Fitness Together Brecksville: August 2015

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

When I Workout at Home, How do I Know my Form is Correct?

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.

When I workout at home, how do I know my form is correct?

Justin said mirrors help!

Justin Traft: Some many of you may wonder how do you know your form is good if your working out at home. One of the best simple ways to help correct or know if your doing good form is to use mirrors . You can pick up a couple cheap mirrors and stage them to the front and side to help monitor your form and your positioning on exercises. One of many simple ways to ensure your exercising the correct way.

Adam Teplitz: Weight training has endless benefits. However, it's important proper form is used to reap the benefits. When you're working out at home without a trainer , there are still plenty of resources at your disposal to instruct you on form. Bodybuilding.com has an extensive library of exercises and instructions on how to perform them. YouTube has plenty of videos as well. Never assume you know to perform an exercise without first watching a video on it.

Taylor Burns: When working out at home, you want to make sure you have good posture. Perform a warm up set of the exercises and watch yourself in the mirror slowly. Anything that you are doing you will want to make sure you have a flat back and sometimes a slight bend in the knees if it's comfortable to. If your back or anything begins to bother you, stop and reset yourself.

Lisa & Steven also say to use mirrors!

Lisa Clark: The best way I ensure I have proper form when I work out at home is with the use of mirrors. I always make sure I have a few standing mirrors around so I can watch my form. I also workout with my husband and we watch each other's form as well.

Steven Madden: The best way to maintain good form is to utilize mirrors. When you can see how you are performing in a mirror, that is the best way to make sure you are using good form. Another way to help is simply make sure that when you are working with a trainer or a partner, you are using good form then. It will help reenforce what propped form feels like without a mirror.

Kelly says mirrors aren't just for flexing!

Kelly Bailey: Hopefully you've been paying attention to your trainer! Kidding aside, if you work out on your own, correct form should be your number one concern. Proper exercise form is important to keep you safe from injury, and also ensures you are getting the most out of a particular exercise. If you've been resistance training for a long time, you are probably pretty aware of correct form. In this case, performing exercises in front of a mirror can help you to be sure. (You thought those mirrors were just for admiring your flexed biceps, didn't you!?) If you are not a veteran exerciser, or are unsure of how to properly perform a specific exercise, ask your trainer for tips. In addition, there is a wealth of information, and photo and video tutorials on proper exercise form on the internet. Use these resources to your advantage to stay safe and get a great at-home workout!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Trainer Tuesdays: What are some tips to staying on track if my routine changes when my kids go back to school this week?

Trainer Tuesdays

What are some tips to staying on track if my routine changes when my kids go back to school this week?

Don't let this be your back to school fitness grade!

Maria Kolodziej: It can be difficult to make fitness and nutrition and fitness a priority in the hustle and bustle of back to school. I know from experience! The best tip I can offer is simply to schedule a 30-60 min at least 3-4 times a week (even if it has to be ridiculously early when no one else is up yet) for yourself. Keep the same time slot every day and don't let anything else get scheduled in that time slot. No matter what! During this time get in a workout and/or prep healthy meals for the day. Routine is your friend. Let it work for you.

Justin Traft: As we all know school is about to start or already has for a lot of parents out there. Here are Some tips that may help for staying on track with your workout routine:

One: Block out sometime to look at your schedule in advance to plan workouts without conflict.

Two: maybe consider changing your current workout time to be fit in your schedule instead of missing.

Three: consider starting your healthy meal prep for the week on Mondays to better free up time during

the week and to help you stay eating healthy.

Four: instead maybe just drinking bottles of water through the day or glasses try carrying a water container with you to make sure you’re staying hydrated when running around.

These are some tips to help make a sometimes crazy week a little easier on you!

Adam Teplitz: It's that time of year again. Your kids are going back to school and your schedule is filling up. Here are a few tips to stay on track with your fitness regime :

1.) Treat exercise as an appointment. Specify a day and time for exercise. Make it a time that's right for you. Others may like to get up at 5 am for a workout, but if your body prefers 5 pm, stick to that time.

2.) Integrate and blend exercise into your daily schedule: Park at the far side of parking lots. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

3.) A pedometer or fit bit can be a great motivational tool as well.

It's important to plan ahead and keep a steady routine with your exercise regime. Your schedule might be overwhelming, but there's always 45 minutes in your day to dedicate to a workout. Your body will thank you for it.

Taylor Burns: If your kids are going back to school this week or next week really try your best to get to the gym and stick close to your diet. Sit down and plan your week of when you can get in to the gym and plan all your meals. If there is absolutely no way you can get in the gym, find an alternative to stay active. You can possibly go on a run or even a walk with your kid(s) outside in the evening. You might think lifting weights will be impossible at home. But guess what, it’s not! It just takes a little bit of creativity. It might not be the same exact intensity, but at least you are doing something! For example, you can do body squats, lunges, abs, split squats, curls, tricep kickbacks and rows just to name a few. If it’s too easy then grab something to hold or even go to the store and by resistance bands to make it more challenging. It can be possible! You just have to think outside the box!

Steven Madden: One idea may be to try and fit in exercise during your lunch breaks. Another would be to change to an activity you can do with your kids, so everyone can participate. If you are dead set on getting your "me" time at the gym, well then that is going to require planning ahead to adjust your schedule accordingly. Also, if you always go at 4:30, three days a week, it may require different times and weekdays, or even weekends; so you'll need to be flexible. Like all things, if it's important to you, you make the time.