trainer workout

Excuses during the holidays

I'm starting to hear already, "Its the Holidays, thats why I haven't been workingout". Why? Really? This is when we should really be on a scheduled workout program. 

I get it, you're out late the night before because you had a holiday party. I totally understand. But come in and train anyway. Don't let everything go to Sh&t just because its the holidays. Some studies say that the average person will gain 5 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Years. Totally unnecessary!!!!

Simple but true, just don't eat a drink so much.  And don't skip your training sessions.

If you're hung over, sometimes the best thing for you is to sweat it out. 

Its going to be hard but it will definitely be worth it. Keep training.

10 Reasons why I exercise

So I was in the gym on Sunday (11/3/13) working out. The gym was closed and I was pumping the music, lifting heavy and belting out lyrics. All the things you do when no one is looking. It was a great workout, and at the same time a great release. As I'm tearing it up in the gym, I got to thinking. Why do I exercise? Why do my clients exercise? Why is exercise and training meaningful? Those are three big questions, considering that I'm a trainer and partner in a personal training business.
So I thought about it for a bit and here's what I came up with.
1- Exercising is a massive release for me. What does that mean? I personally hold onto a lot of stress. That stress has to go somewhere. So, I take it out in the gym. I figure it’s better to take it out on the gym then on people.
2- It helps me think more clearly.
Like so many other people, thoughts race through my mind a mile a second. I get so overwhelmed sometimes. After or even during a good workout session, the mind seems to unclutter and organize itself. Please don't ask me how. It just does.
3-It makes me a better person. I have more patients to deal with life. We could all use more patients.
4-I look better when I train consistently. I’ll take that side effect any day.
5-I don't want to be that old man that can't walk or move when he's 70. I want to be active and vibrant.
6-I feel happier. We all know endorphins are released when we exercise, but I believe that it’s much more than that. I feel like I've accomplished something hard, something that maybe I didn't want to do at the time but I did it anyway. That sense of accomplishment makes me happy.
7-How can I teach people how to exercise if I don't do it myself. That's just bad for business.
8- I don’t like the way I feel when I don't. I feel lazy and sluggish, and I hate that feeling.
9- I like to compete in sporting events.  If I was out of shape I would get my butt kicked. There is no way I'm going to get my butt kicked if I can help it.
10- It is good for me.

Now that’s only 10 reasons, I’m sure I can come up with a bunch more if I sat and thought about it a bit more. Exercise is purposeful if done correctly. I truly believe that working-out is meaningful and can help, and is helping a lot of people in today’s world.  Let’s face it, life is not getting easier. So, this means that we have to get better. Exercise is a great tool for getting better at life.

Hard Work

If this doesn't get your blood flowing I dont know what will.
This video is not about fitness But it has everything to do with fitness. Health and Fitness is about working hard, staying committed. Most people dont like to exercise or say its way to hard to stay on track. I hear to tell you, that's just the way it is. There is no simple answer or magic pill. if you want to live a better life then you need to exercise.
I'm not saying this because I'm a Personal Trainer. I'm saying this because I truly believe it.
As humans we are meant to move. We need to struggle a bit.

enjoy the video

Workout of the Week!

Thomas Edison once said "There is no substitute for hard work." With Edison in mind, and Labor Day weekend coming to an end,  who's ready to get back into their workout routine? As I sated last week, the team here is training for the "Domus Niner" on  Sunday, September 29, and can't wait to show what we're made of (anyone who wants to join the team is welcome!). Our second workout in preparation for this event is listed below:


Set 1:
(a) Barbell Forward Lunge  (20 reps. each side)
(b) 5 Pushups immediately followed with 25 Mountainclimbers (Repeat step 3 times)
(c) Bosu-ball Side Plank Lifts (15 reps. each side)
(d) Jump In/Out Squats (30 reps)
(e) Repeat Set Once

Set 2:
(a) 30 Second treadmill push
(b) Jump rope (1 minute)
(c) Stair master (level 15 for 1 minute)
(d) Skaters (45 seconds)

Set 3:
(a) Gorilla Runs (down and back)
(b) Bench Dumbbell Chest Press (15 reps.)
(c) Bench Reverse Abs (40 reps.)
(d) Bosu-ball Jump Squat (30 reps.)
(e) Underhand Lat. Pull Down (15 reps.)
(f) Repeat Set Once 

Set 4:
(a) Bike (level 11, with RPM above 90, for 3 minutes)
(b) X-trainer (level 11, rotating 20 second sprint and 10 second walk for 3 minutes)

Set 5:
(a) TRX Triceps (15 reps.)
(b) Barbell Bicep Curl (15 reps)
(c) Dumbbell Lateral Raise (15 reps)
(e) Repeat Set Once

Feel free to call or post any questions/comments you may have about the workout or the gym itself!

Training for the Domus Niner

Domus is a non-for-profit foundation that focuses on bringing life skills, essential to living a successful life, to underprivileged children and their families. On Sunday September 29, 2013, they are hosting an event at Cove Island Park (in Stamford) called the "Niner". Domus advertises the "Niner" as "A challenging athletic competition that’s more interesting than a triathlon but not as dangerous as the Tough Mudder or that crazy race done at midnight in chest-deep cold water." All of the proceeds will go to helping these children and families achieve success. To learn more about Domus please visit their website here. To learn more about the "Niner" visit their website here.

Now you may be asking yourself: why am I reading about Domus and the "Niner"? Here at Elevate, we are going to form a team (clients and trainers alike) and compete in order to, one, help the kids and their families, and, two, show we can kick some ass. It's going to be tough but that's why we have already started training. Todays workout was as follows:

Warm-Up
49 Burpees

139 Lunges
3.5 Minute Plank
50 Hand-Release Push-Ups
1 Mile Run

5 Pull Ups (2x)
15 Weighted Squat (2x)
15 Bent Over Row (2x)
50 Straight Leg Bicycle Kicks (2x)
15 Side Planks (each side and 2x)
0.5 Mile Run

25 Bench Hop-On's (2x)
15 Deadlifts (2x)
30 Seconds of Battle Ropes (2x)
15 Rope Tricep Extensions (2x)

Get Ripped Workout 7/17/2013

My name is Harrison Root and I recently graduated from Ithaca College with a BS in Exercise Science. I  started working at Elevate Fitness in the beginning of July, and as a bonus, I am allowed to participate in any of our nine new group personal training classes. So far I have only experienced Third Shift Lift (Monday & Wednesday @ 6:30 pm with Bonnie) and Get Ripped (Monday & Thursday 8 am), but I intend to try each one. The workout this morning (Get Ripped) was designed to have the client utilize a weighted exercise, and then immediately afterwords perform a body weighted exercise (in order to properly stimulate all muscle groups). It proceeded as follows:

Set 1
Bench Press - 15 rep                            Each set is to be done 3 times.
Push Up - 25 rep

Set 2
Lat Pull Down - 15 rep
Pull Up or TRX Row- 10 rep / 5 rep

Set 3
Weighted (DB) Squat - 25 rep
Lunges with Foot in TRX - 15 rep each leg

Set 4
DB Bicep Curls - 15 rep
TRX Bicep Curls - 20 rep

Set 5
Crunches with Rope - 30 rep
Crunches on Floor - 50 rep

CARDIO
Bike 1 mile in under 3 minutes
Row 25 calories in under 1 minute 30 seconds

 I know myself, as well as the other members of the class, were feeling the burn. I highly recommend joining next Monday (7/22) at 8 am with Gary if you want to gain some muscle mass. In addition to Get Ripped we have an entire new Group Personal Training Class Schedule that is available on our website. The first class is free so there's no reason not to try it out!

Harrison

Productivity

1. Meditate or practice stillness

I read that the average person has 70,000 thought every day.

That could make anyone go crazy. Between the radio, TV, internet, email and work place there are distracting thought and noises everywhere.

Meditation or just being still, is a great way to help filter these thought and just relax. Try it for 20 or 30 minutes.

At first it’s not relaxing at all. In fact when you start this process you are going to be thinking about everything and anything.  When I first started, my brain seemed like it was on operation over load and I figured that the meditation stuff was just not for me. But I just kept on doing it. The more often you do it the more effective/easier it will become. This stuff really works.  When you first start you may say “Gary is full of it because this just sucks”…stick with it.

Mediation is like personal training to be focused. 

2. Know your priorities

We’ve talked about this one before. Is exercise a priority in your life or is being “crazy busy” your priority? (I just don’t have enough time to exercise). Here is what I do. At the start of the day I write down my 3-5 priorities for that day and I make sure they get done before I go to bed at night. Easy? No way! But well worth it. I challenge you to do the same.

What is MOST important to you? Is watching TV important or is 20 minutes of exercise important. Is checking Facebook important or is  playing with the kids important.

3. Avoid Multi-tasking

Studies are now showing that when you multi task the quality of what you’re doing drops. Why? Because you’re not focused!!! Don’t exercise and talk on the phone, don’t be that guy or girl. Don’t read a book and check your email. On average we check our email 37 times every hour. Don’t talk with your spouse/partner and be doing something else. The brain can really only focus on one thing at a time. When you multi task your full presence is not there.

4. Take breaks

The body and brain need to rest. If you’re focusing on something for an hour and completely immersed in it, take a 5 minute break. Get up walk around and do 10 pushups. When you get back to what you were doing you’ll be a lot more focused.

5. Move

We all need to exercise!!!! We are creatures that were meant to move. We were not made to sit at a desk all day. Listen, I know there are times when we have to sit for long hours because we’re in meeting or in the car, but you NEED to get up and move around after a while. Sitting for long periods of time will make you stiff; give you knee and back pain. And oh by the way you will become unproductive. Movement is needed.

20 minute workout

Plateau

A fitness plateau is defined as a stage in an exercise or weight program where additional progress cannot be made, such as increase in endurance or strength, performance times or loss of weight. The million dollar question in the past few years is “how do I get past my Plateau”? This is a very frustrating time in a client’s training regimen as you may feel like you’re working so hard but not getting the results you have been used to. So why waste your time anymore? The plateau is very simple. We reach this point in all aspects of our lives not just in training. We reach it in work, marriage, friendships, you name it and the more you do something the same way, look out for the plateau! Everyone knows what I’m going to say next. In order to break through this time period you have to switch things up. Or as the magazines like to call it “muscle confusion”. If you do the same thing over and over again your body is going to get used to it and the workouts will not have the same effect as they did at the start. This is not ground breaking stuff. Not only will you not see the result you want but you are more likely to get injured. The change could be as simple as training at a different time. You don’t have to start a whole new program. Anyone will tell you that if you train at Elevate Fitness no two workouts are the same. Why is that? Because we want to be proactive with this whole plateau thing. I know first-hand how frustrating this could be. Let’s make sure we do everything we can to prevent this from happening. If you have any other questions about this please contact me at info@elevatefitnesspt.com

Ski Workout!!! Leg Burn

Band workout!

Quick Workout

Belly Blaster Ab's

workout

Why I am a Trainer

I asked a friend last week…”What should I right about?” We talked about me explaining how exercise affects the brain. What exactly happens with our hormones and what gets released, and why. We both thought it would be very interesting, and people would like to know that information. However, that’s not what I am going to be writing about today. I promise I will, just not today. Today I want to talk about why I have personally chosen this profession. I’ve been doing some reading lately, and in the business books I’m reading the question “Why?” keeps coming up. Everyone that knows me knows what I do, and how I do it, but I’m not sure peeps know why I do it. Deep question!! I’m not going to get all lovey dovey with you, but I am going to be honest. The reasons why I am a Professional Fitness Trainer are because: I love fitness, I love results, but seriously, most of all, I love people and caring for them. I really do care about every single individual that walks through Elevate’s doors. I know that sounds kind of stupid and not realistic, but it’s so true. Why the heck else would I wake up at 4am and come home at 7:30pm? There are easier ways to support my family then working those hours. My search for the right path in life has sent me down many roads. But they have all lead back to this. Why? Because I care! Results are important too. I come into EVERY session with a purpose. That purpose is different for each client. But for that hour or however long we are together that day, I am striving for a specific result for you. In my opinion if you’re not getting some kind of result then what’s the point? Over the years I have found that the result does not have to be life changing at that moment. It could be anything from losing weight to sleeping better. Everyone is different. Being passionate about fitness helps a ton. This industry is forever changing. Now a days, anyone can write a blog post and change people’s mindset about how to workout, what to eat, how much to sleep, etc. But what always stays the same is the need to exercise correctly and eat healthy food. For me, exercising comes easy and I can’t believe I have a career where I can share that with people. In closing, I guess I’m writing this to talk out loud and help you understand me a bit better. Also, That is why EVERYONE works here at Elevate. I'm going to say that I'm the voice for everyone here, and reason why we do this is simply because we care.

Mindset

This is not your usual newsletter article. Normally we’ll talk about nutrition, healthy recipes, how you should be exercising, fun ways to stay in shape and a bunch of other cool stuff. I’m going to go out on a limb and be completely transparent and talk to you about MY mindset when it comes to health and fitness. Now before I start you need to know a few things. I’m not a robot and I’m not perfect. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t live this way all the time, although I try REALLY hard to stay consistent. Consistency and dedication are words that people throw around but don’t really believe in their meanings. I hear all the time “Gary I want to workout but I just can’t find the time”. BS!!!! The one thing that we all have the same amount of is time. If you want to be healthy you have to be consistent and be dedicated to it. I’m not saying that you have to workout every day and be a fitness freak. I’m saying that you need to be serious and work at it and make healthy living a part of your life. Just like you did in school… bombarded with work you still had to make the time to study. If you’re overwhelmed in the work place, you still have to find the time to be great at your work or you won’t have work. It’s the same thing with fitness; you have to make the time. I was asked the other day “if my schedule is always changing how can I stay consistent with workingout?” I asked the guy “what time do you wake up in the morning”? he said 6am. I told him to wake up at 5am and get a 20 minute workout in. He looked at me like I was from the moon. I followed up with asking him “how serious are you”. No reply just a smile. Find the time and stop make excuses!!!!! So, I have said these same words to people for years and it never fails, I get back from someone “it’s easy for you because you’re in a gym all day and you’re fit already”. You’re right I am in a gym for 15 hours a day, so the last thing I want to do is stay there and workout. And let me tell you, if I’m workingout people are trying to ask me work question or talk to me about this or that. I can’t tell you how many times I get “I know your workout out BUT…”.I understand!! Like I said at the beginning I’m not this perfect fitness guy BUT I hate inconsistency. That’s not just with fitness either. I want to be a GREAT husband, dad and fitness professional and CONSISTANTLY get better at all of them. Just ask Jill (my wife and business partner /boss) when I’m inconsistent in those areas I get so bummed and down on myself. I despise that feeling. It all starts with your mindset. If you don’t make the decision to choose to be health and fit you will never stick with it. Sure you may stick with it for 2 or 3 months at a time but then stop for 2 or 3 months. Then when you come back, it’s like starting all over again. That just sucks. You have to do things when you don’t want to do them. I’m sure you don’t want to wake up an hour earlier or train when you get home from work. Sorry, but there is no pill that’s going to get you fit and there never will be. You have to work at it and workout it and oh did I mention you have to work at it.

Interval Cardio VS. Long Cardio

For some time now there has been and still is a ton of talk about what type of cardio is better for the body, interval cardio or long cardio. The new thing in all the magazines is that you want to always do high intensity interval training and that long cardio (running) is bad for the body. We can’t believe everything that we read in the newest edition of women’s health or men’s health. Both interval cardio and long cardio have their pros and cons. Interval Cardio is short sprits of high intensity followed by short recovery time. For example: SPRINTING for 20 seconds and resting for 10 seconds and repeating that 10x. Those sprints are everything you got!!! This type of activity will get your heart rate up quickly and help you burn sugar in a short period of time. Remember, we burn sugar before we burn fat! When doing interval cardio you are putting your body in an anaerobic state. This means that your body is working so hard that it’s not using oxygen to recover. Not a bad thing. These short sprints of exercise are easier on the joints and are a very effective way to shredding those LB’s. If you are short on time I highly recommend you do some type of interval cardio. Long cardio is slow to moderate exertion for 30 minutes or more. For example: going for a 3+ mile run. There is going to be more pounding on the joints the longer you use them. Not rocket science. But is it bad for you? When I go for long runs I drop pounds and it’s a great way for me to clear my head. Your body is in an aerobic state during the long cardio bouts. Aerobic is when your body is using oxygen properly. The body is also using different muscle fibers. That’s why long distance runners look different then sprinters. So, what’s the answer? They should both have a place in your exercise program. This is a VERY simple explanation for the two types of cardio. There is so much more that goes into both. Each individuals body is going to react differently and don’t forget about your diet. You can’t out train or run a bad diet. For overall health and wellbeing, do both. Just be consistent with what you do because what’s the point if you’re not?