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Archive for the ‘Weight Loss’ Category

Essential exercises that will get you on your way to forearms of steel.

Every time you wear a short-sleeve shirt, you show them off. And when you shake hands, open a door, or carry a box, you rely on their strength. So shouldn’t you make sure your forearms are strong as can be, ready to take on any task you throw their way?

Yes, you should. And with these exercises, you can give your forearms a little boost to get firmer, stronger, and more able to help you do those things that come your way each and every day.

Hang and Shake: Hang from a chin-up bar with both hands. After a few seconds, release your right hand from the bar and hang using only your left hand. During this time, shake your right hand to prepare the right forearm to get back to work. Return your right hand to the bar and release your left hand. Shake out your left arm for a few seconds and return it to the bar. Repeat as many times as you can.

Palms Up Wrist Curl: Holding a barbell securely with both hands, get on your knees beside a weight bench and rest the back of your forearms on the bench, allowing your wrist and hands to hang over the edge of the bench with your hands facing the ceiling. With your hands approximately 16 inches from one another, lower the bar as far as possible and then raise it as high as possible, relying on your wrists for the movement. Repeat 10 to 15 times and perform three sets. For a less stable option, use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

Palms Down Wrist Curl: Start in the same position as with the palms up wrist curl. However, instead of facing your hands toward the ceiling, have your palms facing the ground. As with the palms up wrist curl, begin by lowering the bar as far as possible. Then, raise the bar as high as possible, using only your wrist to move the bar up and down and keeping your forearms still on the weight bench. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Wrist Flippers: In a standing position, hold a dumbbell at waist level in both of your hands. Start with your palms facing the ceiling and your elbows almost touching your side. Then, flip both of your wrists at the same time, causing your palms to turn down toward the floor. Slowly repeat this motion 10 times, rest, and repeat for two more sets.

Reverse Curl: Standing up, hold a weighted barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart and your arms extended straight down. With an overhand grip on the bar, slowly raise the barbell to your chest. Return to your starting position and repeat for three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Behind the Back Curls: Have someone hand you a barbell behind your back as you stand up straight. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip and start with your arms fully extended down. Using your wrists, curl the barbell toward the ceiling as high as possible, careful to keep your arm still. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times for three repetitions.

Squeeze the Ball: For this exercise, all you need is a tennis ball or a racquetball. Simply grab the ball in one hand and squeeze. As you perform the exercise, try to squeeze the ball in slow, controlled movements. After 15 or 20 repetitions, swap hands. Try to perform three to five sets.

*For a more challenging workout, weight can be added to exercises using barbells.

Get to the Bottom of Your Weight Gain

Why are the numbers on your scale climbing?

That is a valid and often frustrating question. And the answer isn’t always sweet and simple.

“Any change in your life circumstances can produce changes in eating and exercise, which leads to weight gain,” stated Edward Abramson, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology at California State University, author of Emotional Eating.

So why has your weight increased? And, more importantly, what can you do about it?    

Life’s Fat Traps
A little addressed fact about weight gain is that everyone gains weight for different reasons. So often we hear about one-size-fits-all weight loss solutions that take little or no consideration of how the extra weight piled up in the first place. To experience true weight loss it is important to understand why you gained it in the first place.

Think back to the time in your life when your weight was just right. Were you in your teens? Your twenties? Or maybe your thirties? Picture yourself as you were at your ideal weight. Now when did things change? Was it a gradual addition of pounds that accumulated over a span of multiple years? Or did you gain it all at once? Check out the following weight gain triggers and determine which one is responsible for your plight.

College: The college years are some of the easiest for gaining weight. In fact, a recent study by Cornell University found that on average, college freshman gain about 0.5 pounds a week – almost 11 times more than the average weight gain among 17-and 18-year olds and almost 20 times more than the average weight gain among American adults.

Marriage: There’s nothing like holy matrimony to encourage a barrage of calories to overtake your diet. Late night comfort snacks are always more enjoyable when you have someone to share them with—and who better than the person who pledged to stick by your side through sickness or health?

Pregnancy: Talk about a great time to gain weight! And we’re not just talking about women here—most men admit that they gained ‘sympathy’ pounds right along with their wife. Hormonal changes along with strong encouragement from everyone you know to indulge in anything their heart desires leave most pregnant women with a feeling of entitlement when it comes to food.

Career: Though you may not realize it, your career choice plays a major hand in your weight. Those who go from an active lifestyle to spending 8 hours a day behind a desk and another 2 hours commuting almost universally gain weight. Conversely, people who spend their 8 hours in constant motion find weight loss a natural byproduct of the job.

New Habits
Close your eyes and go back to the fat trap that triggered your weight gain. What changed in your lifestyle? To help sort things out, I’ve broken things down into two specific behavioral categories.

Eating Habits: Did your eating pattern change at this time in your life? If your weight gain occurred in college then maybe you went from eating 3 square meals to an all-you-can-eat buffet style cafeteria. Or if marriage was your weight gain trigger, then maybe you went from eating small meals to fattening comfort food. Pregnancy brings on the perfect environment for a change in eating habits. You go from eating normally, to eating ‘for two’, to munching on your baby’s snacks right along with him! Your job can also dictate your eating schedule. Long hours and early meetings may cause you to grab a donut or chips from the vending machine.

Activity Level: The second category that leads to weight gain is your activity level. Simply put, what kind of exercise were you doing before your life changing event and how does it compare to your current exercise regime? Chances are good that you were doing more exercise before your weight gain began—which means that you are doing less exercise today! Go ahead, think back to the exercises or physical activities that you used to do and compare them to your schedule today.

Your Transformation
You’ve figured out which fat trap in your life led to weight gain, and then narrowed down the exact behaviors that changed as a result, so this naturally leads us to a solution.

It’s time to make a change.

Call 602-516-4225 today to get started on a fitness program that will make you immune to all of life’s fat traps.

Once you start working with me an my personal trainer team in Scottsdale, those numbers on your scale will quickly change direction.