Fitness Together Brecksville: 2014

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Trainer Tuesdays: What is one thing that you added to your routine in 2014 that will make you healthier in 2015?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

What is One Thing That You Added to your Routine in 2014 That Will Make You Healthier in 2015?

Bronson Rotaru: Meal Prepping has been a huge compliment towards my health. Not only is it rewarding in my exercise goals but it also allows me to eat a consistently healthy diet. Now I don't eat on the fly and therefore do not make rash decisions on food, which are typically bad.

Adam Teplitz: Out of all the tweaks I made to my routine this year, the biggest change came in the nutrition department. The saying goes ' you can't out train a bad diet ' and it's spot on.
I decided to get more serious about my overall nutrition. I've been tracking my calorie intake, making sure I get the right amount of protein, complex carbs and healthy fats each day. Once your nutrition is in check, you will reap the rewards of your workouts. It makes all the difference in the world.

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Monika Cotter: One thing that I have done that will make myself a happier, healthier person in 2015 is making sure I do something every day. I don't mean a hard core work out every day but at least stretching or foam rolling even on rest days. Rest days are very important but stretching and foam rolling can improve flexibility, balance and agility. Which in turn can help in every day exercises. I hope everyone has a great New Year's and a happy, healthy 2015.

Steven Madden: In 2015, one thing I intend to do to help promote my own healthy lifestyle is to eat more leafy greens. I'm good with vegetables, but not good enough. I should really be getting about two more servings per day, so that's what I'm going to try and focus on.

Lisa Clark: Living an active lifestyle is definitely something everyone should do to insure good health for years to come. However in addition to regular cardio and strength training, as a female in my mid 40's and osteoporosis very prevalent in my family, I have also made calcium and vitamin D supplements part of my daily routine. It is my goal to make the right choices now, to maintain strong healthy bones later!

Kelly Bailey: Late in 2014, I started using a heart rate monitor for my endurance training. I have found this little device indispensable in my cardio training. It quickly taught me that I was often training at intensities either too low or too high. Like most endurance athletes, I tended toward training at a heart rate that was way too high, which can lead to overtraining. Now I can always stay in my target heart rate range, which gives me the best bang for my training buck.

Kerry Fairchild: The one thing that I have added to my routine that will prove to be beneficial to 2015 is performing yoga stretches before and after my run. I have to admit, as basic as it is, stretching is the one part of exercise I have rarely made time for. However, with decreased flexibility there is an increased risk for injury and anyone who knows me has heard my mantra "don't get hurt, don't get hurt, DO NOT GET HURT!" Nothing puts a stop to a successful exercise routine like injury. So if you see me out on the road, don't be surprised if you catch me holding Warrior II (while covertly catching my breath

Saturday, December 27, 2014

New World Record Plank for Over 4 hours!!

New World Record for Abdominal Plank!

First off, from one fitness enthusiast to another, CONGRATULATIONS to Mao Weidong for smashing the previous world record for the abdominal plank! Weidong is a member of the Beijing SWAT team and has set the bar high at a whopping FOUR HOURS and twenty six minutes! (see his video at the bottom of this page) To put things into perspective, during our March Madness Fitness Challenge last year, we had a handful of clients battling for the longest plank between 6 and 8 minutes.

Why Plank?
The plank is notorious for being the ultimate test of one's core strength and endurance. It also uses other muscle groups such as your shoulders and glutes. Beyond that, holding the position for a length of time challenges you mentally. It becomes an exercise of mind-over-matter. It is my personal favorite core exercise for a number of reasons. A.) by holding a proper plank, you are firing up every single core muscle and stabilizer. B.) unlike many abdominal exercises the plank is safe for your spine by putting it into a neutral position. C.) clients dread doing it because it is tough! :) Any one who has trained with me knows that somewhere towards the end of a session I will typically say "It wouldn't be a session without a plank!"

Click this link for a video of Fitness Together personal trainer Adam Teplitz demonstrating a proper abdominal plank:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5PBz-G8X1E

Click here for a link of me having some fun demonstrating Walk The Plank on International Talk Like a Pirate Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpVj30Vv3BI

Click Here to read the success story of this Fitness Together client testimonial pictured here holding an advanced, more challenging stability ball plank (wow, this was back when our walls were still tan):

https://www.facebook.com/FitnessTogetherBrecksvilleOhio/photos/a.354143201320942.77074.353711434697452/354143337987595/?type=3&theater

And click here for a link of the new world record holder Mao Weidong in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzciOAhto78

Thanks for reading, now get back to work....we have a record to beat!

To Your Health,

Sean Sullivan, Owner Fitness Together Brecksville

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Trainer Tuesdays: How do you like to warm up before a tough workout?

Trainer Tuesdays

How Do You Like to Warm Up Before a Tough Workout?

Bronson Rotaru: For my warm up I always walk 10-15 mins on a treadmill usually at a slight incline. Then I start gradually with weights, I do not jump right into heavy weight while strength training. There are many different options for warming up. It’s best to make sure you do incorporate some type of warm up. It is not a good idea to go right into a workout without a proper warm up

Adam Teplitz: When it comes to a tough workout, a proper warm up should not be overlooked. A proper warm up increases the blood flow to the working muscles. This leads to less risk of injury and improved performance. Additional benefits of a warm up include mental preparation, improved range of motion, and increased body temperature.

A typical warm up for me includes 5 to 10 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, elliptical or bike. Afterward, I'll compete a few warmup sets for the first exercise in my routine. If I'm squatting, I'll start with 50 % of my working set weight for the warm up sets. It's important not to go over 5 or 6 repetitions with your warm up sets. You want to conserve your energy for the working sets.
Never underestimate the benefits a proper warm up can bring to your workout!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.731543510247574.1073741837.353711434697452&type=3

KellyBailey: Have you ever noticed that the first 15 minutes of your run or weight lifting session is the hardest? If so, you may not have spent enough time warming up. Having to perform a warm up often seems like a waste of time because it uses up an extra 15 minutes of time we often don't have. However, a warm up is critical to help ease your body into the exercise session ahead. It allows your heart to slowly shunt blood away from some of your organs and into your muscles. A warm up also gets the synovial fluid moving around inside your joints.

A proper warm up for cardiovascular exercise starts with a slow pace that gradually increases until you are exercising at your targeted pace. For example, I always start my runs with five minutes of walking, followed by 10 minutes of very easy jogging. I have found this 15 minute warm up to be critical for feeling good during my run.

It's just as important to warm up before lifting weights. You should start with a minimum of 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise like brisk walking, cycling, or elliptical. By the end of the 10 minutes, you should break a light sweat. Then, to get your joints warmed up, performing a few exercises that are similar to the weight training exercises you'll be performing that day is crucial. For example, if you plan to squat with weight, you should do a few body weight squats first. If you'll be working your upper body, slow arm circles will help get your shoulder joints ready.

Monika Cotter: Before a tough workout at first I like to warm up my body by walking or doing the elliptical for at least five minutes. Depending on the workout I am doing I try to tailor my warmup to it. If I am doing lower body that day then I warm up my lower body really well using functional, dynamic movements. For example if I am going to do weighted squats and lunges I make sure to add body weight lunges and squats to my warmup along with leg swings and hip opening stretches. The same goes for an upper body workout….lots of dynamic movements such as arm circles and swings. In any case, make sure that you always do some kind of warmup before exercise to avoid injury. Happy Holidays!