Yesterday afternoon, I received and e ma

Yesterday afternoon, I received and e mail from a young football player interested in building bigger, stronger thighs. He did squats, lunges, etc but didn’t have a grasp of what he was doing. I imagine that he doesn’t fully understand the anatomy of the quadraceps, so I wanted to shed some light on that this entry. Once you understand how the quad works, you will find it easier to visualize your quad workouts. The quads are made up of 4 muscles:
1. Vastus Medialis
2. Vastus Intermedius
3. Vastus Lateralis
4. Rectus Femoris

These 4 muscles are found on the front of the thigh. They originate at the top of the femur (largest bone in the leg) and attach down on the tibia. The purpose of the quads is to straighten and extend the knee. Different Parts Of The Quad The term “quad” means four. Therefore the quadriceps is made up of 4 distinct muscles. The front of the quad is made up of the rectus femoris. The rectus femoris, goes across the hip joint and originates on the pelvis itself. Directly underneath the rectus femoris is the vastus intermedius. Then on either side of both you will find muscles that run parallel. These are the vastus medialis (on the inside of the leg) and the vastus lateralis (on the outside of the leg). Simply type in quadraceps in any search engine to see a picture of the muscle group for a visual. http://ow.ly/i/3xyT7

In the previous entry I mentioned the co

In the previous entry I mentioned the concept of over training. What is over training and how do we avoid it? Over training is simply what the name implies. Over working a muscle group. Logic would dictate you get what you put into something, but the human body is different. If we overuse a muscle it fails to respond in strength as well as growth. It’s important to use it without overdoing it. Sticking with 3 sets for smaller muscle groups and 4-5 sets for the bigger ones will keep you out of trouble. In addition, you only should train a specific muscle once every 5-7 days.

Working Out While Pregnant?

I received a phone call from a prospective client this afternoon who is 7 months pregnant and wanting to work out. She was curious if I’d accept her as a client in that state. You can still work out when you’re pregnant, but obviously you’ll have to make concessions is what I told her. For example, abdominal work is a lousy idea as is anything else that forces you to lie on your back for fear that it may cut off the baby’s blood supply. Squats and lunges are ok with light weights for a while with most people, but towards the 8th month or so, they should be curtailed as well. What can you do? Gentle toning and plenty of stretching. Once the big day is behind you, you’ll be ready to get back to the gym in full force. But until that day comes, remember, the better shape you’re in before giving birth, the better your chances of having an easier time of it. It should go without saying that the better your nutrition is during the pregnancy, the better off you and your baby will be. For now as well as for the long term.

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Body Types

As a personal trainer in Austin, one thing I’ve heard a lot of over the years is a frustrated person wanting to have the look they see someone else with, but they’re unable to achieve it seemingly no matter what they do. This is either because they’re not training and eating the proper way to ensure success, or simply because they have the wrong body type for the goal and therefore, it’s unrealistic. There are 3 distinct body types. They are endomorphic, ectomorphic, and mesomorphic. An endomorph is a naturally large framed, heavy set person who gains weight easily and has a harder time shedding it. An ectomorph is the polar opposite. They have a hard time gaining weight and keeping it on. A mesomorph is the middle ground. Those people can gain muscle relatively easily and are able to shed fat when they need to without too much stress. The truth is, while some people are classic examples of ecto’s, meso’s or endo’s, most of us are a combination of 2 types. The trick to achieving your goals is firstly, to be realistic about your body and secondly to train and eat for your body type. In the past I’ve discussed fast and slow twitch muscle fibers and appropriate training for them. This is along those same lines and deserves equal consideration. If you’ve always been heavy set and big boned and your goal is to look like Lance Armstrong, honestly, it’s not going to happen. Being realistic and then working within the parameters of your individual body type will get you the most mileage from your workouts and nutrition, and the greatest chances for success.

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• Body Types: Doomed to be Chubby or Blessed to be Lean? (ffotb.com)

Toning and Weight Training

How do I get toned is what a lady asked me in her e mail this morning. The answer is couple weight training with aerobic exercise and then add in healthy eating habits and you have the most effective formula for fat loss and toning. What is toning? Toning simply refers to the decrease of fat and addition of muscle. The fact is, every year after the age of 25, the average American gains one pound of body weight and loses roughly one half pound of muscle. Embarking on an exercise regime and proper diet can ensure this won’t happen to you. While aerobic exercise burns fat during exercise, anaerobic exercises, like weight training or sprints utilize fat hours after exercise. Weight training also increases the metabolism a second way by increasing muscle tissue. One pound of muscle burns approximately 30-50 Calories per day while a pound of fat only burns about three Calories per day. The bottom line is that beyond superficial, the addition of lean muscle will improve your vigor, your self image, and most importantly, your health.

Related articles

• Is Cardio or Weight Lifting Better For Losing Weight? (inspirehomefitness.com)

Gym Etiquette

A new client asked me yesterday about gym etiquette. She was curious what it was like in the “meathead culture”. I explained that it’s very much like most other cultures. You treat others how you wish to be treated and you’ll coexist nicely. There are certain gym rules of etiquette that applies no matter if you’re by yourself or with a personal trainer. Here are a few simple rules to get you started. Always allow others to work in on the equipment that you’re using. No cellphones on the gym floor. Wipe your sweat off the equipment for the next person. Don’t walk directly in front of people that are lifting. It’s distracting and very aggravating. Don’t talk to people that are concentrating. It’s a workshop, not a happy hour. Don’t be loud. Last but not least, is put away your equipment when you’re done using it. That means re racking the weights, stripping the plates off bars/machines, etc. Nobody should ever have to pick up after you. Be considerate of others and have a great workout!

Personal Training and Kids

Occasionally people will ask me if I offer personal training for kids. The answer is yes. I have, and do for children ages 10 and up. Is it a worthy investment for the parents? Truthfully, the answer varies from family to family. Some kids aren’t willing to do something they’re uninterested in just because their parents want them to and therefore are resistant to learning. In cases like these, I simply tell the parents the truth and we go our separate ways. No more money wasted for them, no more time wasted for me. Some children, however, really take a liking to the new challenges I present to them weekly and do very well. Those kids, like their adult counterparts that try their best, are true joys to work with. If you’re wondering if your children should or can begin personal training, give me a call and we’ll sit down and discuss it with them. They’ll get to meet me and see the gym. If they’re interested and benefit, fantastic! If not, there’s always flute lessons. Check us out at Complete Fitness Design

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Choosing the Right Personal Trainer

Choosing the right personal trainer Austin is a very important thing to do correctly. Especially if you’re just starting out in the world of fitness. If you make a bad choice, you’re not likely to stick with it when it becomes obvious that you’re not getting what you paid for or worse yet, when you get hurt. There are plenty of good trainers available. The problem is, there are also plenty of bad ones too. So how does one differentiate between the good and the bad? It’s not so simple to the untrained eye (absolutely no pun intended!) A trainer doesn’t need to look like what we think of as the typical personal trainer with the big muscles and tanned skin. Spiffy athletic clothing and a gold necklace… That’s all nonsense. A trainer isn’t a fashion plate nor a fitness model, but a trainer certainly should be in shape. After all, how can you expect them to be able to get you in shape if they can’t do it themselves? As they say. Never trust a skinny chef. Secondly, I would suggest working out in the same gym as a trainer that you’re interested in and simply observing them while they’re with clients a few times. Do they interact and communicate their points well? Do they spend more time looking in the mirror than at the client toiling away in front of them? Are they on the phone or eating? Where’s their attention being placed? On themselves or on the client? A major point to look at as well is of course experience. It’s quite frankly not too difficult to become a certified personal trainer. It is, however, difficult and time consuming to acquire the knowledge needed and the ability to use it on a variety of clients with different needs. The trainers at big corporate gyms are less likely to be as experienced as those working for themselves. This doesn’t always hold true, but it’s generally a pretty accepted fact in the industry. When you operate your own business, you are personally liable and responsible for the client’s success and well-being. A company employee is exempt from most liabilities and cannot offer guarantees concerning results, etc. Nutrition is a major factor in anybody’s success regardless of their goals. In a nutshell, if the trainer doesn’t have a good grasp of advanced, detailed nutrition, they’re going to fail you sooner or later. Gaining muscle, losing weight or just improving one’s health is greatly dependent on proper, specialized nutrition. Probably the biggest thing to look for is compatibility. Do you actually like this person? There are plenty of us to go around with all types of approaches and dispositions. Take the time to find someone that you’ll enjoy spending many hours with. If it’s an uncomfortable or strained relationship, it’s unlikely to be productive. Am I biased? Of course. I love to think I’m the best personal trainer in Austin hands down and everyone can benefit from my services. Is that true? Maybe, but then again maybe someone else is a better fit for you. If you’d like to find out for yourself, give me a call and come on down for a free consultation and you can make up your own mind!

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Light or Heavy Weights?

A frequently asked question of me as a personal trainer Austin is whether one should lift heavy weights for low reps or lighter weights for higher reps in order to build muscle. There’s the conventional wisdom saying that in order to bulk up, one must lift heavy and in order to tone up, one should use lighter weight and higher reps. This is true to some extent, however, no blanket training method is surefire. I’ve had plenty of men come up to me and say that they’ve been lifting heavy with proper techniques and they’re not experiencing growth. Plenty of women have said they’re bulking up and never wished to and asked me why. What do I know that they or their trainer doesn’t? Often times, the solution to the problem lies in the training method. Everybody has a balance of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers in every one of their skeletal muscles. The key is to recognize which fiber type is predominant in the muscle you’re training. For example. My biceps are fast twitch predominantly; therefore, I train them with heavier weights and lower repetitions. My calves on the other hand, are comprised of slow twitch fibers and respond better to higher reps with lighter loads. This is not to say that there are no fast twitch fibers in my calves. There are and they must be recruited as well, but just not to the same extent that the slow twitch fibers are. We’re all different, which is why what works for one, may not work for the other. It’s rather involved because of the 3 classifications of body type. Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph. On top of that, the fast/slow twitch fiber composition issue. Once these things are correctly assessed, a proper nutrition and training plan can be put together that will successfully bring the client to his or her goals, no matter what they may be.

Read more at our Complete Fitness design blog

Consistency

I’ve often heard people talking in the gym about how long they’ve been working out and often it comes up that they’re a little disappointed with the lack of progress for such a time investment. I can say for sure that it’s been common over the years for people to cancel a lot of sessions and then wonder why they don’t look and feel like a million bucks. Those that cancel repeatedly usually aren’t adequately motivated enough to get results. The only way positive change comes around is through consistency whether you hire a personal trainer or not. That means eating what you’re supposed to when you don’t feel like it. It means going in for your workout when you you’d rather be elsewhere. Even when you’re lacking energy, a good trainer can harness what little reserve you’ve got and turn it into a great workout. Remember, it’s not how much weight you lift, but rather how you lift it. There are plenty of techniques a good personal trainer in Austin should have up his/her sleeve to extract the remaining energy stores and put them to productive use. Joining a gym is a great, often times, brave first step. An equally big and important second step is to go there.