Three common workout mistakes that are INSANE!

Do you know the definition of insanity? According to Benjamin
Franklin, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over again and expecting different results.

Okay, you work out hard, over and over… but are you seeing the
results you want?

Here are 3 common mistakes that people make but not to worry… you
do not have to keep making them!

1- Training only the parts of your body that you think need to
improve
Everyone has areas of their body that store more fat. My favorite
example of this is when people do 100’s upon 100’s of crunches
hoping to burn the fat off their mid-section.

If you only target certain body parts you create an unbalanced
physique and can over-train and injure those body parts.
Furthermore, you won’t be doing anything to increase your
metabolism.

By working all of your body parts, not only will you increase
metabolism, but your body will be more suited to handle daily
activities and functions because you will be better balanced.

Make sure your workouts cover many planes of movement and work the
muscles all over the body. Your workout will be more challenging…
and more effective.

2- Not changing up your workouts
Your body will easily adapt to the demand you consistently give it.
By changing up your routine, you can still work the same muscle
groups, but you need to choose different exercises to target those
muscles.

If you were doing dumbbell squats for 4 weeks straight,
and all the sudden you did lunges… even though these 2 exercises
basically target the same muscle group, you will probably notice
those muscles “talking” to you the next day!

3- Destroying a good workout with poor nutrition afterward
Did you know that eating carbohydrates and protein together within
an hour after working out will enhance muscle recovery, help
maintain and gain lean muscle mass, and help enhance physical
performance and endurance? Without doing this, your progress can
be slower if you are not doing everything to maximize your recovery.

One of my favorite “rewards” for a good workout is my Post-Workout
Recovery Drink! This one is used by hundreds of professional and
world-class athletes across the USA… so why not pick the best?!

Is this you?
Someone who wants to minimize soreness experienced after exercising
Someone who is looking for better muscle recovery
Someone who wants to enhance your current exercise and/or weightlifting program
Someone who wants to gain lean muscle mass

Good news… Post-Workout Recovery Drink is on sale until September
7, 2010!

Get the most out of your workout!

Hydration

You probably already KNOW every function in your body depends on water and drinking enough of it. You may think you are drinking enough, but even the slightest level of dehydration can have huge consequences on your health.

When you fully understand the BENEFITS of drinking no less than half your body weight in ounces of water a day, running to the bathroom every minute will be a small inconvenience.

As you age, (particularly women), keeping your levels of electrolytes in balance and relatively constant can get increasingly difficult, but this is easily remedied.

Keeping your body hydrated is a balancing act of water and electrolytes, if one changes… the other changes as well. You lose water and electrolytes through sweat, urine, bowel movements, and through air you exhale.

The water in your body contains “electrolytes” which are dissolved minerals, mainly sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Dehydration, the body’s loss of water and electrolytes, will cause you problems. Water by itself cannot keep you hydrated. The dissolved minerals, “electrolytes”, help hold the amount of water in the body and keep the blood pH to 7.4, the normal level.

When too many electrolytes are used up, the pH drops and the body takes the electrolytes from “storage centers”… for example, calcium from the bones, magnesium from the muscles… and over time, this can cause serious problems.

Just a 2 – 5 percent decrease in body fluid can reduce blood volume, decreasing oxygen delivery to muscles and organs when you need it most. Prolonged exercise, outdoor activities at elevated temperature or humidity, and occasional gastric imbalances are associated with loss of body fluid and dehydration.

Even low-intensity exercise or activity can cause significant fluid loss. Performance declines due to increased reaction time, and decreased concentration and judgment. Worse, you can be completely unaware of this happening until it’s too late.

The longer or more intense the exercise, the more urgent it becomes to replace the electrolytes as well as the water for optimal performance. Loss of body weight due to water causes your heart to work harder, causes quicker fatigue, possibly increases muscle cramps, and can result in more serious trouble such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

The amount of fluid to drink varies from person to person but there are some signs that can help you determine you are not getting enough hydration: If your urine is dark in color and low in volume and if you weigh yourself before exercise and it is less then when you started… you have lost fluids. Staying hydrated will give you more energy and increase your performance. When your workouts are better, you feel better.

The American College of Sports Medicine sets the following guidelines:

• Drink about 17 ounces of fluid 2 to 3 hours before exercise.
• Drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water 10 to 20 minutes before exercise.
• Drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water every 15 minutes or so during your workout.
• If you exercise more than an hour, consider a Sports Drink.*
• Continue drinking water after your workout to replace fluids loss.

*Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides the necessary nutrients to maintain proper metabolism and delay the onset of fatigue. It hydrates your body by re-establishing your electrolyte balance with its superior formulation. Rehydrate Drink has a low glycemic index that produces a more gradual insulin response and is isotonic, thus providing rapid gastric emptying and rapid rehydration. Furthermore, this drink helps support the body’s energy cycle and provides carbohydrate fuel necessary for energy production.

Unlike other sports drinks, Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink includes antioxidants, carbohydrates, electrolytes and other nutrients that effectively promote optimal hydration and recovery. Rehydrate Drink has a 1:1 ratio of sodium and potassium, two of the most vital electrolytes that are lost when we sweat. Rehydrate Drink helps prevent cramping by providing calcium, magnesium and L-glutamine to support the contraction and relaxation phases of the muscles.

This amazing sports drink also helps sustain carbohydrate energy by including chromium in its unique formulation, strengthening endurance at any activity level. Furthermore, the antioxidants in Rehydrate Drink help fight the effects of free radicals, and the amino acids support blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system. Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides a complete spectrum of ingredients for hydration that far exceeds other leading sports drinks, making it a superior choice for the serious or casual athlete.

Your levels of electrolytes can also fluctuate for other reasons than exercise or hot weather and need to be replaced in the body for better health. Some common health problems listed below can be helped by adding “Rehydrate” and boosting your water intake.

• Weight loss: Drinking water aids in digestion and the fat burning process. It helps you remove toxins from the body, keeping you clean and healthy. Your kidneys need to have enough water to function properly. If they are functioning at low capacity, then your liver will have to do more work. One of the liver’s functions is to metabolize fat that is stored for the body to use as energy. If the liver has to pick up the slack for what the kidney cannot do without enough water, then it will not be able to metabolize the fat with full effectiveness. If the liver is metabolizing less fat, then you are jeopardizing your fat loss.
• Water retention: A common misconception is that drinking lots of water causes water retention. Actually, the opposite is true. If the body isn’t getting the proper amount of water, it begins to store what it can. So whenever you drink water, you will automatically retain it, and feel uncomfortable. The only solution is to provide your body with more water than it needs, which will allow you to flush the excess water out of your system. You might think it is too much salt in your diet or specific foods that cause water retention, but usually the cause is not having enough water in your system. If you are drinking enough, your body will get rid of the excess salt as well.
• Muscle Cramps: Sometimes dehydration accompanied by muscle overuse and lack of nutrients such as potassium and calcium can cause this to happen. Rehydrate Drink helps prevent cramping by providing calcium, magnesium and L-glutamine to support the contraction and relaxation phases of the muscles.
• Constipation: This may be an uncomfortable topic, but 50% of Americans are constipated! If this is you, you may also want to talk to me about the Cleanse! Fluid added to the colon will help add bulk to the stools, making bowel movements easier to pass. Drinks like alcohol, coffee and cola will only cause more dehydration.
• Vaginal Dryness: Okay, this may also be an uncomfortable topic but chances are if you suffer from this, and it is an extremely common symptom of menopause, your first line of defense would be to check your hydration. It is also useful to fill in the gaps with a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement even if you think you eat healthy. It is impossible to get everything you need from your food.
• Dry Skin: If you haven’t picked up on the trend here… dryness in all places in your body are usually a result of lack of proper hydration. People who naturally suffer from dry skin should be extra careful to rehydrate!

Hopefully this simple change will make a huge difference in many areas of your health. Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment if you need more assistance.

Quick Workout Using One Dumbbell

Here’s a great quick circuit you can do using one dumbbell. If you want to use the same dumbbell for all the exercises you can, but depending on the exercise, you may need to switch to a lighter or heavier weight. Switch out the dumbbell which will allow you to do 8-12 repetitions that will keep your form but challenge you at the end of the set.

Perform one set of 8-12 repetitions per exercise and repeat the circuit 2-3 more times, resting only at the end of each circuit.

1- Single Dumbbell Squat- The further you hold the dumbbell out away from your body, the more you will feel it in your core.

2- Single Arm Dumbbell Reverse Fly- Keep your back flat, if your core is strong you can do this exercise without resting your arm on your knee for a greater ab challenge, but keep the back flat at all times.

3- Single Leg Dead-lift- Keep your back flat, abs tucked in tight and “spot” something out in front of you eye level to help keep your balance. Try to perform these without putting the other leg down. Straighten up each time you come up.

4-Dumbbell Chest Extension- You can do this exercise on the floor or a bench if you don’t have a ball. If you are using a ball, make sure your head is supported on the ball. Hold the dumbbell directly over your chest with both hands. With arms straight but elbows not locked, lower the dumbbell back behind your head. Raise back up over chest to starting position.

5- Single Arm Dumbbell Squat and Press- Standing feet shoulder width apart hold the dumbbell in the right hand palm facing out. Lower as if sitting back into a chair not letting your knees extend over your toes. As you stand up, raise the dumbbell over head in one continuous move. Lower dumbbell back down to start position while going into your squat at the same time. After you complete your repetitions, repeat holding the dumbbell in the left hand.

If you want me to build a 4-week custom program just for you, click here:

VIRTUAL ONLINE TRAINING -affordable online training and nutrition programs

CUSTOM DESIGNED 4-WEEK PROGRAM JUST FOR YOU! -this is where I design your program personally

Too old? I don’t think so!

One of my friends Dolores Hagen writes a blog “Sixty and Sensational” about style and confidence for women over-sixty. She came across a video that I think anyone would find inspiring but I find it particularly pertinent to those who “feel old”.

What age you “feel” is determined by the exercise you get or don’t get, by the foods you eat or don’t eat, and how you emotionally handle the stresses in your life.

While reaching the “end” of your life span is inevitable, it is ultimately the lifestyle choices you make that will improve the quality of your life.

We can believe a lot of things about ourselves… (they can become excuses), the actions we take will support that belief. In other words, you will get the result of what you believe to be true about yourself. When you have a limiting belief about yourself, (not enough time, too old, too injured, poor genetics, etc.) one of the most powerful tools is to find a role model who will prove that belief to be untrue.

Check out this quick video of 85-year old Dorothy Dale Kloss, the world’s oldest showgirl.

Get Fit With the Lebert Equalizer

Simplify your exercise routine, and conquer your fitness goals with the LEBERT EQUALIZER Total Body Strengthener™.  It was designed to do traditional strength training exercises for group aerobic classes and is portable for personal training sessions at the club or in-home. The Equalizer targets muscles we love to hate. It works the triceps, lower abs and back muscles like no other. Participants use their own body weight as resistance and decide what level is right for them (resistance is variable as the legs can be used to assist the exercise). The Equalizer is safe and most importantly will add an new exciting dimension to your workouts!

Click Here to Get Your Equalizer!

Click Here to Get Coaching!

Push-up Variations

I’ve always enjoyed the many different varieties of push-ups. They can range from easy to very challenging. The one-handed push-up is one that still evades me!

They are a great upper body exercise, developing strength in your chest, shoulders and triceps and work your core like you wouldn’t believe.

This is one great exercise you can do just about anywhere, making it a boot camp staple.

Here are some of my favorites, but I would love to know which ones you like. Don’t forget, if you are enjoying the on-line training I am giving you here, you will really love this: ON LINE TRAINING PROGRAM

Quick Super-Set Workout

If you  follow this blog on how to exercise for fat loss you will know that the most effective workouts are interval training for cardio and super-sets for strength training.

A super-set is when you do two or more exercises one right after the other.

Non-competing super-sets are when the exercises use different or opposing muscle groups. The muscles you used in the first exercise will be at rest while you work out different muscles in the second exercise.

When you perform the exercises without rest in between, you get a cardio workout and a strength training workout in one.

Super-sets that use high intensity, full body combination exercises like squats, lunges, pulling and pushing give you more bang for your buck.

Exercise this way for the most effective metabolism boost to burn more calories.

You will be work your abs plenty with all the exercises even if they do not seem ab specific like crunches.

Here is a quick super-set workout for you to try. The more intense you make it, the more effect it will have on your fat loss.

If you find this too easy or too hard, I can easily ramp it up or down for you with a custom designed workout. Also, you can get my Women’s  In Home Workout E-book where these exercises came from. It has beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts in it.

A woman I coach told me her husband borrows her printed copy and takes it to the gym with him. She says he loves it… what a guy!!

Here is the workout. There are 3 super-sets each with 2 exercises… “A” and “B”. Perform A & B one right after the other, 8-12 reps each without resting. Then rest one minute and repeat 1A and 1 B again. Go again for a third set, and continue the same way with the other 2 super-sets, 2A & 2B and 3A and 3B.

The weight should be challenging enough so it gets hard at the end of each set. Increase the weight as you get stronger. Always warm up before starting.

1A Dumbbell Alternating Forward Lunges / 1B Alternating Dumbbell “T” Pushups

2A  Dumbbell Squat / 2B Dumbbell Row

3A Dumbbell Dead Lift / 3B Medicine Ball (or use a dumbbell) “V” up

Stability Ball Workout

What is it about a ball that is so much fun? Perhaps it’s our inner child. Just about any exercise you do using a bench you can also do on a stability ball, and some stability ball exercises stand on their own.

Exercises using the stability ball engage the core muscles, which not only work out your abs, but are essential for good posture and balance as well.

Be sure your ball is full of air. It should be very firm when you push your hand down on it. Having less air in the ball will allow a greater surface touching the floor making it easier to balance on.

Here is a 5 exercise circuit workout using the ball. Do 10 repetitions, on each side if it is a single sided exercise. Repeat the circuit 3 times. Have fun, and let me know how it goes! If you are enjoying these workouts and want them more specific to your goals and abilities, I can make Custom Workouts Designed just for you!

1- Inverted Rows

2- Single Leg Ball on the Wall Squats

3- Single Arm Chest Fly

4- Single Leg Stability Ball Rollout

5- Bent Knee Jackknife

Quick Dumbell Workout

Who is short on time?

Time remains the #1 excuse for not getting exercise done. How hard is it really to own just a few dumbbells and get in a quick workout like this?

The first thing in the morning is the best time to do it. You’ll start your day off feeling great just because all day long you will know you did something important for improving your health.

Here is a quick 5 exercise circuit dumbbell workout for you.

If you are finding these workouts:

1) Too challenging?

2) Too easy?

3) You like some of them but you have an injury that prevents you from doing part of the exercises?

Click here to find out how you can have your own

custom designed workouts!

Quick Dumbbell Workout: Do anywhere from 8-12 repetitions of each exercise without resting, and repeat 3-4 rounds.

DB Stationary lunges, both sides

DB Reverse fly

DB Squat and press

DB push-ups (add renegade rows for more challenge!)

DB Russian twists

Killer Leg Workout–No Equipment!

Here is a leg workout that uses no equipment.

This of course is great if you are traveling for work, don’t want to join or go to a gym, or you are just plain short on time.

Did you know I can custom design a 4-week program for you personally that is half the price of a single personal training session?

Of course there is nothing like having a trainer right there with you… but when I did a survey of why people don’t hire a personal trainer everyone I asked said it was because of the COST!

So… I took that feedback as how can I make having access to a personal trainer affordable and still give you personal attention?

Honestly… Money will be your last excuse for not doing this: On-line Personal Training!

Here is my “Killer Leg Workout”.  It is a 5-exercise circuit. If you can, do the circuit two times resting two minutes in between…

Just in case that isn’t killer enough… try this Leg Matrix I learned taking a workshop a while back with strength conditioning coach Juan Carlos Santana… Whew!

24 Body-weight squats
24 alternating (12 each side) body-weight lunge
24 alternating jump lunges (12 each side)
24 jump squats

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