Jumping Rope

Sometimes the most basic exercise can be the most challenging and effective. 
I like to include JUMPING ROPE in my training sessions and as an interval exercise routine that definitely gets the heart rate up and burns calories. I think 7-10 minutes non-stop is really challenging and intensive.

 Here is an article from ACE which supports my belief:


http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?itemid=2688&category=1#.T1yKzTJG5Jk.facebook

Aqua Exercising

You guys know I teach aqua exercise in the pool at 24 Hour Fitness, right?

Well, I am a big believer in water exercise because of the lower impact on the body and the natural resistance of the water against the body. I think a participant in an aqua class can work harder in water than they would on land and it would be softer on the body, which makes it perfect for people with physical limitations. Of course, you have to put your own work into it and hopefully my loud cuing and demands will help motivate you to push. If you want some cross training to challenge your body in a different way, I recommend trying an aqua class. Anyhow, I found an article on aqua aerobics that does a pretty good job of summing up the program:

 http://health.ninemsn.com.au/fitness/exercise/691097/water-exercise

Also, here is an example of an exercise I teach in my Aqua Classes.  This cardio exercise focuses on the abdominals and lats, but also strengthens your balance and there is absolutely no impact.  Andee makes it look easy, but I'm telling you it's challenging.  Try doing intervals of 7-10 minutes.

Updog

Hello hello
So, I got Dunjii to help me demonstrate how to get into a proper updog from downdog.

The point I want to make is that it is important to have the arms/wrist under the shoulders while doing updog in order to avoid unnecessary stress and strain on the shoulders (deltoids) as well as the back. Remember, it is also important to keep the shoulders away from the ears and pulled back to keep the chest open (I'll talk more about this aspect another time). I could spend some much time on the proper form on just this one pose (updog), but this is at least a good place to start.  Hopefully,  this helps you understand my perspective.

Lunges

Those of you who have taken my classes always hear me talking about how to do a proper lunge.  I want to show you what I consider a proper lunge.  When we do a lunge, I feel the muscles we are focusing on are the quadriceps.  And, true to my belief, I feel it is necessary to do an exercise properly so that we concentrate that one particular muscle.  In the case of lunges, it is the back leg's quadriceps that are doing the work in the exercise.  If you keep the front leg over the ankle, keep the pelvis tucked under, and keep your torso upright during the entire exercise, you will get the maximum benefit of the lunge exercise. However, not only is the back leg's quadriceps being worked, but the front leg is also getting a work out as is the calf of the back leg. If you are following the form I am using, I believe you will avoid putting too much work on the knee and also avoid putting the back in a precarious, possibly straining, position. Check out this video to understand what I am talking about.

Bicep Curl

In my exercise classes, I notice a lot of people doing an improper bicep curl.  My belief is that if I am going to invest the time and energy into exercising, I want to make sure I am getting the maximum benefit.  Proper form, to me, is the key to exercise and hopefully it will also prevent injuries.

When you do a bicep curl, you want to make sure you are focusing on isolating the bicep for maximum benefit.  It is important to keep the elbows in your sides.  And, as you lift the weight, make sure your elbows point down and not forward.  When your elbows point forward and spread away from the torso, you start to incorporate the deltoids (shoulder muscles) in the lift and take away from the bicep benefit.  Also,  because the deltoids are being unintentionally used, you risk the possibility of straining the deltoids (especially the frontal deltoids).  Check out this video for a good visual example.

Here is a video I made with a few gym members to demonstrate what I see and what I would prefer to see.

My First Blog

Thanks for visiting Michael Fitness.  I will first start off by defining what FITNESS means to me: usually, I think most believe "fitness" refers only to physical health related to physical training; however, I believe "fitness" encompasses so much more.  To me "fitness" is about being not only in good physical health, but also an overall state of well-being of the body and the mind and all that surrounds it  of which you yourself can control; in order to achieve this state of well-being, we must exercise, or train, ourselves through good high quality living practices.  These practices are something I am constantly searching for in order to improve my own life style; and, I want to share with you what I have discovered and learned. Hopefully, we can practice together so we can all have improved fitness in our lives.