Tone Triceps For Tank Tops

If you are wanting to add definition to your arms for the sleeveless summer season, it is important to concentrate on developing your triceps. The triceps are the muscles located at the back of your arms between your elbow and your shoulder. Although most people think about biceps when developing their arms, it actually makes more sense to focus on the triceps as they are a larger muscle group and body-fat is more commonly stored on the back of the arms.

The triceps are used in any activity where the arms extend from a bent position and in most exercises where the arms are required to push. Since the triceps are used in so many motions and can be worked at your side, straight ahead or overhead, training them offers a great chance to add variation to your workout. Tricep development is crucial for most sports. They are specifically isolated in the pole work required for cross-country skiing, but triceps are also required for throwing a baseball or frisbee. Below are two of the most effective and easy to learn exercises for great tricep development.

The first exercise is called Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions with 2 arms. Use a moderately weighted dumbbell for this exercise and sit with your feet shoulder-width apart on a bench that provides back support. Hold the dumbbell vertically above your head so that your palms are resting against the underside of the upper side of the dumbbell and encircle the handle with your thumbs to keep the weight from slipping out of your hands. Push the dumbbell upward until your arms are straight and the dumbbell is directly above your head. Keeping your elbows motionless against the sides of your head, slowly lower the weight backward in a semicircular arc until your arms are fully bent. Reverse the motion and use your tricep strength to straighten your arms into the starting position.

The second exercise is called Bench Dips. To perform this exercise, arrange two benches beside each other about three to five feet apart. Sit on one bench with your hands at the sides of your hips. Grasp the bench firmly with your hands and place your feet on the second bench. Keeping your torso upright, slowly lower your body until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and return to the starting position. To decrease the intensity of this exercise, put your feet on the floor instead of a bench; to increase the intensity, carefully put some weight in your lap.

Perform these exercises two to three times each week and you will see and feel your triceps tone up. To maximize your results, be sure to perform cardiovascular exercise at least three times each week and concentrate on having a balanced diet. Always contact your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Simplify Your Cardiovascular Workout

Cardiovascular exercise can help to reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and body-fat, however, it is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the options available for a cardiovascular workout. You can choose between a stationary bike, treadmill, stairclimber, elliptical machine, or rowing machine or you may prefer aerobic classes, a walk or run outdoors, or even a little cross-country skiing. Whatever you choose, there is a simple formula to ensure that you are utilizing your time the most effectively.

Step One:

Figure out your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. For example, a 35 year-old person would have a maximum heart rate of 185.

Step Two:

To determine your target heart range, multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.6. Then multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.8. That means our 35-year-old example with a maximum heart rate of 185 would have a target heart range of 111 to 148 beats per minute.

Step Three:

An easy way to manually take your pulse is to turn your hand palm up and place your index and middle fingers gently across your wrist. Feel for a pulse over the radial artery(on the thumb side of your wrist). Then count the number of beats you feel in 10 seconds. Just multiply that number by six and that is the number of beats per minute. Start by taking your pulse every five to 10 minutes during your cardio workout until you become familiar with working in your optimal range.

Try to stay within your target heart rate range a minimum of three times a week for 20-50 minutes. If you work above your target heart rate range you may be burning stored sugar or possibly even lean body tissue instead of body-fat. High intense workouts such as Tae Bo, Spinning Classes, or Interval Workouts are great for advanced exercisers, but if you are simply looking to slim down these workouts may not be for you.

Feel free to utilize different pieces of equipment or stay active outdoors. There is no \”best exercise\” when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, the most important rule is to stay within your target heart range and not to overdo it. You should always stay within your comfort zone when it comes to cardiovascular exercise and consult your physician before you start.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Record Your Workouts For Improved Results

If you are working out on a regular basis it is a good idea to record your workouts so you can monitor your progress. You can start by recording the exercises that you are performing by keeping track of the sets and repetitions that you perform with each exercise. This information is important because it will help you to see if your strength and endurance are improving.

It is a good idea to record as much relevant information as possible in your workout log. Instead of only monitoring your exercises, sets, and repetitions, also try monitoring your breaks between your sets, your body-weight or body-fat, your stretching and even record if you feel muscle soreness after each workout.

Recording the breaks that you take between your sets and exercises will help in varying the intensity of your workouts. You will find that if you are training with heavier weights that you may need longer breaks for full muscle recovery. You also may find that short breaks with a moderate weight can greatly increase the intensity of your workout, and you can accomplish a lot more in a much shorter period of time.

Recording your body-weight or body-fat on a weekly or monthly basis is a good way to monitor your progress. Some of our female clients use their clothes as a guide to their physical improvements. It does not matter how you monitor your progress, it is more important to focus on the advancements in your exercise routine and how it results in your physical improvements.

Recording your body’s response to an exercise routine can also show you a lot about your exercise progression. For instance, if you perform a workout and you are sore the next day, but the following week you are not sore you can see how your body has adapted to the increased physical demands. Recording your body\’s response to exercises can also show you the benefit of certain activities. For instance, you may perform an exercise that always results in muscle soreness the following day, however, a simple stretching routine may reduce the soreness greatly.

Recording your workouts can also help you with variability. A variety of exercise helps to prevent psychological burn-out and physical adaptation. Repetitive and unvaried training programs often lead to a plateau in results and occasionally to loss of strength and over-training injuries.

Recording your workouts is not only applicable for those of you that workout in a gym, it is also great for monitoring your running, hiking, swimming and many other activities. For instance, if you are planning on improving your time in the “Sun Run” it is a good idea to monitor you time and distance with each run. This way you can set personal goals and consistently improve upon your current personal best.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

My doctor says that I need more protein in my diet?

Protein is the major source of building material for the body and next to water is the most plentiful substance in the body. Protein is of primary importance in the growth and development of all body tissues. It is the major source of building material for muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs, including the heart and the brain. Protein requirements differ according to nutritional status, body size, and activity levels. Many nutritionists calculate an individual’s protein requirement by dividing the body-weight by two and the result indicates the approximate number of grams of protein required each day. For example, a person weighing 160 pounds requires approximately 80 grams of protein daily. Chicken and fish are great sources of protein. A 6oz chicken breast contains approximately 30 grams of protein and 6oz of halibut contains approximately 35 grams of protein.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Maximize Your Gluteus Maximus

If you are looking for the best exercise that will help to develop your lower body-especially your gluteus maximus and your thigh muscles, then read on. There is always debate over the single best lower-body exercise, however, in my opinion, the best lower body exercises for both men and women are lunges. Performing lunges with proper exercise technique guarantees that you will see and feel the changes, especially in your gluteus maximus. Included here are two variations of this great exercise that can be incorporated into your fitness routine.

Alternating Lunges

Stand with your feet together and your toes pointed straight ahead keeping your hands at your sides. Take an exaggerated step forward with your right leg. Bend your right knee slowly, lowering your body close to the floor. Keep your right knee directly over the right foot and your back straight. Most of your weight should be over your front foot. When your rear knee is about two inches above the floor, hold for one second before slowly returning to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with your left leg. You should feel your gluteus and thigh muscles, not your knees, ankles or back.

Walking Lunges

Stand facing a room approximately 20-50 feet long. Step forward with your right leg and slowly lower your body until your rear knee is about two inches above the floor. Remember to keep your right knee directly over your right foot while keeping your back straight and shoulders upright. Step forward with your left leg and repeat the above. Continue lunging across the room, alternating legs. As with alternate lunges, you should feel your gluteus and thigh muscles, and not your knees, ankles or back. This is a favorite exercise of many of our NHL hockey players who want to improve on their power and explosive ability.

These are advanced exercises so be sure to start slowly and progress at your own pace. Start by choosing one exercise and perform two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions. Take a one to two minute break between each set depending on your comfort level. To increase the intensity, try holding weights in each hand. You can perform these exercises two to three times each week, however, be sure to allow a minimum of 24 hours rest between your workouts so that your body has sufficient time to recover. If you are not engaged in an exercise program consult your doctor before you start.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Gym Jargon

If you are not familiar with gym terminology then entering a fitness club can be like moving to a new country. Buns of steel and pumping iron is just the beginning, it is not uncommon to hear someone in a fitness club say “I did strip sets on my wheels today…” Get ready for an introduction to common gym jargon.

When you are in a gym you will hear people talking about their routines. Some people may do a whole body routine or a split routine. A whole body routine is when a person does an exercise for each major muscle group each time that they workout. A split routine is when a person splits the muscle groups that they perform each workout into two or more days. This may consist of performing legs, shoulders and abdominals on one day and chest, back, and arms on the other day. Generally split routines are more advanced than whole body programs, some people even do a four day split which means breaking their body parts up into four different workouts.

It is important to understand the difference between sets and reps. Sets refer to how many times you perform an exercise. Repetitions refer to how many times you perform a movement within each set. For instance, you may hear someone say that they are performing 3 sets of 12 repetitions on an exercise.

To take it one step further, a “superset” is when you perform two sets back to back with no rest in between. A superset can isolate the same muscle or opposing muscles. For instance, if you superset your legs by performing leg press and lunges you would really put your legs to the test because the exercises target the same muscles. You could also perform a superset on opposing muscle groups such as your biceps and triceps by performing barbell curls and tricep pushdowns. This way you still do not rest between your sets but you alternate exercises between the two muscle groups. Be careful when starting out with supersets, if you do too much too soon you will be hurtin’ for certain.

A “strip set” is also an intense method of training. With this method you do as many repetitions as you can with a challenging weight and when you fatigue, instead of stopping, you lower the weight and then return to the exercise to do as many more repetitions as you can. This is a very intense method of training and can improve your isolated muscle endurance. When performing strip sets a lot of blood is forced into the working muscles and sometimes they feel as if they will burst. This is referred to as being “pumped up” because the muscles are pumped full of blood.

If you hear someone referring to training their wheels they are usually referring to their leg training. If someone says that they are training their guns or pythons they are usually referring to training their arms. If someone mentions to you that you are looking “ripped” do not get upset, it usually means that you are looking great, so keep it up!

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Good Exercise Technique is Essential For Results

If you are headed to the gym for a workout be sure to warm up before you get started and pay close attention to proper exercise form. Bad exercise technique and not warming up properly can lead to injuries.

Your warm up should consist of 5-10 minutes on the stationary bike, treadmill, or any other piece of cardio equipment. The goal of your warm up is to slightly elevate your body temperature and to increase the blood flow through your muscles. Once you are warm you should stretch your muscles following a thorough flexibility program. Warming up before you stretch is important because soft tissue flexibility is increased with temperature elevation. After you are warmed up and stretched out do not jump into using heavy weights. Light to moderate weights should be used for the first set of each exercise to further prepare your muscles for the force of the heavier weights.

Poor technique is usually the result of using too heavy of a weight, not using full range of motion during an exercise, or by recruiting the wrong muscles into an exercise. Proper mechanics during exercise is essential. Exercises should be performed through a full range of motion in order to develop strength through the full range and to maintain flexibility. Do not sacrifice technique to use heavier weight. If your goal is to improve your strength, try lowering your repetitions and increasing your sets on each exercise. Strength improvements are best seen with low repetitions of 4-8. Your strength will also improve if you allow greater rest between your sets, often a 2-3 minute break is required to recover from a heavy set. If you are happy with moderate strength improvements or just looking for a toning program then keep your repetitions between 10-15 and keep your breaks between 20-30 seconds.

Poor exercise technique usually ends up targeting the wrong muscles which can lead to muscle imbalance injuries. For instance, people often try to do exercises to strengthen their back but end up using their arms and shoulders. If this happens over a few months you may end up with underdeveloped back muscles and over-trained arms and shoulders. It is also important to avoid sloppy exercise technique. For instance, many people perform barbell curls and use their bodyweight to swing the barbell up to their chest and then drop the weight down to their legs. Your movements must be slow and controlled

An exception to the rule of proper exercise technique is when an injury prevents full, pain-free range of motion. In this case the exercise should be performed throughout the pain free range only and your physician should be contacted to be sure that you are not performing any contra-indicated exercises.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Change Your Workouts Regularly

If you are trying to reduce your weight and body-fat or increase your strength you will get the best results if you change your workouts regularly. Your fitness program should incorporate your individual goals and as you progress you should change your routine to meet your evolving fitness needs and help you achieve new goals. If you keep your routine the same it is difficult to stay motivated and your body will adapt quickly which will make it difficult to reach your goals.

Over the years I have met many people that gave up on exercise because they were unhappy with their results. I always ask these people what routine they used to follow that provided them with unsatisfactory results. In many cases the response is “I start on the bike and then I do the same weight machines and then I go on the treadmill” Many of these people performed the same exercise routine for years. When I hear this I do not blame them for stopping exercise, not only were they not getting results because their body s adapted to their workouts, but they must have been bored silly doing the same thing week after week.

So how do you go about changing your workouts? Changing your workout does not always mean changing your exercises. For instance, if you really enjoy doing bench press you can keep this exercise in your routine but for a change if you are performing repetitions of 8-10 you may use a lighter weight and concentrate more on muscle endurance and perform repetitions of 15-20. Similarly if you are performing barbell curls for your biceps for variation you can perform dumbbell curls which allow for greater isolation of the biceps.

People often ask what the best form of cardiovascular exercise is- the bike, treadmill, stairclimber & The answer is all of the above.however all forms are good if performed in your target cardiovascular threshold but a variety helps to make your body more ad

Changing your workouts can also mean changing how many muscle groups you exercise when you workout. For instance, many people perform one exercise per body part when they workout, this is referred to a whole body workout and is effective if performed two to three times a week. If you have been doing this for a while then you could switch to what is called a two-day split. This is when you workout half your body on one day, (perhaps your legs and shoulders), and then do the rest of your body (Back, Chest, Arms, Abdominals), on the second day. A two-day split routine is slightly more advanced as it allows more time for each body part. It is also most effective if your workout three to four times each week.

You can also change your workouts for seasonal activities. If you enjoy playing beach volleyball in the summer, but skate in the winter then there are exercises that can enhance these activities. If you are involved in sport specific program designed to improve your performance it will also be most effective to change the exercises that you do even to the point so that you do not do the same exercises for more than two weeks. The reason that this is so important for sport-specific training is that sports are always demanding different uses from your muscles. If you change your exercise routing regularly then you can help your body adapt to different stresses all the time and in turn greatly improve your overall performance.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Carving Out That Six Pack

If you have performed countless crunches or sit-ups with little benefit or if you are bored and uninterested with your abdominal routine, join in on some new and exciting abdominal exercises designed to get you back on track. To help you out, here is the first of our two-part series designed to provide variation and effectiveness to your abdominal workout.

Rope Crunches

Start by placing a rope handle on a weight machine and place an exercise mat on the floor in front of the machine. Facing away from the weight stack, reach slightly behind your shoulders and grasp the end of the ropes in each hand. Hold the ropes tightly against the fronts of your shoulders and kneel down onto the exercise mat. Stay in this kneeling position and perform abdominal crunches by curling your trunk forward towards your knees. Use a weight that allows you to complete 15-20 repetitions. Perform this exercise in a slow and controlled manner. You should feel your abdominals and not your lower back.

Ball Trunk Rolls

Start by kneeling on an exercise mat with your hands on a stability ball directly in front of you. Keeping your torso and your arms straight, slowly roll your arms forward along the ball until your head is within inches of the ball. Once in this position slowly return to the starting position ensuring that your torso remains straight. Do not be surprised if you cannot perform many repetitions, start off slowly and progress at your own pace. Not only is this one of the best abdominal exercises, it is also one of the best exercises for all of the muscles around your trunk and mid-section.

Ultimately, the key to improving your mid-section is consistency and variation. Perform your abdominal routine a minimum of three days each week, but try to avoid getting into a rut by performing the same exercises all of the time. Variation will prevent adaptation and provide you with better results, while also keeping you motivated by making your routine fun and exciting. Remember, though, carving out that six pack means more than just abdominal work. Make sure you also do cardiovascular exercises a minimum of three times each week and concentrate on having a balanced diet. Always contact your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Avoiding The Fitness Plateau

If you are exercising regularly and not improving or reaching your goals then you may have reached a training plateau. Plateaus are usually caused by three reasons, not varying your workouts, poor exercise technique, and poor organization. It is possible to continue improving without encountering a training plateau as long as you take the time to analyze your program on an ongoing basis and implement the following strategies.

1) VARY YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE: Your fitness program should incorporate your individual goals and as you progress you should change your routine to meet your evolving fitness needs. If you keep your routine the same it is difficult to stay motivated and your body will quickly adapt which will make it difficult to reach your goals. There are many ways to change your workouts. For instance, if you really enjoy doing bench press you can keep this exercise in your routine but for a change if you are performing repetitions of 8-10 you may use a lighter weight and concentrate more on muscle endurance and perform repetitions of 15-20. Changing your workouts can also mean changing how many muscle groups you exercise when you workout. For instance, many people perform one exercise per body part when they workout; this is referred to a whole body workout. If you have been doing this for a while then you could switch to what is called a two-day split. This is when you workout half your body on one day, (perhaps your legs and shoulders), and then do the rest of your body (back, chest, arms, abdominals), on the second day. This is slightly more advanced as it allows more time to exercise each body part.

2) USE PROPER EXERCISE TECHNIQUE: Poor technique is usually the result of using too heavy of a weight, not using full range of motion during an exercise, or by recruiting the wrong muscles into an exercise. Proper mechanics during exercise is essential. Exercises should be performed through a full range of motion in order to develop strength through the full range and to maintain flexibility. Do not sacrifice technique to use heavier weight. Poor exercise technique usually ends up targeting the wrong muscles, which can lead to muscle imbalance injuries. For instance, many people perform barbell curls and use their bodyweight to swing the barbell up to their chest and then drop the weight down to their legs; this is dangerous and ineffective. Your movements must be slow and controlled through the entire range of motion.

3) RECORD YOUR WORKOUTS: Without a well organized record or your workouts it is hard to monitor your progress. Further, poor organization can lead to missing workouts or over-training certain body-parts. It is a good idea to record the exercises that you perform and to keep track of the sets and repetitions that you perform. This information is important because it will help you to see if your strength and endurance are improving. It is also a good idea to monitor your breaks between your sets, your body-weight or body-fat, your stretching and even record if you feel muscle soreness after each workout. The bottom line is to stay in tune with your body and you may avoid the fitness plateau altogether.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

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