FitnessWorkx December Newsletter

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Avoid the Holiday Pitfalls

Don't Make this Holiday Season Your Worst...

The holidays are without a doubt the toughest time of the year for fitness training. 'Tis the season for holiday feasts, a calendar packed with holiday parties, and foul weather all of which can diminish our motivation to train. In November and December we're faced with every temptation imaginable, which makes it difficult to maintain peak fitness. But here are 3 simple strategies we can do to keep ourselves on track.

Don't Skip Meals...
Too many of us think that saving ourselves for the big meals will keep us from eating too much, but usually the opposite is always the case. Not only do frequent meals increase our metabolism but we are much less likely to binge when we reach the dinner table.

Water, Water, and More Water...
We should all aim for at least 90 ounces of water a day. Not only will this keeps us properly hydrated, but will also help us digest those holiday meals. If you plan on having adult beverages, try to match each drink with one glass of water.

Stay Active...
Why not use those delicious holiday foods as recovery from an intense workout? All those precious carbohydrates found in starchy holiday dishes like mashed potatoes, or sugars found in cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie are excellent for glycogen replenishment. And the protein you'll get from that holiday turkey meal will help repair damaged tissue. Plus, our metabolism is more active after exercise, which will help us burn those little "indulgences" that may otherwise pack on the unwanted weight for upcoming training.

Demonstration Video of the Week: Bent Over Straight Bar Row

Demonstration Video of the Week: Single Leg Deadlift

Demonstration Video of the Week: Single DB Chest Press

Personal Training, Boot Camps, Nutrition

The Joy of Kettlebells

Though relatively new to American gyms and training programs, in Russia kettlebells have been a staple of training for over a century. First seen by American soldiers during World War II being used by Soviet troops, kettlebells were looked at with some curiosity. The unorthodox weight training program didn’t gain traction in the United States until after the fall of the Iron Curtain when former Soviet Special Forces soldier and personal trainer Pavel Tsatsouline reintroduced the kettlebell to America in early 2001. It started slowly, but as more and more people were exposed to the benefits of faster hypertrophy, improved balance, strength, body composition, and power, kettlebells can now be found almost everywhere.

The key to the kettlebell workout is the kettlebells themselves. Basically a cannon ball with a handle, all the weight hangs a few inches below the hand, making it much more difficult to control and manipulate, leading to a greater activation of muscles throughout all movements that traditional resistance exercises can’t match. Plus they are almost endlessly versatile. Everything from your hand strength to your core has to work harder than if you were using a dumbbell, so you get more out of even standard dumbbell moves. And because cadio is built in to all kettlebell workouts, you won’t have to dread running on the treadmill, or spend what seems like an eternity on the eliptical machine after you train.

With all new training regimes learning the proper form is the most important aspect for everyone whether a beginner, intermediate, or expert weightlifter. Taking an actual kettlebell class or a personal training session or even two is a smart way to properly learn all the movements, and once you do, you’ll have learned an new, fun and different program that most importantly works.

Kettlebell Classes, and Personal Training in Huntington Beach