HOT LINKS
Breakfast
I usually ask clients to make to small changes the first week that we’re training together. The first one that people normally don’t do on their own is to eat breakfast daily, which is truly, the most important meal of the day. This blog post cites some studies that are so important to mostly everyone the part that breakfast plays in losing weight. Click here for the article.
Sugar-free, that’s me
If we look closely at our diets, sugars and carbs are the dominant macronutrients that we imbibe hourly, daily, and weekly. Especially, foods with sugar, rule the way we plan or not plan. This is good advice about cutting out sugar. Click here for the article.
You can do this right now!
Workouts on the go, don’t need weights, straps, belts, whips, or chains…These exercise can be done anywhere. Just make sure you do them correctly so that you don’t hurt yourself. Here you go.
New extensive studies on Fish oil and Vitamin D
Heart health and bone health are two important issues as you get older. Click here for the article.
HOW NOT TO SQUAT
What is the most anti-productive way to squat? See if you can figure out what he’s doing wrong?
There are several fundamental issues that are wrong in this video. One is that using a Smith machine to squat is not a productive one, not to say that there was not a full range of motion, and that your back in that position is not natural nor does it support the weight that engages your buttocks, hamstrings, or quadriceps. With a Smith machine, your legs are not under you in a way that is helping you to push up. Your legs have to at a angle in using the Smith machine, which begs the question, what are you then using?
Squats used to be thought of as getting the “total body workout”, and was done last. There is truth to that because most of the body parts are working helping, arms, core, shoulders. However, primarily for safety purposes, many coaches are teaching the “front squat” because of the many people who are having a problem using the traditional “back squat”. It’s not just the issue of strength for this, but the technique traditionally use really takes lots of balance and proper movement of the knees, quads, hams, and ankles.
With the Front Squat, you are resting the bar on your front deltoids muscles, cross arm or military press position. Lower your body so that your hamstrings are even with your knees, and with your quadriceps and hamstrings engaged, drive your hips and buttocks (not your back) in. Your hips should feel like they are under the weight like below:
If haven’t used your hips before for this exercise, likely, your back has been taking a beating. If your back or knees have been hurting for awhile, you should go get it check out. If you are using light weight 15-20 reps is a great workout. If you are using heavy weights 6 reps is a great start.
