you—unless you do it mindlessly and hurt yourself because of lack of information
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To build muscle: there is a PHYSIOLOGICAL equation if you will, to building muscle, increasing endurance, building explosive strength, etc…. and HOW you do the exercises will be different for each one. Ask me about this one too since I don’t want to assume I know your goals.
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All exercise is not created equally: everyone should NOT use the same piece of equipment or follow the same range/pattern of motion since we all are built differently. If you find what you are doing is causing joint pain or uneven pain, ask for help on how to change the exercise or adjust your motion to make it work for your body.
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If you need motivation—get a partner if you can’t hire someone. Be accountable to someone so you’ll do it. I have had 3 trainers in my life so far and I can’t wait to have another!!!! Doing it alone makes it easy to skip or wimp out. We aren’t all driven all the time…find what motivates you and stick to it. Chart your exercise, food and progress so you can see how your hard work is paying off! Or put a pair of tight pants away for a few weeks and try them on later…. Whatever motivates you! Good luck!
About the author:
J.J. Flizanes is the director and founder behind Invisible Fitness and the creator of the 90 Day Health and Body Makeover: http://www.90dayhealthandbodymakeover.com She was selected as one of the top six personal trainers for 2003 by Shape Magazine and was named the Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine’s Global Black Book “Best of the Best”. J.J. has been featured on NBC, KTLA CBS and has appeared in many national magazines such as Fitness, Muscle and Fitness HERS, Elegant Bride, E Pregnancy, and more. Invisible Fitness can be reached at 1 800 571 5722, www.invisiblefitness.com
Technorati Tags: J.J. Flizanes, Invisible Fitness, 90 day health and body makeover, the basics at the gym, going to the gym, gym workouts
