Health, Fitness & Workout in New York City

The Shoulders are a muscle group that is very important to a balanced physique. Nicely shaped Shoulders on a woman will enhance her hour glass figure. Nicely shaped Shoulders on a man will enhance his V-taper. These two things will help complete a physique. I will show you how to do this in four easy moves. The moves are the shoulder press, the side raise, the rear delt raise and the front raise.

The Shoulder Press

Sitting upright grab the weights and bring them to shoulder level. Exhaling press them overhead just shotr of lockout to keep the tension on the Shoulders. Inhaling slowly lower the weight back to shoulder level and repeat the motion. Remember to choose a rep range and weight for your goal. Use a full range of motion as long as you have no physical limitations.

The Side Raise

Standing, grab a pair of dumbelles and let them hang at your sides. Leading with your elbows begin lifting the dumbelles directly out to your side making sure to keep your elbows higher than your hands and your pinkies higher than your thumbs. Raise them only to shoulder level and parallel to the ground. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position and repeat. Again use the proper rep range for your goals.

The Rear Delt Raise

Position your upper body parallel to the floor if achieving this position is difficult lie face down on an incline bench. Grab a pair of dumbelles and again leading with your elbows lift the dumbelles out to your side try to keep your hands moving towards ear level to fully activate the rear delts. Slowly lower the weight and repeat the motion. Don’t forget the proper rep range for you.

The Front Raise

Standing grab a pair of dumbelles and let them hang in front of you. With a slight bend at the elbow keep the arms locked and lift the dumbelles in front of you as high as your chin. Slowly lower the weight and repeat the motion. Don’t forget the rep range for your goals.

Try this routine for six weeks using some of the other principles I’ve written about and let me know how it works. Thanks !!!

For all of you who thought you never needed a trainer here are a few good reasons why having one is necessary!

As soon as your body gets into a routine, your workout training stops having the same effect, so there are different tools used in training to reach your goals and keep yourself progressing. Some types of training or techniques, such as the kettle bells or the TRX Training are only known by a certified personal trainer. Bosu Training and resistance bands are two other methods of training designed to tone and strengthen your body. A bosu looks like a half circle used for core training. It is a great way to achieve better balance and isolate core muscles. Resistance bands can be used instead of weights especially if you have any injuries. Also they are great to create your own resistance and are great to travel with.

Here at Better Body NYC we pride ourselves in using all forms of training to always keep your training exciting and to stimulate your muscles to produce better change in your body. Feel free to contact us for your personalized one on one session!

A new year, a new circuit to shake things off!

2010 is here and many of us have made resolutions to chance our lifestyles or increase our levels of fitness. The easiest way to do this is with baby steps, because we don’t want to do too much too soon. Approaching fitness that way will lead to burnout and frustration.

The first thing to do is schedule fitness time for yourself and stick to your appointments. In past blogs I’ve talked about this, and another thing I talked about is how to break up your week. I’ll give you just one example of a week.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday perform full body circuits

On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday perform at least 40 minutes of cardiovascular activity

Do this routine for six weeks and then switch it up. I’ll let you know how then. Also watch the video above with Kate Hurwitz and Spencer Olchin teaching you a whole new circuit training workout, by Better Body Health and Fitness NYC. If you are not ready to hire a personal trainer yet, that is not a reason to don’t workout. Make some room at home, subscribe to our YouTube videos and start training!

Wanna a free fitness consultation?

Looking for a gym or a personal trainer in New York City, to help you change your lifestyle and get your body in shape? Watch the video below and learn how to get a free fitness consultation by e-mail or phone!

Do you want to increase your lifts? One way to do that is with Power Factor Training, also thought of as Power Lockout Training. This method can be used to increases all your major presses such as your bench, shoulder press and even your leg press. This method can also be used to increase your squat and even your dead-lift. However, EXTREME CAUTION MUST BE USED! I cannot stress this enough.  This is a method for experienced advanced lifters only!

The most important piece of equipment you need is an adjustable power rack with safeties and racks. The Leg Press is already designed with both. A way to think of correctly using this method is to think about using a limited range of motion while using extremely heavy weights.

The first thing to do is set up the rack with the safeties at the top quarter of the lift you will perform using a weight that is above your maximum. Perform the limited range lift for reps. As you get stronger over the course of a proper amount of time lower the safeties extending the range of motion until you perform it in the full range. You will now be able to increase your presses.

Also watch and please comment on the video below, where I explain more about how to get stronger and increase your bench presses.

I just spent the holidays in Camden, Maine. I had a great time but found myself in desperate need to find a gym! I personally do not like to go more than two days without going to the gym -some might think I’m crazy but I get stir crazy!!

I found the YMCA of Camden, Maine. I love exploring new gyms. After spending every day in the gym I find myself excited to enter new terrain! I always have a great workout in a new place. A change in scenery is a great stimulant -I feel invigorated and excited to challenge myself throughout my workout.

On that note, maybe a change in gyms is good once in awhile. If you are at a chain gym maybe try one of their other locations. Sometimes even taking a class at another gym is something to look forward too. Keep your workouts fresh and exciting!!!

Happy New Year to all! We have all made our resolutions -now the important part is keeping them!

Personally whenever the new year begins I promise myself I will eat better and stop all bad food habits I might have! I think it is important to remember to make small adjustments. Maybe it is to stop sweets, or not eat cheese, or not eat past 7 pm.

Whatever your resolution might be pick one certain aspect from your style of eating and start with a small change

I think it is important to be prepared and organized with your daily meals. Plan your day out -envision what it is you are going to eat for that day. Plan your meals for the day! Remember it is best to eat every 3 hours. This means you need to organize 5 or 6 meals for each day.

It’s helpful to do your grocery shopping over the weekend so you have your week planned. If you don’t cook, make sure you’ve planned where you will be ordering your food from for the day. When I have to order, when ordering lunch I make sure to order dinner as well so I don’t find myself making a poor dinner choice because it got late and I didn’t want to wait for food or the healthy place I wanted to order from was closed or most importantly (which became I bad habit of mine) I skip dinner.

Again and again I am told snacks are hard to make time for and hard to come across. Better Body Blog gives you a list of healthy snacks to prepare you for the new year. It is best to buy your snacks and carry them with you to work or if you are able to store them at work. Good luck to you in the new year and I hope this list comes in handy!

• Veggies and hummus

• Celery and organic peanut butter

• Hummus with rice cracker

• Home made delicious smoothie

• Apple with almond butter

• Organic yogurt

• Edamame

• Whole grain chip with salsa

As a professional fitness coach I am often asked “How do I shape my inner and outer thighs?”. I will describe four movements that will help you to make it. Besides simple vanity there are advantages to working these muscles. The main advantage is stability of the leg especially around the knee.

By watching the video below you can follow the three movements I will describe: The Sumo Squat, The Lateral Lunge also called The Side Lunge, and The Lying Inner and Outer Thigh Leg Raise.

• The Sumo Squat

Begin by placing your feet well outside your shoulders with your feet turned out about 30 degrees. Once in position start lowering your body performing a squat allowing your knees to head out towards tour toes. By activating your outer thighs you will allow this to happen. When you drop just below parallel push through your heels and begin straightening your legs again activating your outer thighs. At the top of the movement squeeze your gluts and inner thighs then repeat the movement. Perform the proper amount of reps as required by your goals.

• The Lateral Lunge

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Step out to the side with one leg far enough to keep the opposite leg straight as you bend the stepping leg down. Go just below parallel and the fire the outer thigh, leg and glute to push yourself back to the starting position. It is important to fire the inner thigh on the straight leg to maintain stability. Perform the same movement with the opposite leg. This exercise can be performed one leg at a time or in an alternating pattern. Again perform the proper amount of reps.

• Lying Inner and Outer Thigh Leg Raise

Position yourself on the floor lying on your side keeping your legs stacked. Bend the bottom leg and now lift the top leg as high as you can firing the outer thigh, perform the proper amount of reps and then switch legs. To do that you must bend the top leg over the bottom leg. Lift the bottom leg of the ground as high as you can by firing the inner thighs, perform the proper amount of reps and sets and then switch sides of your body.

These moves will help you. Please feel free to comments and contact us at Better Body NYC anytime.

Do you ever find yourself starved later in the day around 4pm? Do you sometimes want to pull your hair out of your head because you don’t know what to eat?! Should you have a meal, or a snack? And should you have protein or carbs? These are all legitimate questions!

One major solution to poor eating and major snacking in the late day is eating fiber. Foods rich in fiber help curb your appetite. Now the key is to eat the fiber in the morning so by the time later in the day comes you are not hungry!

I find eating oatmeal in the morning helps with snacking later in the day. Make sure you get some steel cut oats -you can even add flax seeds- and make sure they are crushed. There is also bread made high in fiber or fiber bars -be careful of the sugar in some of these fiber bars!! Also remember to get protein at breakfast as well. Some of you might think this is way too much food, but you can eat the oatmeal and then have a protein shake a couple hours later.

Here Is a great recipe for oatmeal!!

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 2 cups of water

• When almost ready, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts

• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of dried fruit

• Flax seeds crushed

• Agave to sweeten for taste

• Optional: add 1/2 cup of non fat Greek yogurt
  

On Saturday morning I was having a conversation with two very close friends of mine. The subject of the conversation was DIET. My friends were commenting how hard and terrible it is to DIET. They were saying that the first 3 words in DIET are DIE and how dieting will kill you. Naturally I turned that right around and told them not dieting will kill you.

That comment made me think and I came up with another saying DIET is a four letter word but it is not a dirty word. The word diet should be thought of in a positive light. A diet does not have to be a calorie restricted misery causing thing. A diet should be thought of simply as a way of eating. If your goal is to lose weight than you must eat and exercise a certain way. If your goal is to gain weight than you must eat and exercise in a certain way. Once your goals are clearly defined, which I’ve touched on in the past, then your DIET and exercise program must follow suit.

Once again I will stress that when you train with Better Body Health and Fitness NYC your entire program from DIET to exercise will be personalized to your specific goals. As you will be constantly evolving we will do it with you. Thank You and please feel free to contact and train with us.