May, 19, 2014

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Spring Makeover Challenge – Week 3

There are a lot of different ways to achieve the same results.  That’s why during our annual Spring Makeover Challenge, our trainers and their teams compete against each other to see who can shed the greatest amount of body fat in 6 weeks using different approaches.

So far in this series, I’ve shared with you 2 different approaches to maximizing weight loss. You can review week 1 HERE and week 2 HERE…..and decide to either adopt one specific approach or try different plans and experiment to see which approach works best for you.

trevorToday, I am sharing with you Trevor Thomas’s approach to fast and effective fat loss. Trevor has been awarded NWPT Personal Trainer of the year, is our Assistant Fitness & Training Director, has an Associates Degree and is a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Personal Trainer. He is also the Director of our Corporate Wellness Program so he is very experienced at helping really busy people fit workouts and healthy eating into their crazy lives.

Trevor’s 5 Rules for Successful Fat Loss:

  1. Whole Foods
  2. Water, water, and more water
  3. Exercise
  4. Sleep
  5. Live and Learn

Whole Foods: 

  • Nothing processed or pre-prepared
  • Eat produce, lean proteins, beans, grains, legumes and nuts.
  • Do not limit yourself on fruits and vegetables, but ensure veggies out-number fruits.
  • Eat every 3hrs to keep your metabolism revving.
  • Carbs around breakfast and post exercise and lean and green all other times.

Water: 

  • Half of your body weight in ounces every day. For each hour of exercise, consume an additional 20 ounces.
  • 8-12oz when you wake up, 8-12oz before each meal

Exercise: 

  • Minimum 150 min cardio per week, 2 days intense
  • 2 strength days per week.
  • Find a weekly structure you can manage!
MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT SUN
Full Body Strength+ 30 min Steady Cardio 45 min Cardio Push Active Rest and Food Prep 45 min Cardio Push Full Body Strength+ 30 min Steady Cardio 45 min steady cardio Active Rest and Food Prep

Sleep: 

  • 8hr is crucial!  Cortisol, the hormone released during stress that is detrimental to metabolism, is controlled and reduced during sleep.  Leptin, responsible for suppressing hunger, and Grehlin which stimulates appetite, are adversely affected during lack of sleep.
  • Sleep is when we recover, grow stronger, and recharge.

Live and Learn!

  • My challenge to you is to never do this challenge again!
  • Nutrition Tracking –The more you know, the more we can change!
    • If you would like to track your nutrition:Create an account HERE

Yours in Health & Fitness,

Sherri McMillan

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Posted in fat loss, health, Motivation, weight loss by Sherri | No Comments

May, 12, 2014

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Spring Makeover Challenge – Week 2

Last week, I shared with you Derrick DeLay’s “Interval Diet” approach to maximizing fat loss during our Spring Makeover challenge.  It basically requires you consume a super healthy, low calorie diet JillSMonday through Friday and then eat whatever you want on the weekends in combination with some cardio and weight training. If that approach doesn’t work for you, today I am sharing Jill Schiller’s approach, “Body Overhaul” to shedding that winter fat layer quickly.  Jill is a mother of two, our NWPT running clinic leader, certified VIPR and Schwinn cycling instructor and American Council of Exercise Nationally Certified Personal Trainer.

Body Overhaul’s Healthy Habits Success Guidelines:

  • Eat breakfast. It will kick start your metabolism for the day and prevent you from overeating later. You haven’t eaten for several hours (possibly 10-12 hours) and your body needs fuel to operate!
  •  Log your food and stick within your caloric limit. You may use apps such as “Lose It” or “My Fitness Pal”, or simply fill out a food log with pencil and paper. Using an app is preferred as it calculates calories consumed, goal caloric intake, and even takes into consideration how much exercise you have done.
  • Drink half of your body weight in ounces, in water, daily. Drink more if you exercised. Hydrate well after workouts. An idea is to weigh yourself before and after your workout. Drink the difference in water.  For example, if you weighed 150 pounds before you went for a run and you weighed 149.5 when you got back from your run, be sure to drink 8 oz of water to make up for that sweat loss.
  •  Include nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Be careful with the caloric intake of nuts. While they may be healthy, they can be high in calories! Some of my favorite seeds I like to incorporate in my favorite breakfast of warm quinoa are ground flaxseed and chia seeds! Great examples of fruits are berries, peaches, green apples, grapefruit, plums, cherries, bananas, avocados, etc. Veggies include peppers, cucumbers, spinach, dark leafy green lettuce, kale, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. 5 veggies and 3 fruits per day into your eating plan would be fantastic!
  • Avoid sugars, alcohol, sport/soft drinks, juices, saturated fats, and processed foods, such as those that are sold as “food” and come in a box!  Usually processed foods are just a bunch of chemicals sold as “food”, otherwise known as “faux food” (i.e., fake food).  Additionally, avoid the fast food drive through. Just say NO. Replace white flours with whole wheat/grain choices.
  • Get your sleep. Sleep a minimum of 8 hours per night. Your body recovers, builds muscle, and repairs itself during this crucial time. Plus, it’s less time you have to eat. 🙂
  •  Incorporate cardiovascular exercise 4-5 days/week for 30-60 min/day with two days working at a higher intensity, the other two to three days at a moderate intensity. Your minimum goal should be 150 minutes/week of cardiovascular exercise. Add several bursts of speed to your walk or run to blast calories and fat! Ideally, your higher intensity days will be the 30-40 min workout!  Each ideal cardiovascular session will burn 350-500 calories minimum and help you reach your goal. Aim for this calorie burn Cardiovascular exercise ideas:  walking, running, a combination of a walk/run, elliptical, cycling,  swimming,  dancing,  Zumba,  aerobic exercise, stair stepper, etc.
  • Strength training a minimum of 2 times per week, preferably 3 times per week, working all major muscle groups! Be sure to include a recovery day in between those strength sessions. The ideal session will last approximately 45 min. The more muscle mass you have the higher your resting metabolism, meaning you are burning more calories and fat at rest! Your bones also get stronger. More muscle also means your muscles get more chiseled, too. As you lose weight, it is entirely possible to lose some of your lean muscle mass. Preserve it by strength training!
  • Adopt a mantra or two that you can use when you feel like you are failing or feeling discouraged.
    • Examples: 
      • “I am stronger than I think I am.”  
      • “I will succeed.”
      • “What would I do if I knew I could not fail?” 
      • “I will not let myself or my team down.” 
      • “I can do anything for 6 weeks.”
      • “No regrets.”  
      • “I believe in myself.”
      • “I am not afraid to demand great things of myself.”

Helpful Tips

  • Plan ahead – Write your menus and shopping list out for the week.
  • Cut/Prepare/Bag things ahead of time. (Important!!) Examples: On Sunday, boil a dozen eggs for the week, peel them, then bag them up 2 per ziplock (or small container); portion out your carrots, celery, etc. into ziplocks so you can “Grab and Go” for the week; pre-make your salads for the week, getting all of the work out of the way before your work week begins; make a batch of quinoa to have for the week; blend some filtered water and raw spinach leaves in a blender then freeze in ice cube trays for quick prep spinach smoothies
  • Always have back-up snacks with you such as almonds, a very small baggie of raisins/peanuts, an apple, orange, healthy energy bars, etc. if the urge for sweets or snacks hit you!
  • Let’s say it’s 8pm and you are feeling “hungry”. Don’t eat! Your body may think it’s hungry…but in reality it is more than likely ready for you to go to sleep. It’s craving energy, and we often eat instead of going to sleep! So let’s give our body energy in the form of sleep instead of feeding it food that is going to sit in our gut all night long.
  • If you “need” sweets, blend some frozen fruit together in a blender w/ some water for a sorbet – but fruit and water only!
  • Try not to go more than 3 hours without food. Keep your body fueled and your metabolism roaring! It’s like fueling a fire to keep it burning. This may mean splitting up your calories into mini meals throughout the day, such as 5 small meals and snacks instead of 2-3 big meals. Examples of “mini meals” are: Celery/apple w/ 2 TBSP peanut butter; half whole wheat turkey sandwich & serving of veggies; Half whole wheat tuna & pickle sandwich w/ cucumber; Veggies and hummus; 2 hard boiled eggs w/ an apple and broccoli, Broccoli w/ Cottage Cheese as a “dip” + a carrots or another fruit, etc. Incorporate lots of fruits and veggies, daily.
  • Do not eat within 2 hours of going to bed. If you feel hungry, have some water and go to bed. J Avoid the temptation to have that late night bowl of cereal.
  • Be serious. Invest in yourself. The more serious you are, the better your results. You are worth it.
  • Throw it out! If there are foods in your pantry/refrigerator that you cannot resist, get rid of them! Don’t buy it thinking you’ll resist it. It might be for your kids but it will end up in your mouth.

 

Yours in Health & Fitness,

Sherri McMillan

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Posted in eating breakfast, fat loss, health, Nutrition, weight loss by Sherri | No Comments

May, 5, 2014

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Spring Makeover Challenge – Week 1

In the colder climates, it is common over the winter months to gain a little weight. The days are shorter, it’s cold outside and we just don’t get as much activity and access to local healthy fruits and vegetables.  It’s one of the reasons that every spring we launch our annual Spring Makeover Challenge to help our clients shed that extra winter layer.  Each of our trainers have teams and we all compete against each other to see who can ramp it up the most and achieve the best results.  There’s nothing like a friendly competition and peer pressure to get you to do what you need to do to reach your goals.

Although the principles to fat loss and healthy living are pretty simple, each trainer has a different approach to encouraging his or her team to adhere to the program and win. This year, I thought I would share each team’s approach so that you could follow along from home.  Feel free to adhere to just one trainers’ program or mix it up and try each approach and see which one works best for you.

DerrickToday, we start with Derrick DeLay. He has been a trainer with us at NWPT for 10 years, been awarded Personal Trainer of the year multiple times, is a fitness presenter and author of “Go Beyond Good: The Trail to a Lifetime of Health and Vitality”.  We call him our “CEO – Chief Education Officer” because he is brilliant, a walking encyclopedia and has an incredible capacity to inspire and inform others.

Derrick DeLay’s Guidelines:

  1. High Intensity Interval Diet Program
    • Monday through Friday follow a low-calorie, nutrient-dense 3 meals per day diet
    • Monday through Friday no alcohol
    • Monday through Friday drink 80-100 ounces of water per day
    • Saturday and Sunday do whatever you want!
  1. Cardiovascular Exercise
    • Accumulate 150 minutes a week
    • For best results do cardio 7 days a week
    • Do whatever you like the best – Walk, Run, Ride, Swim, Hike
  1. Strength Training
    • Two 15-30 minute full-body strength workouts per week

The Method Behind the Madness:

Derrick’s approach is based on the fact that most diets fail because people can’t stay on the diet for the long-term so as soon as they go off the diet, they gain the weight back. Statistics show that most people can stick to a diet for about a week before they fail.  The Interval Diet accounts for this and allows for 2 ‘Free or Cheat Days” each week.  So you follow an extreme, low-calorie 5 day diet and then go back to eating the way you did before the diet.  The cheat days are built into the program so you don’t have to feel guilty about it.

The Program:

Even though you won’t be getting all the calories you need on this diet (Remember, eating fewer calories than you need is how you lose weight.) you will be getting plenty of nutrients. Your body has plenty of stored calories (fat) for you to burn in order to make up the deficit you create by not eating enough. This high-nutrient diet will provide you enough vitamins and minerals to improve your health as you lose weight.

This eating plan is designed to achieve maximum fat loss results in the shortest time possible.  Do you want fantastic results?  Great!  Follow this plan exactly as it is.  The Interval Diet is an extreme diet and you wouldn’t or couldn’t stick to it long-term, but you can do it for 5 days.  As you follow this plan exactly, the best way to make sure you are eating the correct amount of calories throughout the day is to measure your food. If you aren’t measuring your food, you are guessing! Guessing doesn’t produce the results you want.

You will notice there are no snacks on this program.  That is by design.  Instead of food, you will be snacking on stored body fat between meals.  Ideally you will feel hungry between meals. That feeling means fat is burning.

Meal 1: Choose 1 Option

*Take a picture of your food before you eat.*
Option 1 Fresh Fruit Eat 300 calories of fruit. (2 small apples=100 calories, 1 medium banana=100 calories, 1 cup of grapes=100 calories, 1 large orange=90 Calories, 2 cups of strawberries=100 calories, 1 cup of mango, 1 heaping cup of blueberries=100 calories)
Option 2 Fruit Smoothie Blend 300 calories of fruit with 1 quart of water.  Our favorite options are: Banana, Mango, Strawberry, Pineapple, Blueberries.Recommended-Add 1-3 cups (or handfuls) of fresh spinach (or other mild tasting leafy green vegetable) to your smoothies. Adding greens supercharges your smoothies by adding fiber, important vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients.
Option 3 Oatmeal & Fresh Berries 1/2 cup dry rolled oats1 cup of your favorite berriesCook the oats in 2-3 cups of water over medium heat until tender.  Add berries and enjoy!
Option 4 Scrambled Tofu 3/4 cup of tofu2 Tbsp water1-2 Tbsp soy sauce or wheat-free tamari1 clove of garlic, minced1/2 tsp cumin1/4 tsp turmeric2 Roma tomatoes, diced1 red or green bell pepper, dicedHeat the water in a skillet, add the garlic, tomatoes, and bell pepper.  Sauté for 3-5 minutes.  Add the turmeric, cumin, and sauté for a couple minutes. Next add the tofu, stir, and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy!

 

Meal 2: Choose 1 Option

*Take a picture of your food before you eat.*
Option 1 Fruit Smoothie Blend 300 calories  worth of fruit with 1 quart of water.  Our favorites options are: Banana, Mango, Strawberry, Pineapple, Blueberries.   Recommended-Add 1-3 cups (or handfuls) of fresh spinach (or other mild tasting leafy green vegetable) to your smoothies. Adding greens supercharges your smoothies by adding fiber, important vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients.
Option 2 Brown Rice and Broccoli 1 cup of cooked brown rice3 cups of cooked broccoli (or Cauliflower, Cabbage, etc.)Calorie free seasonings like salt & pepper or fresh or dried herbsCombine all and season to taste.
Option 3 Sweet Potatoes & Beans 1 cup sweet potatoes or yams (steamed)1 cup of cooked pinto beansSalsa and calorie free seasonings like salt & pepper.Combine and enjoy!
Option 4 Beans&Greens 1 cup of cooked beans (Black, Pinto, Kidney or Black-eyed Peas are all good options).5 cups of chopped leafy greens  (Kale, Bok Choy, Mustard Greens, or Chard are all great options).1-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped1.5 cups of veggie broth or water
Option 5 SuperSalad 4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded2 cups spinach, chopped½ cup cabbage, shredded1 medium carrot, shredded1 stalk of celery, chopped½ cup bell Pepper, diced½ cup tomato, chopped½ cup avocado3 tbsp balsamic VinegarSmash the avocado and balsamic vinegar together.  Pour over the rest of the ingredients in your favorite large bowl. Add some salt, pepper and your favorite herbs and spices to taste. Enjoy your huge salad!

 

Meal 3: Choose 1 Option

*Take a picture of your food before you eat.*
Option 1 Hearty Black Bean  Soup 1 cup cooked black beans½ can tomato paste2 cups veggie stock1 small onion, diced1-2 cloves of garlic, minced1 tsp of cuminCilantro to tasteHot sauce to tastePlace all of the ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes (the onions should be tender).  Enjoy!
Option 2 Veggie & Brown Rice(or Quinoa)Stir Fry 1 cup cooked brown rice OR quinoa2 cups broccoli florets2 cups cauliflower florets2 cups snow peas2 Tbsp of soy sauce or wheat free tamari1 tsp of fresh ginger or ½ tsp of dried ginger powder1-3 cloves of garlic, mincedWater sauté broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, ginger, and garlic over medium heat until veggies are tender and water is gone.  Add the rice OR quinoa and soy sauce and cook for 3-5 minutes more.  Enjoy!
Option 3 Baked Potato, Broccoli, and Spinach Salad 1 large baked potato1 cup of steamed Broccoli (or cauliflower)Spinach Salad:3 cups Spinach chopped½ cup Cabbage shredded1 medium Carrot shredded½ cup Tomato chopped1 tbsp Balsamic VinegarAdd some salt, pepper and your favorite herbs and spices to taste and enjoy.
Option 4 Garbanzo& Quinoa Tabbouleh 1 cup garbanzo beans1/2 cup quinoa1 large cucumber1 cup chopped tomato2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper to taste.Combine all ingredients and enjoy!
Option 5 PowerSalad 1 cup of your choice of beans4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded2 cups spinach, chopped½ cup cabbage, shredded1 medium carrot, shredded1 stalk of celery, chopped½ cup bell Pepper, diced½ cup tomato, chopped½ cup avocado3 tbsp balsamic VinegarSmash the avocado and balsamic vinegar together.  Pour over the rest of the ingredients in your favorite large bowl. Add some salt, pepper and your favorite herbs and spices to taste. Enjoy your huge salad!

 

Yours in Health & Fitness,

Sherri McMillan

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Posted in fat loss, health, losing weight by Sherri | No Comments

Apr, 28, 2014

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Latest & Greatest Fitness Tips Hot Off the Press – Second of 2 Part Series

Last week I provided you with some of the latest & greatest fitness tips from the fitness industry’s top experts. Here are just a couple more and I hope you will take away at least one piece of information that you can use in your everyday quest for optimal health and fitness!

MICHOLDALCOURTMichol Dalcourt on the Anatomy of the Foot and Ankle:

  • ¼ of the bones in the body are in the foot and ankle! There are 33 joints in each ankle/food! It is one of the most important, complex yet poorly understood joint/body structure in the body.
  • If the ankle or foot are not functioning correctly, you most likely will experience dysfunction and/or pain up the body chain – knee, hip, back etc.
  • The foot /ankle is such a beautifully designed structure.  It is stable when it needs to be and mobile when that is required. Beautiful for Read the rest of Latest & Greatest Fitness Tips Hot Off the Press – Second of 2 Part Series
Posted in Conditioning, exercise, Strength by Sherri | No Comments

Apr, 21, 2014

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Latest & Greatest Fitness Tips Hot Off the Press – First of 2 Part Series

I just attended the International Personal Training Summit in Seattle and wanted to share with you some of the highlights from the event.  I hope that at least one tip will resonate with you and inspire you to reach for your Personal Best.

Kravitz2Dr. Len Kravitz on Exercise Conditioning:

  • The biggest difference been sedentary couch potatoes who were lean or those obese was not diet or sleeping habits but actually their NEAT, or non exercise activity thermogenesis. Obese sedentary people sit 2.5 hours more per day than those who are lean and don’t exercise. So if I can’t get you to go to the gym, for god’s sake just get up off your butt more Read the rest of Latest & Greatest Fitness Tips Hot Off the Press – First of 2 Part Series
Posted in Conditioning, exercise, fat loss, healthy, Muscle conditioning, Strength by Sherri | No Comments

Apr, 14, 2014

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Moms, Be Careful What You Say Around Your Daughters!

Moms, Be careful what you say around your daughters!

I heard a conversation at a pool that went something like this. A young girl asked her mother why she wasn’t swimming. The mother responded that she was too fat and needed to lose a lot of weight before she could even consider wearing a bathing suit. Wow! What kind of a message do you think that mother was sending to her daughter? The daughter could easily interpret that response to mean that a woman must be skinny in order to do the things she wants to do. She must be thin in order to be beautiful enough to be seen in public. She must be lean in order to be loved.

Do you realize that girls as young as 5 years are dieting?

Sherri_BriannaWhere do you think they are getting the idea for the need to diet and lose weight? Sure media plays a big role but it’s a lot closer to home than that! A young girl’s mother is her most important role model. Values, principles and beliefs are instilled at such a young age and last a lifetime. If a young girl believes you have to be skin and bones to be attractive, she will struggle with her weight and body image for the rest of her life. Moms, think before you speak. If you comment on your thighs and your cellulite perhaps your daughter will start examining her own thighs more closely and determine she’s not too happy with hers either! If you compare yourself to other women or models in a magazine, your daughter will start comparing as well. If you are always on some type of diet and then go on an all-out junk binge, your daughter will adopt the same practices. Moms – you can’t think only about yourself anymore. Mimicking is how most young children learn and develop. You have the power to help your daughters develop into strong, confident, beautiful human beings – on the inside and out or to become insecure, unhealthy, and negative.

Here’s some tips to consider: Read the rest of Moms, Be Careful What You Say Around Your Daughters!

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Apr, 7, 2014

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Muscle Conditioning Exercises YOU Should Be Doing

We all know that muscle conditioning is an essential part of staying fit, but which muscle conditioning exercises should YOU specifically be doing?

There are literally hundreds of different exercises and thousands of variations you could perform to get the results you are looking for.  So how do you know which ones are right for you?  Here are a few guidelines to follow when designing your resistance training program.

Start with basic exercises.  Read the rest of Muscle Conditioning Exercises YOU Should Be Doing

Posted in Conditioning, Muscle conditioning, muscle toning by Sherri | No Comments

Mar, 31, 2014

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Designing Your Cardio Program – A Little Bit of Everything is the Best Approach

Last week, we discussed the type of Cardio activity to include into your fitness program.  Today, I wanted to educate you on a few more training principles that can help when designing your cardio program.

First, every good cardio program should include aerobic and anaerobic exercise with some variable impact and agility training. 

Read below for the rationale and an explanation…..

IMGL6304Aerobic Exercise:

Aerobic exercise is easy to explain.  It involves going out for a walk, jog, cycle, swim, hike, x-country ski, indoor cardio equipment or taking a fitness class.  It includes exercise that is within your comfort zone and at an intensity that you could hold for 20 minutes plus.  This type of exercise will condition your heart and achieve numerous health benefits.

Anaerobic Exercise:

Anaerobic exercise is a more challenging form of exercise.  It involves the same activities as above but at a much harder intensity.  For example, it would involve going for a jog and then for 30 seconds picking up the pace and sprinting.  Read the rest of Designing Your Cardio Program – A Little Bit of Everything is the Best Approach

Posted in Cardio, Conditioning, fat loss by Sherri | No Comments

Mar, 24, 2014

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Choosing The Right Activity To Get Fit

Choosing the right activity to get fit is important and now that spring is here, days are longer and many of us have a renewed sense of energy….so instead of just jumping into something, take a moment to consider which activity might be the one that you actually stick to for the long term.

970177_10151561836956946_1921935068_nThe most important consideration when deciding which activity will be your primary activity of choice is deciding which activities interest you the most and that you really believe you could do on an ongoing basis.

The best activity in the world is the one you actually do regularly! 

If I told you that running was the best way to get in shape but you hated running, you probably would not stick to the program very well and would probably experience very limited results.  So, you really need to examine your interests.  For example, if you prefer to exercise outside, running through trails or hiking may be your answer.  If you prefer indoors, you might enjoy the energy of fitness classes, resistance training or working out on a Treadmill so you can be distracted by a magazine or TV.  If you like to exercise in groups, fitness classes or a walking, running or hiking club may help you stick to your program.  If you are a solo exerciser, your own individualized program may offer the solitude you are looking for.  It is important to determine the perfect-fit, custom-designed program that will facilitate your efforts.

Here are some questions to help you design a program that is going to work for you: Read the rest of Choosing The Right Activity To Get Fit

Posted in adherence, exercise, Motivation by Sherri | 1 Comment

Mar, 17, 2014

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Top 7 Exercises

The American Council of Exercise asked 17,000 personal trainers what was the one exercise they couldn’t do without.  The 7 exercises personal trainers can’t live without when designing programs for their clients are:  Lunges, Squats, Push-Ups, Abdominal Exercises, Running, Walking, and Yoga.

Well, 17,000 Trainers can’t be wrong so I thought we’d provide you with a little bit of guidance in each of these areas.

lungebLunges:

Stand with one leg positioned in front of the other leg.  Keep the front knee over top of the ankle.  Keep the back knee underneath or slightly behind your hips.  Slowly lower the back knee towards the ground keeping the front knee over top the ankle the entire time. Only go as low as you feel comfortable.  Keep your body weight positioned over the front leg – this is your working leg.  Maintain proper posture and keep your abdominals contracted.  Complete 8-15 reps each leg.  Intermediate:  Same as above but lunge lower.  Advanced – Perform the same exercise as above but start to add resistance by holding free weights.

squatb_t800x500Squats:

Start by standing with your feet between hip and shoulder width apart.  Set your posture by contracting your abdominals, pressing your chest out and up and your shoulders back and down.  Start by slowly squatting backwards while keeping your kneecaps pointing forwards – avoid allowing your knees to collapse inwards. Try to keep your weight equally distributed on all 4 corners of your feet – avoid allowing your arches to collapse inwards.  Lower to a comfortable position. You’ll notice that your upper body will come forward slightly while your buttocks travel backwards.  Now slowly extend back up.  When getting started, you may want to just start with mini-squats until you master the technique and then start dropping lower and lower once your muscles get stronger. Perform a set of 8-12 or 10-15 reps.  As you progress, add resistance.

 

pushupplanka(1)Pushups: Read the rest of Top 7 Exercises

Posted in exercise, Muscle conditioning, muscle toning, Running, yoga by Sherri | No Comments
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