SIMPLE EXERCISE TIPS TO STRENGTHEN, TIGHTEN AND TONE

MY RECENT INTERVIEW FOR BRENTWOOD PATCH.COM

http://brentwood.patch.com/articles/simple-exercise-tips-to-strengthen-tighten-and-tone?ncid=M255

HOW DO I GET RIPPED?

Secrets to Getting Ripped - FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

Many people think that it’s easy to get great definition and be “ripped”. We see actors with perfect bodies all the time. What we don’t see, however, is the amount of hard work, proper planning and determination that goes into a beautifully sculpted physique. It takes a lot more than eating a healthy diet and exercising a few times a week.  Most importantly, it requires a lot of discipline which most of us don’t have. It requires not indulging in your favorite treats while others around you are eating what they want. Being diligent with the specific eating times and frequency, as well as amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats). 

Many times it means measuring and/or weighing your food. Not something most of us are willing to go through on a daily basis. It takes grueling workouts, which wouldn’t even compare to our 30-minute leisurely walk on the treadmill or half-hour moderate intensity weight training. But if you are really determined and consistent, and have the right knowledge necessary for the process to be successful, you CAN achieve amazing results.

So here’s the RIPPED BODY “recipe” in a nutshell:  Click to Tweet

Proper, super healthy diet, just the right amount of food (watch as much for overeating as under eating!), proper timing of foods*, replenishing electrolytes, lots of good quality water, intense workouts, good quality sleep, enough recovery, stress control, healthy body (free of toxins of any kind), persistency and commitment, commitment, commitment. Nothing happens without it. So.....you can either work hard or..... just wear this T-shirt instead.                     

*Nutrient timing is a whole other topic in and of itself and I have devoted one of my recent blog posts to this interesting subject.



Do you live in the West LA area?  I currently have an opening for a individual who is strongly motivated to improve their fitness and wellness.  If that sounds like you, call me at 310-471-6786 and we can arrange a 45 minute interview to determine if we are a good match. 

WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

How well are you eating? Are you cheating? How many cheat days/meals do you honestly have?

How many times a week do you work out? What kind of workouts are they? Only cardio? Weights? Maybe some intervals?

What’s your activity level outside of the gym – do you sit in the office and car all day or are your daily activities forcing you to be up on your feet for many hours a day?

Are you on medications? Are you under stress? Are you sleeping enough? Do you have heavy metal toxicity? Maybe you eat a lot of fish and seafood, which is full of toxic mercury these days or live in a polluted area, or eat foods loaded with chemicals?

Are there some emotional, unresolved issues in your life that could be contributing to so-called "stuck energy"? All of these factors will play a role to a degree and determine how well and how fast your body will respond to weight loss, fat loss and/or lean body mass gain. If your body is stressed for any reason it will fight off the effort you’re trying to put it through, simply because fat burning is a very energy consuming process and the body has to prioritize what’s more important for your health.

Under ideal circumstances (excellent diet and intense, consistent workouts) it usually takes your body about 2 weeks to start responding to improved nutrition in a meaningful way, and about 6 weeks to see visible results in your body shape and muscle tone. Remember, however, that these are just averages. An obese person will not likely “see” results so quickly, while a fairly lean and fit person might be able to look a lot leaner in a matter of 2-3 weeks. Your starting point, as well as level of commitment will determine the results.

If you are interested in all the different reasons why you might be having a hard time losing weight, please visit my earlier blog: "Weight Loss - Smooth Sailing or an Obstacle Course".

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF CARDIOVASCULAR EQUIPMENT?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

This is a multi-faceted question and my answer would be: it depends. Generally, the one that you like enough, and that is comfortable enough, that you will actually use it. One of the best pieces of equipment for a hard workout and a high-calorie burn is a Stepmill. The problem is most people can only last on it for 10 or so minutes, or if they stay on it any longer they are leaning on the hand rails and using terrible form or moving so slowly that the benefit is minimal. If you can really stand upright, use your abdominals and other core muscles to support yourself in this position, and also lift your legs up as if you’re climbing rather than just pressing on the stairs, it can be an amazing workout. If you can also add some high speed intervals, but at a level where you are still able to maintain the same good form, it becomes one of the best cardiovascular options out there. In general, however, you can get a great (hard) workout on almost any machine, provided you are using it correctly. The question is: does it allow you to really push yourself?

But to better answer the question of “best” piece of cardiovascular equipment properly you’d have to ask yourself: What position do I spend most of the day in? What aches and pains do I have? What hurts?

If you sit all day at work and spend a considerable amount of time in the car, you probably shouldn’t use a bike, but rather a piece of equipment that will force you to work on your posture and stretch the muscles that get tight while sitting. If, on the other hand, you have knee problems, a bike would definitely be easier on your joints. If you’re very overweight but would like to do something standing, then an elliptical trainer is probably ideal. Elliptical trainer will put a bit more pressure on the knees than a bike so that’s why sometimes people find walking on the treadmill easier than being on an elliptical trainer. If you’re overweight AND have knee problems, you’ll have to make a smart choice between a bike and a treadmill to choose what’s gentler on the joints AND what gives you a better overall workout.

If you want to increase the challenge and walk on the treadmill uphill, make sure that your hip flexors are stretched enough to allow you to keep the upper body upright, instead of bent over and with your butt sticking out a mile behind you.

So, to sum it all up: the best piece of cardiovascular equipment, or best cardiovascular exercise, is the one you like and therefore will do,  the one that doesn’t put unnecessary stress on your joints, especially if they’re hurting, and the one that will challenge both your muscles and your cardiovascular system and allow you to break a good sweat.

SCULPTED BACK + CORE WORKOUT

GET A BEAUTIFULLY SCULPTED BACK WITH EXERCISE OPTIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE YOUR CORE AT THE SAME TIME

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

Here are some different options for back exercises that will tone your back and force you to use all your core muscles while doing them. They may appear easy at first but just by incorporating a balance component you will be targeting muscles that are normally not involved in a typical back training. These are not the exercises to build huge back muscles, but rather to sculpt the back and get more definition. Remember that there are many different muscles in your back and in order to get some real definition you will have to work these muscles at many angles so that all the fibers are challenged. That’s why I am showing exercises that are performed, for example, as a low row, mid-row and high row as well as others, like overhead pullover on the ball, that will allow you to do just that.

Please, remember to do a 5-10 minute warm up before starting any exercise.

Start with 1 set of 12 repetitions and progress to 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. The weights will vary depending on your level of experience as well as the cable machine used. It’s always good to do a few very different back exercises to hit all those different muscle fibers.

Perform all exercises slowly and through the full range of motion if you can. If balancing on one leg makes it too hard for you, learn the same exercise in a stable position first, and then progress to the less stable one. You have to be able to stand on one leg for about 20-30 seconds before you can start doing one leg exercises. You can challenge your balance by starting on the floor and holding the position for 20-30 seconds. Then do the same on the half foam roll, then the Airex pad and eventually on the Dynadisc. Once you’ve mastered any of these levels you can also add standing upper body exercises for a more advanced challenge.

Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.

KILLER TRICEPS/CORE WORKOUT - Part 1 and 2

GREAT TRICEP EXERCISES INCORPORATING THE FULL USE OF THE CORE

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

This is another video where I tried to include a very intense use of the core muscles in all the triceps exercises.  Some of them are very advanced so make sure you can stabilize correctly and are able to do the easier ones first. They require minimum equipment and are all very effective if done slowly and correctly.

Please, do a 5-10 minute warm-up before doing any exercises.

Depending on your level, try to do 12-20 repetitions per set.  Aim for the amount of repetitions that gives you a nice burn but not to a point where your form is compromised.

If you haven’t worked out in a while, it’s probably smarter to start with just 1 set and progress to 2-3 sets as some of these exercises can produce extreme soreness.  The weights would vary from 5-15 lbs for women and about 10-25 lbs for men. As always, you don’t have to do all of these exercises in one workout, but rather alternate them with other muscle groups to get a better overall workout. For fat loss, toning and definition you should rest about 30 seconds between sets or switch to a different muscle group without resting at all. Proper stabilization is critical in these exercises as it is fairly easy to strain the shoulder joint doing them incorrectly.

Make sure you engage your core muscles in all the exercises. They play a very important role of supporting and stabilizing you, especially in full body exercises like triceps push-ups.

All the exercises should be performed slowly, without momentum, and through a full range of motion (if you don’t have any injuries or joint issues). Try to engage your triceps muscles at the very beginning of the exercise and then again contract them all the way at the end of the range.

If you don’t have much time to do your workout, choose the exercises that require more core involvement. This way you can skip the abdominal work as your abs will already be involved to a huge degree doing everything else.

Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.

PERSONAL TRAINERS – THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

HOW TO FIND A GOOD ONE, SPOT A BAD ONE AND AVOID THE UGLY

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter CPT, LWMC, HLC

After almost 19 years in the health and fitness industry I have seen them all: from the most professional and qualified ones to those that are a downright disgrace to the training profession, and then everybody in-between.  And what I see doesn’t really surprise me anymore but what does is people’s inability to tell the difference. So here are some helpful hints that will not only tell you what to look for if you are thinking of hiring one but maybe make you think twice about the one you already have. And please, don’t tell me that you’ve had them for a while, you are used to them, you don’t like changes,  they are your buddies, etc., etc. and that’s why you continue training with them because, trust me, that’s not a good enough reason.

So let’s start with the basics.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING – EDUCATION and CREDENTIALS

1. Although our industry is not regulated just yet (there is no licensing system) there are many educational bodies that insure proper training of personal trainers. Make sure they have a nationally recognized certification from a reputable organization. The best ones in the industry at the moment are:

-American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

-National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

-National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

-American Council on Exercise (ACE)

-Cooper Institute

The above organizations have operated for many years and provide the highest standards in training fitness professionals. There a few others, less known ones but the bottom line is: make sure they are accredited by NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies). You can find the list of accredited organizations on their website: http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCAAccreditation/AccreditedCertificationPrograms/tabid/120/Default.aspx

2.  A degree in a related field is helpful though not absolutely necessary. I have seen many excellent trainers without degrees and terrible ones with degrees. A degree of B.Sc. or M.Sc. in the field of exercise physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics etc., gives a lot of valuable background knowledge that can be used to successfully train clients but it does NOT prepare one for a training position all by itself as the knowledge gained is mostly theoretical and not practical.  Certification from one of the above mentioned organizations is still absolutely necessary.

3. Many universities now offer special certificate programs in personal training*. These are advanced, college level courses that give not only theoretical but also practical knowledge of the exercise field. Many of them count towards Master of Science degree should a trainer wish to pursue one. (One such example is UCLA Extension which for many years has been considered one of the best programs of its kind).  Some require a certification as a prerequisite to enrollment.

*Note that the Certificate is not the same as Certification but after completion of a university level certificate program most students are able to successfully pass certification exams as their level of knowledge is a lot more advanced.

4.  Is the trainer’s certification current?

Each organization requires a certain number of continuing education units per year. Many trainers take the exam and never renew their certifications when the time comes. Make sure their certification is current. Just go to the website of an organization your trainer is certified from and do your homework. How credible do you think a person is if they took an exam 10 years ago and their certification is long expired?

5.  Continuing education – how often do they take classes, attend lectures, symposia and conferences? How much continuing education do they do per year: the bare minimum or more?

They should be able to show you their certificates of completion if requested.

6.  Do they have additional certifications or training in other complementary fields like nutrition or lifestyle coaching? These are always a huge plus not only because they show a trainer’s commitment to education in many related fields but also because they will assure your needs are better addressed.

HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE TRAINER IN YOUR AREA?

You can go to the websites of the above listed organizations and enter your zip code or a trainer’s name if you have someone in mind and want to check their credentials.

A better way, however, is a new website by IDEA Health and Fitness Association (the biggest educational body in the fitness industry). Its great advantage is the fact that IDEA has done all the work for you: all current certifications of trainers are listed and verified for accuracy as well as their insurance and CPR training so you can be assured that the information is true. Trainers listed have their own page where you can learn more about them, their areas of expertise, training philosophy, etc. You can read reviews posted by clients, go to the trainers’ websites, blogs, newsletter, Face book and Twitter accounts and see videos if there are any. In addition, the website allows you to find gyms and different classes in your area. Just go to: www.ideafit.com/fitnessconnect , choose a type of professional you are looking for and your zip code and you will get a list of names to choose from. Those that appear on top of the list are the highest rated. 

EXPERIENCE

1. The best certification on the market is just a start. If you are young, healthy, want to get a little fitter and just need a little push to exercise this may be enough but in most cases it is NOT. There is nothing like years of practical experience to make a trainer truly good. This is especially important if you have health concerns or problems, are a lot more serious about fitness than most people or have very specific goals in mind. These can be related to weight loss, fat loss, muscle gain, your particular health condition or sport you participate in. It is hard to suggest a specific amount of years here but look for someone with at least 5 years of experience or more.

2.  Do they have experience training different populations and age groups?  Have they trained clients with your health condition? Are they well informed to do that? Don’t be afraid to ask these questions – a good trainer will not feel defensive when asked. They will probably appreciate that they are dealing with an informed consumer.

3. Do they ask about your medical history and medications taken?

4. Do they do some kind of an assessment or evaluation of your initial condition that would tell them what your fitness level is and help them evaluate your progress in the future?

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Do they have valid professional insurance?

2. Are they CPR and AED trained? This is an especially important consideration if you are elderly, on medications or have serious health problems. 

It never ceases to amaze me how few people ask me about my credentials or are even interested in them. Yes, I know that I have built a reputation in the fitness industry over many years and that your friends’ referral is what matters to you, but your friend may not be the best judge after all. Know why you are making the choice. Do your research.

PROFESSIONALISM

              

- Is the trainer professional in every way?

- Are they on time?

- Do they treat you and refer to you with respect?

- Are they focused on the client at all times?

- Are they constantly engaging in a conversation with others while training you?

- Are they on their cell phone during the training time?

- Are they always watching television screens in the gym instead of paying attention to you?

- Do they dress appropriately?

- Are they trying to do their own workout while they are training you?

- Is their language appropriate?

-Are they listening to you or do they follow their own agenda?

-Are they good listeners in general?

- Are they sensitive to your concerns?

- Do they treat you like a buddy? (Even if they are your body they should not treat you like one in a professional environment in front of others.)

I am not talking about complete perfection here. All of us are guilty of small “misdemeanors” from time to time, like saying “Hi” to a colleague or club member passing by, having to answer a cell phone call because of some emergency, getting distracted by a piece of braking news on TV, etc., etc. but doing so on a constant basis is not acceptable.

COMMUNICATION

Have they explained their policies to you in a manner that is satisfactory to you? Are you happy with the way they communicate with you? Are they easy to reach? Do they respond to your phone calls or emails in a timely manner?  Do you feel you are being heard?  Is the training about YOU or about them? Do they constantly talk about themselves, their own issues or problems? Are they willing to cooperate with your doctors and be a part of your health team?

PERSONALITY

 

Does your trainer’s personality fit well with yours? Do you want a trainer who is nurturing and soft or energetic and exuberant or a boot camp drill sergeant?

GYM ETIQUETTE

   

 Is the trainer courteous to other members of the club? Do they respect other members’ space or behave as if the gym is their own? Do they treat their colleagues with respect? Do they gossip about other trainers or members? Are they always judging other trainers’ work or other people’s workouts?

Remember that it is OK for your trainer to answer your questions about the exercises others are doing or point to exercises that are downright dangerous as a way of educating you but criticizing others constantly is not OK.

FEES

Unfortunately, as in most industries, the better and more experienced the professional the higher their fees will be. In the US the prices run from as low as $30 a session for beginning trainers in big health club chains to $300 and even $400 an hour for top rated trainers in Hollywood and New York. The average at the moment, depending on where you live, is somewhere in the ballpark of $70- $150 per session. You have to take your budget into account but don’t make your decision based on the price itself. Our industry has many highly qualified professionals whose training and experience justifies their fees and is worth every penny. Remember that continuing education is expensive. If you expect your trainer to stay on top of the latest research you have to be prepared to pay for it.

All the above considered you should, however, keep certain things in mind. Many of us work from early morning hours sometimes until late at night. We are often on our feet all day. We constantly listen to people’s problems and complaints about their various aches and pains. Many clients treat us as their therapists and an emotional outlet for their frustrations. This can be very tiring and draining at times. Please, be understanding if occasionally we need to sit down or our focus dwindles for a few seconds.

CONCLUSION

          Hiring a personal trainer is an important decision in your life and if you have a specific health condition it may just turn out to be one of the most important ones you’ll ever make. Don’t be afraid to do your research, ask the right questions and interview possible candidates. You wouldn’t go to any doctor, would you?

     All of the above qualities are important when choosing a personal trainer. Don’t make this decision lightly. It is your money. It is your HEALTH. And what could be more important than that?