Stand up and force your body to respond

As a trainer, I am constantly researching and experimenting new ways to vary workouts and workout routines. Let’s face it, there’s really only six or so movements you can do; press, curl, raise, extension, pull, row - yet there’s thousands of exercises. The key is to vary these basic movements in a way that will elicit a response from your body.
One basic way I like to add variation to movements is to perform them standing. For your next workout, think to yourself, which one of these movements can I execute while standing?

The following are my favorites;
• Lat pull-down (both close and wide)
• Row
• Leg curl
• Knee extension
• Overhead press
• Crunch

If you really want to get tricky, try standing on one leg while performing an exercise. Either way, remember that first and foremost proper form is the most important aspect of your training. When you are seated, in most cases your back is supported. When standing, you have very little if any support.

Master the exercise while being supported first then progress from there. I also recommend using lighter weights while standing, this helps you to remain focus on the muscles being worked.

Have a cup of tea and make it green

One of the few beverages I advocate my clients to drink other then water is green tea. Green tea has been linked to several benefits;
• May prevent the following cancers; bladder, colon, esophagus, pancreas, rectum and stomach
• Decreases the risk of coronary artery disease: Green tea lowers cholesterol which has been confirmed by both human and animal epidemiological studies. Additionally, green tea lowers Fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is a substance that can cause blood clots and strokes.
• Stimulates metabolism
• Releases Dopamine: Dopamine is the brain’s master regulator of reward and pleasure.
• Full of antioxidants
• Reduces inflammation

Due all these reasons above and more, green tea has become popular in the mainstream but be careful. The type of green tea I’m talking about here is the actual tea packets - not the Lipton bottled garbage that’s full of sugar or claims low calories and is full of artificial sugars.
I recommend my clients have two servings a day. Either have one in the morning and one before bed, or two packets at the same time. Try not to add sugar or any other artificial flavoring. If you’re not keen on the taste, once you make the tea, mix it into a shake with fresh fruit.

Instead of coffee, go green - TEA

Smart Snack Options

Consider these snacking options between meals;

• Handful of raw almonds, walnuts, pecans or pistachios - all unsalted
• Plan microwave popcorn - NO butter
• Any fruit
• Any vegetable

To add some flavor and even more nutrients to your fruit or vegetable, you can dabble some organic peanut butter or hummus. A side note to hummus, make sure to read the ingredient list. If you see “hyrodengated oil,” dump it. Hyrodgenated oil is a fancy term for trans fat which is something you want to stay away from.

Night time snacks are acceptable as long as it’s something with a high protein and/or fiber content - not carbohydrates (at night any way). My favorite night time snack is Greek Yogurt with fruit. You can always substitute the yogurt for cottage cheese if you can handle the texture of it.

Remember snacking isn’t a bad thing if done properly. As long as you keep your portions down, snacking will keep your metabolism running all day - helping you burn more calories.

A Body Weight Circuit

Sometimes you can barely get yourself to the gym and when you do, you want to leave immediately. Or, you don’t even make it to the gym and overwhelm yourself with guilt. Here’s a circuit that will make you sweat and get your heart pumping that will help alleviate your guilt in under 10 minutes;

• Regular or assisted push-ups: 10 reps
• Squats: 20 reps ( no weight)
• Object jumps: Find a small box or anything that is about two feet high. Jump back and forth ( 1 rep) over the box, 20 times
• Stand ups, lie downs: As elementary as it sounds, these are a pain in the ass. From a standing position, lie down as quick as you can on your stomach so your body is flat then quickly get back up to the standing position: 20 reps
• Mountain climbers: On all fours, kick one leg up, as you simultaneously kick one leg out, repeat this for 30 seconds
• Jumping Jacks: 30 reps

To progress this circuit, add another 5 reps or another 15 seconds to each movement. To really go crazy, see how quick you can perform this circuit twice. Either way, try this next time you don’t feel like spending time working out.

Dealing with Organic Peanut Butter’s oil

Since organic peanut butter has less preservatives then regular peanut butter, the texture is much more oily, especially when you first open the jar. As a result, every time you use it, you end up dripping gooey peanut butter everywhere or at least I do.

You could pour the oil out but by doing so, you’re pouring out important nutrients so here’s a better solution.

Next time you buy a jar of organic peanut butter, open then close the lid and put it upside down in your refrigerator. No more than an hour or two later, the texture will be just like a normal peanut butter except with more nutritional value.

Just remember that once you refrigerate something, you must keep it refrigerated so make sure to put the peanut butter jar back in the fridge after you use it.

Front Squat

Front Squats can in many ways add more value to your lower body training then regular squats yet they are often neglected and get left out of workout programs. Front squats place more emphasis on your quads and less on your hamstrings so they’re great for your frontal development.

The following bullets explain how to perform a Clean-Grip Front Squat;

• Begin with your arms extended out in front of your body with your hands at shoulder height
• Place a bar across your front deltoids (shoulders) in contact with your throat
• Use just the tips of your fingers to help keep the bar stable. You can cross your arms or not, just do not bend your wrists holding the bar
• With your head and neck neutrally aligned, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and explode up.

I recommend starting with very light weight in order to first master form. Also, if you suffer any discomfort from your grip, try using straps. Tighten straps on each side of the bar and grip them instead of the actual bar.

A Simple Way to Cut Calories While Not Cutting your Food Intake

9/10 of my clients who are looking to lose weight and body fat all immediately try to skip meals all together. THIS IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE! By skipping meals or by not supplying your body with enough fuel, you slow down your metabolism. Additionally, when this happens, your body goes into survival mode and uses whatever carbohydrate & protein storage you have left while conserving fat.

Therefore, I advise my clients to cut down on their grain product consumption (rice, potatoes, pastas etc.,) as a carbohydrate source and instead consume more fruits and vegetables (both considered a carbohydrate). You will automatically cut your calories simply by volume. You cannot easily eat as many calories with fruits or vegetables. Rather than not eating, this solution has you fueling your body with foods that are nutrient and anti-oxidant filled.

If you are trying to lose weight, do not skip meals or completely remove carbohydrates from your diet - replace grain products with fruits and vegetables!

“Live Online Personal Training:The Future of Fitness” - The Ultimate Father’s Day Gift

Forget about gym memberships and over-priced personal training; receive professional personal training from the comfort of your own home or a hotel room. All you need to do is pick the package that best suits your situation and set up your first live personal training session. Each package comes with all the equipment and directions you need to get started.

But, how does live personal training work?
Each package comes with a web cam that sets up easily onto a personal computer or laptop. From there, you follow the directions to set-up a free skype account and the client calls or emails me to set up his/her first appointment. Each training system comes with a personalized routine that I will take the client through in our live free sessions.

Do I need my own gym at home or at a hotel for this live personal training?
No. All you the need is free space and a door. All the equipment for your personalized routine is provided in each package.

What Package suits your dad best?

Gold Package: This package is perfect for people who are constantly traveling or are too busy to leave their house to workout. If you plan on working out over three days a week in-home or on the road, this package is for you! It includes a Suspension system that utilizes leverage to build lean muscle, set of resistance bands of various thickness, a web cam, two workout routines and four free live sessions for only $397.

Silver Package: This package is for people who travel every so often and sometimes have a hard time making it to the gym. If you plan on working out one – two times a week in-home or on the road, this package is for you! This package includes a Suspension system that utilizes leverage to build lean muscle, a web cam, one workout routine and two free live sessions for only $297.

Bronze Package: This package is for people who need to get started into a basic routine or are looking for a workout alternative for future travel. This package includes a set of resistance bands, a web cam, one workout routine and two live sessions for only $117.

Get dad a gift he could actually use! Order now and receive 10% off your purchase with entering coupon code “dad.”

Here’s a direct link; http://www.carabasetraining.com/index.php/component/user/?task=register

Garlic

Garlic is one of the world’s oldest medicinal foods on the planet. This global remedy’s benefits have been documented in over 1000 pharmacological studies!

Here are some reasons why;

• Garlic lowers cholesterol: Studies have shown that garlic has lowered LDL (bad cholesterol) while raising HDL (good cholesterol)
• Prevents blood clots: An active ingredient in Garlic - allicin helps prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together (blood clots), thus decreasing the risk of heart attacks
• Anticancer Properties: Epidemiological evidence has shown a decreased risk of stomach and colon cancer in areas where the consumption of garlic is high

In order to take advantage of its full potential, I recommend to crush or chop it. The preparation of garlic is crucial for its release of it’s health providing benefits. The more the compounds interact through chopping or crushing, the better!

Rather then butter or high calorie sauces, add some flavor with garlic

Core

The following is an excerpt from my article “Hardcore Summer,” under the article section of my website.

“The core is essentially the area under your sternum to just below your butt (front and back). Your core is your power, responsible for almost all movements you perform daily. When one part is weak, other areas have to compensate for its work which puts you at greater risk for injury. Why work only part of it?

The following are the major muscles of the core:
• Abdominal muscles (Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis, Internal Abdominal Oblique and External Abdominal Oblique)
• Lower back muscles
• Glute (butt) muscles
• Muscles that are around and that stabilize the hips
• Deep inner muscles that support the spine”

Check out the rest of my article to see a complete core workout and video of each movement

Aerobic v.s Anaerobic

The word “aerobic” refers to the aerobic energy system and is one of the three ways your body can fuel exercise. Whether conscious of it or not, you are constantly using your aerobic system whether your sleeping, doing chores or exercising. In this system, you’re using oxygen to burn a combination of fat and glycogen (the form of carbohydrate your body uses for energy) to fuel your body.

All-out exercise is anaerobic. Your body can not use oxygen to burn fuel so it uses chemicals inside your body to generate the energy it needs. In this system, your body uses glycogen rather than fat to keep you moving. Your body has two systems for this; one for very short bouts (up to 10 seconds) and the other for longer dashes (up to a minute).
Looking at both these systems, you’d think that exercising with the aerobic energy system would be better because you’re burning fat through it. However, the amount of fat you burn during exercise is less important than the amount you burn when you aren’t exercising. This is what’s referred to as the “after burn,” or calories your body continues to burn after your workout is over. Intensity if the most important factor in determining post-workout metabolism (after burn).

Therefore in order to be more efficient and burn a greater amount of calories, workout at higher intensities (using your anaerobic system). Rather than run for an hour on the treadmill; perform a 15 minute high intensity interval. Instead of spending an hour lifting weights, reduce your rest periods or move from exercise to exercise without rest.

Quick and Healthy

As mentioned in several other posts, skipping out on breakfast is a great way to slow down your metabolism and throw off your energy levels. Having “no time,” is not a valid excuse.

Here’s one of my favorite breakfast meals that you can make in less than three minutes.

Plane “Original” Oatmeal with Fruit and a light protein shake
• Mix 1/2 cup of oatmeal with a 3/4 cup of frozen fruit. Add a tiny bit of water so that the base of the oatmeal is wet. Microwave for 90 seconds
• Add a tsp of protein powder to an 8 oz glass of skim milk and stir until the protein is dissolved

Within a couple of minutes, you have a high protein and high fiber breakfast. The sugar from the fruit will provide enough taste for the plane oats so do not let that stop you. Rather than skipping breakfast, wake up 10 minutes earlier and try this basic recipe.

An Outdoor Cardio Workout

The following are two outdoor cardio workouts; workout A is for people who perform any type of cardiovascular activity less than twice a week. Workout B is for people who perform cardio on a daily base. Be honest with yourself, if you’re not sure where to start, try workout A first.

Workout A Beginner to Intermediate: After the warm-up, perform steps 1,2 & 3 one time each followed by step 4 five times.
Warm-up: Jog for five minutes at 50% intensity (50/100)
1. 30 yards at 60%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
2. 30 yards at 70%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
3. 30 yards at 80%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
4. 100 yards at 90%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
5. Cool down: Walk until your heart rate is back down (at least five minutes)
6. Stretch: Full body stretch. Hold each stretch for 15 seconds

Workout B Intermediate to Advance: After your warm-up, perform steps 1,2 & 3 one time each followed by step 4 ten times.

Warm-up: Jog for five minutes at 50% intensity (50/100)
1. 30 yards at 60%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
2. 30 yards at 70%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
3. 30 yards at 80%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
4. 100 yards at 90%. Jog back to the starting line at 40%
5. Cool down: Walk until your heart rate is back down (at least five minutes)
6. Stretch: Full body stretch. Hold each stretch for 15 seconds

Next time’s the sun’s out try this cardio workout outdoors. You can complete this workout on either grass or on a track. Remember, if you’re unsure what level to start at, try workout A first.

Not all Sugars are created equal

I had a consultation with a client today and when we started getting to her nutrition/diet, she made an interesting objection. I had recommend that she stop drinking orange juice and soda, to stick mainly to water for her liquid intake. She responded by implying that she can drink both soda and juice because she doesn’t eat fruit, so she’s using those sources as her sugar intake.

She was correct in that fruit along with low fat milk and most vegetables do have sugar in them. But, are they the same type of sugars as soda, most juices and condiments? Absolutely not.

Sugar that occurs naturally in foods and that contains key nutrients should not be avoided or substituted. An empty calorie refers to foods or drinks with little or no nutritional value - something that’s just calories.

These are the types of calories you want to avoid. Although orange and apple juice (depending on the quality and brand) in some cases do have some nutritional value, the amount of sugar added to these drinks is not worth it. You are better off eating an actual orange or an actual apple with a glass of water. Moreover, even though diet sodas are “diet,” they still are considered empty calories.

Avoid empty calories or in most cases “bad sugars,” at all costs. Don’t harp on yourself for eating an apple or drinking a glass of low fat milk - they contain key nutrients!

Brain Food: Blueberries

Despite the delicious taste, there are several other benefits to eating blueberries. Dr. James Joseph is a lead scientist in the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. His focus is researching what we should eat to keep our brains functioning full throttle as we age.

Typically rats show the same kind of decrease in performance as humans do around middle age. In one of Dr. Joseph’s experiments, he feed the lab animals extracts of blueberries. He found that there were no signs of any loss in coordination, balance or intelligence with these rats.

Blueberries contain compounds like anthocyanin that are anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. There compounds are involved in killing major diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and heart disease.

Research has also showed that blueberries keep the memory sharp. A compound in blueberries call polyphenols turn on the signals that get neurons to communicate much more efficiently inside your brain. This compound is also capable of growing new neurons.

Top Ranked: According to the ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (a rating system for antioxidant power), blueberries have consistently ranked high on ORAC values out of any food in the world.

To take advantage of all these great benefits, add blueberries to your grocery list and add 1/2 cup a day of wild or frozen berries to your diet. Every morning I add frozen blueberries to my oatmeal and sometimes to my post-workout shake. Whichever way you choose, make sure get them in your daily diet- you’d be stupid not to.

TRX Suspension Trainer

The TRX is one of my favorite pieces of equipment because as simple as it looks, it’s extremely challenging and requires your core strength. I try to stress functional over traditional training with all my clients. Functional refers to being able to do things for a purpose, such as everyday activities. For example, a TRX chest press is functional because you’re using your core to keep your body stable and your posture upright, while pressing your body weight. Whereas with a traditional bench press, you’re lying flat (very little posture or core strength involved) and pressing a weight.If you’re pressing or pulling anything in an everyday situation, is your body supported? In most cases it’s not, therefore you must call on your core to stabilize your body. So why would you not train this way? Unfortunately most people don’t and end up injuring themselves with some everyday chore.

To make each TRX movement more difficult, rather than having to add more weight, you can change on the fly by adjusting your positioning or the plane you are working in.
Sometimes I will show up to my on-site sessions with just the TRX. At first glance my clients always think they’re getting a freebee or a bullshit workout. No longer then a few reps in, they’ll be bright red and getting worked!

The following are a few of my favorite TRX movements;
• Single Leg Squat
• Inverted Row
• Single Leg Bird Dip
• Reverse Crunch
• Leg Curl

All you need is a stable pole, tree or door and you can set-up your TRX. Make sure to check the stability of whatever you attach it to before attempting any movement. The TRX is a great alternative for people who travel a lot and/or workout at home. I offer the entire TRX system, along with a webcam and two live (computer to computer) training sessions in my Silver and Gold online training packages.