by lisagraham | January 14, 2010 | In Exercise | Comments Off
Everyone has a particular trouble spot they hate – wide hips, a shelf butt, a flabby belly. And they ask me, “What exercises can I do to get rid of this?”
Well, let me tell you the bad news first.
There is no such thing as spot training. You can do 500 abdominal crunches everyday and still have a flabby belly. Why? Because there’s still fat on top of those muscles.
by lisagraham | January 11, 2010 | In Exercise | Comments Off
As I sit here typing, my back, shoulders, and arms are hurting! If I move my legs around, they’ll groan in protest. I haven’t had a workout that killed me like this in a long time. (I just want to go to bed!!)
I totally switched up my workout and did a bunch of new moves that use a lot of ballistic and full body movements. I rested as little as possible to keep the heart pounding. Yowzer. I’m feeling it.
by lisagraham | December 4, 2009 | In Exercise | Comments Off
One of my clients started personal training with me about four months ago. Her first several weeks were miserable. High heart rate, puffing and hard breathing, very sore muscles – she had all the beginner’s woes. After a workout she was totally “dead” for the night and couldn’t even cook dinner. (She literally had to make crock pot dinners.)
You should see her now. It’s not that she doesn’t work as hard, but she’s had great improvements in her fitness. Her recovery time is so much faster. She can lift heavier weights, do squat jumps, inclines on the treadmill, and difficult ab sets. She can now do 20 reps on the abdominal bicycle exercise, which was impossible for her at the beginning.
by lisagraham | October 22, 2009 | In Exercise | Comments Off
When it comes to working out, fatigue is your friend. You want to work your muscles hard so they tire out. You are burning calories, getting stronger, and increasing your endurance.
In other words, the harder you work, the more you can work hard. The more calories you burn. The more fit you become.
I often see people sitting on the exercise bike reading a magazine while pedaling. They look very comfy. There’s no sweat, no elevated breathing, no flushed cheeks. Hmm, that seems more like checking out than working out.
by lisagraham | May 26, 2009 | In Exercise | Comments Off
My husband works with a man who is part of the old order Mennonite religion. They use no electricity, telephones, or cars. They either ride a bicycle, or drive a horse and buggy.
This man offered to take our boys on a ride in his buggy with his horse named Pet. He’s had Pet for 20 years. The horse before, he had for 30 years. He takes very good care of his horses and I wonder if part of their longevity can be attributed to how he warms them up.
As they start out, he keeps the horse reigned in at a slow pace. Until he sees a small sheen of sweat appear on the horse, he does not let it speed up.