Try something new: Hot Yoga

    Last Saturday I decided to try a new kind of workout...Hot Yoga.  I've done some yoga before and usually enjoy the type of workout that it gives me, so a friend and I decided to see what a class like this would be all about.  We took a Bikram yoga class which was an hour and a half in duration and performed in a one hundred five degree room.
 

   We were taken through a series of twenty six poses that help stretch, strengthen, and balance the body.  I did like the class and found it to be challenging in a way that I don't normally challenge my body.  Performing exercise in a room heated to this degree was a challenge in itself and I was certainly soaked with sweat when I walked out of there.  One downfall, due to all the perspiration the classroom got kind of stinky which towards the end was a big difficult to stomach but with that aside, I left feeling refreshed, relaxed, and somewhat cleansed..it was cool!

   All in all I would do another hot yoga class and would encourage others to try this type of activity as long as you're comfortable exercising in hot temperatures.

Keep things interesting, try different activities to help minimize the risk of boredom and monotony and maximize overall fitness and strength!

If you are in the Framingham or Natick area check out the website for Mystic Fitness where there are full class descriptions and other information.

http://www.mysticfitness.com/

Post Thanksgiving work out

Ok, one holiday down, a couple more to go. The holiday season is definitely a challenging time to try and keep to healthy eating and lifestyle changes. Making sure to keep active is very important so here is a high intensity workout you can do that will surely kick your ass!

H.I.I.T - High intensity interval training is a great way to get a very challenging workout even if you don't have a lot of time. This type of training involves periods of intense work followed by periods of recovery and is strongly associated with weight loss, improved cardiovascular endurance, and improved athletic performance.
H.I.I.T. isn't for everyone. If you have any heart issues, high blood pressure, or joint problems ,such as arthritis, consult your doctor before performing exercise like this.


The Workout - All exercises should be performed at a fast pace and done as many times as possible during the designated time period. Due to the speed of the workout, full range of motion is not necessary for each exercise.

5-10 minute warm up - on any piece of cardiovascular equipment.

15 seconds - push ups
10 seconds - rest in standing position
15 seconds - scissors jumps
10 seconds - rest on floor in push up position

repeat three times without stopping and then take a longer rest before going to the next set of exercises.

15 seconds - seated row
10 seconds - rest in standing position
15 seconds - squat jumps
10 seconds - rest in seated row position

repeat three times

15 seconds - standing alternating should presses
10 seconds - rest
15 seconds - jumping jacks
10 seconds - rest

repeat three times

15 seconds - alternating single arm bicep curls
10 seconds - rest in mt. climber position
15 seconds - mt. climbers
10 seconds - rest in standing position

repeat three times

15 seconds - tricep dips
10 seconds - rest
15 seconds - jump rope with or without rope
10 seconds - rest

repeat three times

15 seconds - crunches
10 seconds - rest in plank position
15 seconds - side plank with hip lift
10 seconds - rest in crunch position


I provided video for all exercises in case you're unsure of what any of them are. Other than that, enjoy!

Fit Tip: Correct Form for Smith Machine Squat

As a personal trainer I am always in the gym, and always keeping an eye out (whether I mean to or not) to see what others are doing, and making sure they are safely executing their exercises. For the most part I don't find it necessary to go up to someone and correct their form for fear that they will get injured, but today was different.
One of the members of our gym was using the smith machine for squats, and watching him do them was beginning to frighten me. His stance was incorrect, his form was incorrect, and the weight he was using was just to heavy for him to lift effectively.

The Smith machine is a piece of equipment used for weight training and many different exercises can be done on it. The great thing about is that it can be secured at any point, so you don't need a spotter.

Here are some tips to make sure you understand how to correctly execute a squat on the smith machine.

1. Make sure the bar is resting at the top of your back, NOT the bottom of your neck.
2. Always place your feet ahead of yourself, never position them right under the bar. This will allow you to sit back into your squat to get the appropriate range of motion during your lift and you'll avoid the risk of a knee or back injury.
3. Don't sacrifice range of motion for more weight. I understand that lifting heavy weights may look cool, but when it comes at the cost of losing range of motion it's not worth it. Great range of motion results in a more effective and more challenging lift.

Incorrect form -
If you can see, his knees are coming forward, and his heals are coming off the ground. Done with light weight you can execute this exercise, which is called a sissy squat, although I don't recommend. Knee and back injuries can occur while using this form.

Correct form - Now he has his feet out in front of him, his heals are planted on the ground, and he is able to get down a little lower to create a greater range of motion. Good stuff.

*Make sure to always practice good form with all strength training exercises.