Personal Training with Skype

One of my regular clients called me last week and said he was going to be unable to train for the next couple of weeks, but really wanted to get his training in, so he suggested we Skype each other during our appointment time. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about doing this, but it actually turned out great once we got going! I Skyped him at his normal appointment time. We had to adjust his camera a little so that I could get a full view of his body (for biomechanical corrections and cuing). I had my camera set up so that I could demonstrate the exercises for him if necessary. It was really just like being there in person, except for the occasional couple second time delay. He had a Total Gym, bands, and a stability ball. We got in 4 circuits with 12 total exercises, and by half way through, he had a good sweat going!

So it looks like there is another option for people who can't make it to the gym or clients who are traveling and need that push to get out of bed and workout in their hotel room. Glad I tried Skype personal training! Thanks Tom!

20 Minute Abs

Do you get stumped trying to be creative with your abdominal routine? If you do the same abdominal routine every time you go to the gym, you may have noticed that it stopped working. Many people don't realize how or what exactly they are working when exercising. If you can focus more on where you should be feeling the exercise, you will get more out of your routine.

The abdominal muscles include, and are not limited to, the rectus abdominis (all four sections), transverse abdominis (upper and lower fibers), internal/external obliques (anterior and lateral fibers), pyramidalis, and yes, even that psoas! That's a lot of ground to cover with your routine. I am going to give you a full abdominal workout, but here are some helpful hints before you start your exercises:

1) Make sure you lift the shoulder blades off the ground or ball when crunching.
2) If you are on the ball, stretch all the way back as you come back down from crunching up so that you get a slight curve in your lumbar spine and get those spinal erectors involved in the movement.
3) Feeling pain in your back with exercise is not okay! Make sure that you can do the exercises pain free, if not, then you need to ease up on repetitions and build more strength.

Here's the routine:

Stretch Back Ball Crunches (20-30 reps)
Alternating Oblique Ball Crunches (30-40 reps)
Plank Holds (60 seconds)
Side Plank Ups (15 reps each side repeat twice)
Side Lying Leg Lifts (feet together lifting both, 15 reps each side repeat twice)
Pilates 100s (count 100 bounces with arms)
V-ups (20-30 reps)
Lower Abdominal Knee Tucks on Ground (30-40 reps)
Bicycle (30-40 reps)
Alternating Lower Abdominal Leg Extensions on Ground(20-30 reps)
Reverse Crunches (20 reps)
Lower Abdominal Scissors on Ground (20-30 reps)

April Lululemon Class

A big thanks to everyone that attended my "Booty/Abs" class at Lululemon Rush Street in March! I will be teaching another class on Thursday, April 29th, from 7-9 pm. The "Body Burn" class will be a full body workout and promises not to disappoint! So if you are ready to get going for summer (while learning some great exercises), come join us at Lululemon Rush on the 29th!

Strong Legs

Everyone wants to spend more time outside during the spring and summer. Gradually, we start to take our indoor exercising outside. Whether you are running, playing tennis, or simply going for long walks, having strong legs can improve your performance. And of course, it's always nice for the legs to look good in shorts! Here's a routine that will help you increase your leg strength.

Squats (20 reps)
Plie Squats with Calf Raise (20 reps)
Single Leg Squats (2 sets of 15 reps each side)
Alternating Forward/Side/Reverse Lunges (5 times through each side)
Single Leg Dead Lifts (2 sets of 15 reps each side)
Lateral Jumps balancing touching cones (2 sets of 20 reps)
Prone One Leg Hip Extension (2 sets of 15 reps each side)
Side Lying Leg Lifts-neutral position and internal hip rotation (2 sets of 15 reps each side)
Bridges (2 sets of 30 reps)
Bridges with Legs together (2 sets of 15 reps)

These exercises can be done without weights to start. As they become easier, start to use weights for the squats, lunges, and dead lifts.

Sexy Arms

Are we ready to go sleeveless for summer? This week I am focusing on getting those arms firm and sexy for the swimsuits and sundresses! Before I give you the workout, I want to stress that you should do this with lighter weights than normal. You are going to repeat 3 sets for each muscle group. Yes, that means light weights and super high reps...burn baby burn!

Shoulders
Lateral Raise with One Arm Holding Front Raise (12 reps each side)
Alternating Shoulder Press (15 reps)
Top 1/3 Lateral Raise (raising to shoulder height and down a few inches making a smaller range of motion-10 reps)

Triceps
Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension on Bench or Ball (15 reps)
Rope Push down (15 reps)
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks (30 reps)

Biceps
Bicep Hammer Curl with Rope on Cables (15 reps)
Resistance Band Curl at elbow height keeping elbows up (15 reps)
Alternating Dumbbell Bicep Curl (30 reps)

Remember, it's going to be challenging, so keep the weights light. You may have to half the amount of weight you normally do. I know I did!

March Lululemon Class

Mark you calendars! I will be teaching a "Booty/Abs" class at Lululemon Rush Street on Monday, March 29th from 7-8pm. It should be a great spring kickoff to getting that summer bikini body! Great music, rock hard abs and a burning booty...can you ask for more? Hope to see you all there!

Something New

I am not much of a group exercise type person, and yes, I know that's funny considering I am a personal trainer, but I fully admit it to be true. I have been contemplating taking a few different group fitness classes for the past few months because I really think that in order to do the best I can do, I have to follow the trends and see what else is out there. Many trainers get stagnant because they are not open to trying new things, but my philosphy is that trying them makes me better and more creative with what I can offer my clents.

So my first stop this past weekend was taking a class at the Dailey Method in Bucktown. It's a combination of the barre method, ballet, pilates, and yoga. I registered myself and a friend for a "mixed" class on Sunday morning. Upon arrival, the people at the front desk were very welcoming and gave us a tour of the studio...always a good sign because that set the tone for my whole experience. Our class was at capacity with about 30 people. The instructor quickly introduced herself and asked who was new and if we had any injuries (another good sign of a well run studio). Throughout the class, she continued to walk around correcting people's form and making sure everyone understood what we were doing. Most of the exercises were isolated smaller moves in sequences that cover one body part for ultimate fatigue. The moves are purposely done that way so that you don't have to use a lot of weight, but you perform high repetitions instead. Overall effective, but sometimes a little boring. However, when you are taking the class for the first time, you are definitely not bored because you don't know what's coming next!

So what's the verdict? I had a great time, a good workout, and will definitely go back. I am not sure if I could do the workout multiple times a week because I hear that the exercises are typically the same in most of the classes, but I would do it once a week for some variation to my normal routine (which consists of running, weights 3-4 times a week, and tennis). Am I sore? Yes, actually, my lower abs and shoulders are a little sore. In fact, my legs were shaking like crazy during the class and I thought for sure my quads would be sore, but they're not...all that leg strengthening definitely pays off!