Category: How-To

All in Your Stride: 4 Ways To Fix Poor Running Form

As important as running is to complement any workout, it’s so important to remember that your form is the foundation of everything. It will help you run better, so you can go faster, and you will not get injured. But even experienced runners can find themselves getting injured due to poor form learned over time. So with this in mind, what can you do to fix your running form?

Addressing Your Key Mistakes

There are a number of big mistakes people make when they run. One of the biggest is overstriding. Many people think that the bigger the strides, the faster they are. But if you try to lengthen this, you will get injured. A lot of runners find themselves experiencing knee issues as a result. And as beneficial as it is to learn how to tape a knee, it’s far better to address form mistakes in a more natural and gradual way. Form issues can involve striking the ground with your heels, a stiffer upper body, and pounding your feet against the ground.

Checking Your Gait

Much like people who are checking their workout form will use a mirror, it’s a good idea to analyze your gait to understand where you are going wrong. While one of the best ways to do this is to consult a physical therapist, you can film yourself and see if there are any major errors. Sometimes, you will notice right away what the issues are, but for those inexperienced runners, it’s important to enlist the help of a professional or at the very least conduct solid online research to understand your weaknesses.

Focus on Fixing One Area at a Time

When we are trying to fix many issues with our form, the temptation could be to try and do everything all at once. Instead, if you’ve got major issues with your running form, the best approach is to go on a track and run half a mile with focus on your form and then go the next half mile without concentrating on it. This allows you to feel the difference when you repeat the run. You repeat the form until you become more comfortable with it and this means your body will learn the new approach through muscle memory.

Targeting the Imbalances With the Right Exercises

The three areas that are essential for correct running form are your pelvis, your range of motion, and your elasticity. By learning to stabilize the pelvis through deep core exercises, incorporating exercises to improve your range of motion, and reducing tension in your fascia by using foam rolling can improve your fascia as you move resulting in a more fluid motion.

Proper running form is so important and if you have spent a long time running because it’s been part of your successful fitness plan, you need to remember that form is everything. Because we think we need to maintain a certain level of fitness if we dropped down and focused on the form we wouldn’t improve. But the form will improve your abilities more than you think!

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Muscle Memory – Fact or Fiction?

There’s a high possibility that you have forgotten about the jumps in gym class when you were in 8th grade, but maybe your muscles haven’t.

For the last couple of years science has been fascinated with the idea of how the memory of the muscles can benefit our lives long after we’ve actually worked on it.

This actually means that training your muscles now could help preserve themselves in the future.

What is ‘building your muscle’?

Muscles are incredibly plastic cells that can grow or shrink, depending on how we treat them.

Muscles grow depending on the exercise and food ratio we give them. If there is a balance between a calculated dietary regimen and a well prepared work-out then the muscles will have the perfect conditions to flourish.

On the other hand, malnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle can make the muscles shrink, which is called atrophy.

But the thing that is actually building the muscle is a thing called the “nucleus”. Single cells contain only one nucleus. As the muscle grown It needs to be sustained by more than one nucleus. So It gathers more from the cells surrounding it.

Just as nuclei gather when the muscle grows, the same way it dies when the muscle shrinks.

The long lasting effect

There are a lot of researchers that are affiliated with muscle memory and they all come to the same conclusion – If you’ve done it before, you’ll do it again.

The memory of the muscle, same as the bone structure, starts being built in the early stages of life. Doctors and physiotherapists agree that the younger you start training your muscles, the longer they will be efficient.

Another thing they agree on is that If a person was ever actively exercising at any stage of their life, before turning 35, then It wouldn’t matter how many years have gone – the muscle will remember.

Studies have shown that If a person trained in their life they could restore their former body state even after muscle atrophy.

What is “sarcopenia” and what to do!

Sarcopenia is muscle atrophy related to aging. Other possible culprits for it are strokes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other health problems.

There are practical steps towards fighting back sarcopenia and plain old muscle loss and It is even possible for the ones who haven’t trained the muscles beforehand.

It doesn’t matter if you’re If you‘re an out-of-shape middle aged man or woman, or a mountain climber – day to day activity can modify the condition of your muscles.

If you’ve missed the last train for building muscle mass as a kid, then start doing it now, but slowly, there’s no rush.

Remember to create a suitable regimen and a nutritious food chart for yourself. If you’re not sure how you can always ask for tips from a nutritionist, or a dietologist, or a doctor.

Don’t rush to get fast results, because you will not. Your muscles haven’t got the slightest idea that you want them to grow, so let them learn one step at a time. Moving fast doesn’t mean It will get you there faster.

Most of all, believe in yourself and move with confidence. Your muscles may not be ready for it now, but they have the potential to get you where you want to be. Believe in yourself, as well as believe in them.

Once you’ve banked those extra nuclei they will help you sustain that muscle memory for the years to come. This doesn’t mean It wouldn’t be hard, so you have to be ready for it.

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Ankle Mobility 101 | Part 1 – Anatomy & Functions

Ankle mobility is important in the gym for a better squat, but it also plays a role in our daily life.

A strong and flexible ankle makes our body more functional.

In 2 Parts we are going to share everything you should know from the anatomy of the ankle and its functions to some of our favorite mobility exercises.

Let’s start with the anatomy of the ankle.

Ankle Anatomy

An article from YPO explains it best.

The ankle joint connects the leg with the foot and has three main bones:

Tibia (shin bone)
Fibula (calf bone) – next to the shin bone
Talus (ankle bone) – above the heel bone

The bony bumps (or protrusions) seen and felt on the ankle have their own names:

The medial malleolus, formed by the tibia is found on the inside of your ankle
The posterior malleolus, also formed by the tibia is found on the back of your ankle
The lateral malleolus, formed by the fibula is found on the other aspect of the ankle

There are 33 joints in the ankle, one of the most important ones is the hinge joint, which is responsible for bending, extension, and flexion.

In general, the joints of the ankle and the foot provide stability and support your body when walking and running.

The ankle also has soft tissues that support the bones.

Some of them are:

Cartilage – allows smooth movements in between the bones
Ligaments – they connect bones to other bones providing stability to the joints
Muscles – the foot has 20 muscles in total and some of them are located in the ankle:

Anterior tibial muscle: it is responsible for the up and down movement of the foot
Posterior tibial muscle: it supports the arch of the foot
Peroneal tibial muscle: responsible for movement on the outside of the ankle.
Extensors: they allow the ankle to raise the toes before stepping ahead.
Flexors: they stabilize the toes against the ground

Tendons – soft tissues that connect the muscles to the bones (Achilles tendon is the largest and the strongest one in our bodies )
Bursae – these are small fluid-filled sacs, which reduce friction between tendons and bone or skin

After learning the ankle anatomy, let’s jump straight into the functions of this important joint.

Functions Of The Ankle

According to DrGlassDPM, The ankle joint has the primary responsibility of managing the body’s weight with or against the ground force.

The ankle joint has the largest deviation from the sagittal plane.

That means that this joint is responsible for:

Plantar Flexion – downward motion away from your foot (imagine how you press the gas pedal of a car)
Dorsiflexion – backward bending and contracting of the foot

Open chain pronation at the ankle joint results in a foot with dorsiflexion abduction and averted.

On the other side, open-chain supination is a result of the foot being plantarflexed, adducted, and inverted.

These two movements are produced by the movement of the calcaneus and the remaining foot.

Closed chain motion is more complex since the majority of calcaneal motion is inhabited by the ground and all movement, which is produced by equal and opposite motion is also blocked by the ground.

Conclusion

We hope that this information is enough for you, in order to understand how the ankle works and what are its functions.

Now, if you want to get more practical, continue with our second part, where we are breaking down how to build ankle mobility, and share with you some of our favorite exercises.

Thank you for reading this informative article and don’t forget to share it with a friend!

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Squat 101 | Part 2 – High Bar vs Low Bar

The Back Squat is a fundamental movement for building strength in our legs.

It is one of the most difficult exercises out there because it requires physical and mental effort to get under the bar.

The form of the Back Squat is hard to master and this is probably the reason why we see so many scared trainees that think squatting is bad for their backs.

Remember that ugly form is what is bad for your back.

Performing a perfect deep squat to the ground with your core tight can only benefit your posture and make you stronger.

Today, we are investigating further into everything you should know about the two variations of the Back Squat.

What is the difference between High and Low Bar Squat?

While the two types of squat may look almost identical to a novice, there is a big difference between them.

The primary one is in the position of the torso.

While doing the High Bar Squat, the bar is placed on our upper trapezius and the torso is more vertical to the ground.

With the Low Bar Squat the bar is placed around our back shoulders (deltoids) and the torso is more horizontal to the ground.

This means two things when we perform a High Bar Squat:

There is less work for our erectors (lower back muscles)
There is more work for the opposite of the erectors – our abdominal muscles

On top of that, while doing High Bar Squat, the angle in the knees is smaller, compared to the Low Bar Squat. (if we squat deep)

For this reason, the knees go forward and the pressure in the lower back is decreased.

With that being said, High Bar Squat uses more of our quadriceps, core, and upper back, while the Low Bar Squat puts more pressure on our erectors and hamstrings.

Which one is more efficient?

Efficient is a subjective term.

You can build muscle mass in your body with either variation.

As you have learned from the previous paragraph, the difference is in the main muscles involved.

If your primary goal is to build strength and add as many kilos to the bar as possible, then the Low Bar Squat is the way to go.

The High Bar Squat has a bigger range of motion and puts less pressure on your erectors.

If your goal is general hypertrophy and strength, or you are training the Olympic movements, then the High Bar Squat might be the best option for you.

One of the “cons” of the High Bar Squat is that you squat less, compared to the Low Bar Squat.

To make it easier for you:

Low Bar – Strength (1) and Hypertrophy (2)
High Bar – Hypertrophy (1) and Strength (2)

With “1” being the primary target and “2” being the secondary target without excluding the first.

You may already have learned this but let’s explain…

Which One Is Safer?

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned that a perfectly performed squat can only benefit you.

In general, the Low Bar Squat puts more pressure on our lower back and this may be a reason someone can mark it as “unsafe”.

The High Bar Squat is our go-to variation if you want to progress significantly fast and put less stress on your erectors.

Take-Home Message

Both High Bar and Low Bar Squat can be implemented in your training program.

They can both be used as primary leg movements and also as assisting ones.

Use them wisely, according to your goals.

Thank you for reading this article and now, get under the bar!

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Squat 101 | Part 1 – Front vs Back Squat

Legs are a neglected muscle group by many for one reason – it requires a bigger effort to train them.

However, legs form one half of our body and it is really important to train them for two reasons:

Aesthetic physique isn’t possible without training legs
It is good for our general health

The squat is undoubtedly one of the best compound movements to build strength in our legs and make them grow.

It is part of the big 3, along with the bench press and the deadlift.

Furthermore, it is used by novices, intermediaries, and advanced lifters to reach their goals.

Yet, there are a couple of different variations of the traditional squat, and today we are delving deeper into them.

What Is The Difference Between Front and Back Squat?

As we mentioned above, squats require a lot of effort and concentration.

Whether you are doing a front or back squat you have to be prepared physically and mentally to get under the bar.

The main differences between the two are in the position of the bar and the primary muscles targeted.

By changing the position of the bar our torso also changes positions when performing each one of the squats.

The Front Squat targets the quadriceps, the adductors, the glutes, the core, and also the upper back (upper trapezius) of the trainee, however, your hamstrings are NOT significantly contributing to the movement.

The exercises can be used as a primary leg movement OR it can be used as an assisting exercise.

The Back Squat on the other side puts our torso in a more horizontally position and allows a bigger range of motion.

The Back Squat is split into High Bar and Low Bar Squat, which are analyzed in detail here. (insert link for the article)

In general, the Back Squat targets the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the glutes, the lower back, the upper back.

In other words, the whole body is engaged when performing a back squat.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the front squat puts less pressure on your lower back.

The reason for this is because when performing a front squat we are leaning forward less, compared to the back squat.

Now, that doesn’t mean the back squat is more dangerous for your lumbar spine.

When executed perfectly, the back squat can only strengthen your lower back and it is the same for the front squat.

But you probably wonder…

Which One Is Better For Growing Your Legs?

There is no better exercise than others.

In general, if you are looking for optimal strength and hypertrophy in your legs you should go with the back squat.

The reasons for that are stated below:

The Back Squat has a bigger range of motion, which means that there are more muscles activated
You can progress on a weekly basis and get to more kgs on the bar, compared to the front squat
When squatting heavy our core is activated more, which is a general benefit

However, that doesn’t mean you should totally exclude front squats from your training routine.

Nevertheless, doing both will bring you nothing but welfare.

You can implement some heavy back squats (intensity) and some light front squats (volume) for the best results.

Your legs will grow IF you are eating optimally and are progressively overloading the weight on either exercise.

Final Words

Front and Back squats are both awesome exercises to put some muscle mass in our legs.

The one isn’t necessarily better than the other and they both should be included in our training for the biggest impact.

Share this article with a friend, who might need to read it!

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3 Steps To Deal With Muscle Imbalances When Strength Training

Muscle imbalances are very common, especially in people that have only just started lifting weights. Most of us naturally have a stronger side and when you start working out, it’s easy to let the strong muscles take the majority of the load. That means they grow and the weaker muscles don’t, so the imbalance gets much larger. People also find they have imbalances when they only work certain areas of the body while neglecting others.

Muscle imbalances can lead to problems and make it harder to get good results, so you need to do something about them. These are the best ways to correct muscle imbalances when lifting weights.

Create A Clear Training Plan

The first step to fixing any problem is to identify what it is and that involves planning. Your training plan needs to be as detailed as possible and include exercises for every muscle group, as well as the frequency of those exercises. It also needs to show whether you work those muscles on one or both sides of your body and which side you’ll work on first.

You need to cover the upper body (arms, shoulders, back), lower body (legs and glutes), and core in your workouts. It may be worth joining a gym like Elevate Fitness or Fitness 19 where you can work with an experienced personal trainer who can create a plan for you. If you don’t have a detailed workout plan, it’s easy to neglect certain muscle groups and make imbalances worse, so planning is key.

Do Unilateral Exercises

Unilateral exercises are where you work one side of the body at a time. They’re great for correcting muscle imbalances because they strengthen muscles on weaker sides while taking stress off them, too. For example, instead of lifting a barbell, lift two dumbbells. When lifting a barbell, the strong side takes the majority of the weight and that side of the bar will lift faster. But when you are doing a unilateral exercise, your weaker side cannot rely on the strong muscles to carry the load, meaning you get an equal workout on both sides.

However, if there is already an imbalance there, working both sides equally will not fix it completely.

Do Extra Workouts On The Weaker Muscles

The only way to fully correct your imbalance is to build up the weaker muscles. That’ll involve doing extra workouts where you focus on those weak muscles. You should start by doing your normal workout routine on both sides. Then, when you have finished, add a few extra sets on the weaker side to encourage muscle growth. Don’t go overboard because you risk injuring yourself or creating more imbalances. Just add a couple of extra sets at the end of each workout to slowly even things out. When doing those extra workouts, make sure that you pick exercises that isolate very specific muscles, so you are only focused on the areas that need the most work.

Follow these steps and you can get rid of any imbalances and improve your overall fitness.

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How To Train Smart: Understanding Your Goals & Setting The Plan

If you have no formal education on fitness and nutrition, odds are that you are just testing around to see what works for you.

However, if you have a goal in mind, there are specific actions to be taken towards that goal, because, well, training results are predictable!

So let’s have a look at how you can define your goal with training and more importantly, what things you need to do to set the plan right.

Common Training Goals

Going into the gym, there are a couple of types of people:

Really skinny people, trying to grow
People with excess weight, trying to shed it off
Individuals with a normal body composition looking to improve

So let’s have a look at each one of those and what are some actions you can take towards setting your plan in place.

The Hardgainer

As we mentioned, there are many people who are really skinny and try to gain weight by training.

If that’s the case for you, take the following guidelines:

Start training at moderate intensity (6-10 reps with a weight that leaves plenty of repetitions in reserve)
Focus on learning the correct exercise form
Rest at least 2 minutes between sets
Start off with ~5 working sets per muscle group, per week
Increase the number of sets progressively
Allow each muscle group to recover for at least 72 hrs before training it again
Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!

Doing all of this over at least a year will likely lead you to be, well, not so skinny anymore!

Furthermore, this will set the fundament for more growth, which you can build upon.

The Fluffgainer

Hey, listen, if you’ve been inactive for some time and have enjoyed your favorite foods in big amounts, that’s alright, you’ve just relaxed for a little bit.

Getting back on track and losing the excess weight will be fulfilling and with a bit of training and nutrition, you can do wonders.

Follow these tips!

Train at moderate levels of intensity (a couple of reps shy from failure)
Rest ~2-3 minutes between sets
Do ~10 challenging working sets per muscle group, per week
Allow each muscle group to recover 72-96 hours
Eat in a caloric deficit (most important part)
Consume plenty of protein (~1g per lb of body weight, per day)
Consume plenty of natural fats (~0.45g per lb of body weight, per day)
Consume some carbs to fuel training

In doing this, you will allow the body to tap into its fat reserves to compensate for the deficit of energy, and you will also create sufficient stimulus for muscle mass retention.

The Normie

If you’re someone who has a normal body composition and is neither fluffy nor skinny and sustains healthy eating habits, well, you have a good foundation!

In case your primary form of training involves weights, define your goal and train accordingly to the guidelines below:

Use the powerlifting rep range mentioned in PT 1 of the article series, for the goal of increasing maximum strength
Use the bodybuilding rep range mentioned in PT 1, for the goal of bulk muscle growth
If you want to be more functional and not just strong and big, combine weight training with activities like climbing, running, hiking, swimming, etc.
Maintain your regular eating habits, but add more food as you become more active!

Generally, people with a normal body composition are well-tuned to their hunger and satiety signals, so no specific diet changes are required.

Final Thoughts

Training smart is about recognizing your goal and setting the correct training stimulus in place.

Most hardgainers should focus around moderate and high intensity training that progressively increases in time.

People who lose weight on the other hand are also prone to eventually losing muscle mass, so training at a moderate level of exertion and intensity will create sufficient stimulus for the retention of that muscle mass, thus helping the person look more toned through their journey.

Whatever your goal may be, do analyze the backend of your workouts and take actions accordingly, if any change is needed!

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The Two Types Of Muscle Growth

Becoming bigger, stronger, and better-looking is one of the primary goals of many individuals that decide to take on weight training.

And while training may seem pretty straightforward, there are actually many different types of adaptations that can occur.

All the functional ones however are dependent on the adaptations that happen in the muscles!

So let’s have a look at the two types of muscle growth and help you find out which style of training would therefore be suitable for your goals.

But First…

Muscle Fiber Types

Depending on the activity that you are doing throughout your training sessions, you can activate different types of muscle fibers.

Generally speaking, there are two of them:

Fast-twitch muscle fibers
Slow-twitch muscle fibers

At low levels of intensity (i.e jogging or using a light dumbbell), you only activate the slow-twitch muscle fibers.

Those fibers are fit for low-intensity work that is long in duration and are not really great at producing force and power, so think of these as your ‘endurance muscle fibers’.

The more your training intensity grows however, the more fast-twitch muscle fibers you recruit, in order to endure the load.

These fast-twitch muscle fibers were designed for high-intensity performance – Short, explosive bursts of power.

Think of the fast-twitch muscle fibers as the fibers you want to engage when building muscle because these fibers have the greatest potential for growth as well as power output.

But Is It Just The Fibers That Grow?

As we mentioned, training may seem pretty simple at first – You lift heavy weights consistently and, well… You grow bigger and stronger.

However, you can get big in different ways, because different styles of training lead to a different type of muscle growth.

It is considered that there are two main types of muscle hypertrophy:

Myofibrillar hypertrophy
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Let’s have a look at each one, individually.

Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the increase in the size of the muscle contractile units, called ‘myofibrils’ and commonly known as “muscle fibers”.

These muscle fibers are the contractile elements of the trained muscle groups, which allow contraction and relaxation.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, on the other hand, is the growth of the ‘sarcoplasm’, which is basically a jelly-like fluid that surrounds the muscle fibers.

The sarcoplasm contains different non-contractile elements, which can grow in volume, depending on the type of training.

So What Training Triggers Either?

It appears that the myofibrils are more closely related to maximum output of strength and explosiveness, while their sarcoplasm is engaged during intense, yet longer loads.

In other words, myofibrillar hypertrophy is a result of a powerlifting approach to weight training, where you do 1-5 repetitions.

Oppositely, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is a result of a bodybuilding approach to training, where you do 6-15+ repetitions with heavy weights.

Now, of course, these are not mutually exclusive!

Though myofibrillar hypertrophy primarily results in increased maximum and relative strength, you have those adaptations with the other type of hypertrophy too, BUT… They are not as prominent.

Take-Home Message

Our musculature appears to be flexible, having the chance to adapt for both short, very intense training bouts, or, medium intensity, prolonged bouts.

This is possible because of the nervous system, our wonderful muscle fibers, and their energy reserves!

Whatever your goal may be, try to stimulate both types of muscle growth, as well as other functions like balance, agility, coordination, etcetera.

Become a functional human being!

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Introduction to Strength Training for Weight-Lifting Beginners

So you’ve spent the last few days admiring the muscle tone of people at the gym. You’ve compared their muscle tone to yours. You now realize that your muscles aren’t nearly as impressive!

All those months at the gym have unfortunately failed to produce the muscle tone you want. As a result, you haven’t been able to achieve muscle strength. So what now?

How do you enhance your knowledge of strength training as well as get desired results?

As a weight-lifting novice, this is exactly the guidance you require. As you read on, you’ll realize that you’re much closer to muscle strength than you think!

Consider these tips when completing weight training:

Reps over weight. You may be impressed by the weights your gym mates can lift. But try not to be discouraged. You can easily achieve muscle definition by doing more reps with lighter weights.

Heavier weights with fewer reps build bulk quickly. But if you’re more interested in definition, go for lighter weights with more reps. That way, you achieve better muscle conditioning.
At the onset, free weights may work better for you than weight machines. Working with body resistance as opposed to machine resistance limits exposure to injury.

The dietary involvement. A big part of strength training success is a healthy diet. The correct combination of exercise and diet will aid you in your strength training.

Protein intake is crucial for muscle building. Before and after working out, consume high-protein foods
If you’re lifting weights, carbohydrates are also important. They help to provide the fuel you need to keep going. The longer you can keep at it, the sooner you can expect to see results.

Core strengthening. Having a strong core is important to developing overall strength. When you have a strong core, you’re better able to maintain your weight-training regimen. You’ll get good back support and you can stave off injury. Some good core strengthening exercises include:

Planks, which are awesomely effective core strengthening exercises. All variations help to strengthen the abs, lower back, shoulders, and other muscle groups.
Balance ball routines, which provide overall core strengthening support. The abdominals form part of your core and you can get really effective workouts using the balance ball.
Pushups have a similar effect to planks, but focus a lot on upper body strength. Building strength this way makes working with weights much easier.
Oblique twists, which support the transverse abdominis, target the muscle group located under the obliques and wrap around your spine for protection and stability.

Building endurance. If you want to develop strength, plan to build up your endurance. Endurance training is important for sticking to a weight training routine. You can build endurance with any or all of the following workouts:

Walking is by far the simplest endurance exercise. Start out with 10 minutes, then gradually increase the time and speed of steps. Walking gets your heart rate up, which can cause you to feel winded. By resisting that feeling and continuing the routine, you’ll eventually eliminate that winded feeling.
Aerobics exercises help to build endurance and muscle strength at the same time. Spinning, for example, provides a great leg strengthening workout for its aerobic value.
Swimming and playing racket sports like tennis or squash also require a high amount of energy. Building endurance results from routinely participating in these and other high energy sports.

Include these minor changes in your workout regimen and you’ll achieve better muscle strength and definition sooner than you think! Get started today!

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How to Make Fitness a Habit

Fitness can be elusive. We all want to be fit but we can’t quite seem to make it happen.

The challenge is that fitness can only be improved minimally from day to day, so it requires many days to really create a significant amount of improvement. That’s where we falter; we are unable to make a habit out of the behaviors that will make us fit.

Try these strategies to make fitness a daily part of your life:

1. Make fitness more social. It can be tough to stick with your exercise if you try to do it alone. Find an exercise partner or join a team sport. When you can share the time with others, you have something else to focus on besides how tired, sweaty, and bored you are.

If you don’t like team sports and don’t have anyone else to exercise with, there are other options. Join a group fitness class, a great way to connect with other people in the same boat.

2. Only change one thing at a time. Becoming fit requires adopting several new habits. However, for the greatest success, it’s highly recommended that you only adopt one new habit at a time. New habits involve a lot of focus and energy. Pick one thing to fix; when that has become a habit, pick another.

3. Make it a priority. Do you put off exercising because there are too many other things going on in your life? The truth is if you’re going to be successful in this area of your life, it has to be a top priority. The less enjoyable something is, the more it will have to be prioritized to get it done successfully.

If you don’t have the time, you’ll have to create the space in your life to make it happen.

4. Find a way to enjoy it. Obviously, keeping up with your fitness routine is going to be a lot easier if you enjoy the activity. So find something you enjoy; think about the physical activities you enjoyed as a child or in high school. It might not be practical to go to Karate classes anymore, but many gyms like Elevate Fitness offer martial-arts inspired group fitness classes.

Another alternative is to take an activity and find ways to make it more enjoyable. For example, running might be a lot more fun if you train specifically for a road race and then race. You could also find new places to run. Or find a group of people to join for runs.

5. Take the first step. The most important thing is to just get started. Avoid the temptation to have everything perfectly in place before you take a single step. Just throw on your shoes and go for a walk. Decide to skip the donut and have an apple instead. All fitness requires is simple decisions like these.

You don’t need to plan your exercise routine for the next 6 months. You’re not trying to launch the space shuttle; you’re just trying to move around more than you have been in the recent past.

Getting in shape is the result of taking the proper actions repeatedly over an extended period of time.

Fitness doesn’t improve very much in a day, so making a habit of the behaviors that improve fitness has to be a priority. Focus on making a single change at a time and attempt to make that change as enjoyable as possible. You can do it!

Ready to start building your fitness habit, but not sure where to start? Elevate Fitness can help.

Step Two in Starting Your Weight Loss Journey

Yesterday we discussed the fact that you need to know WHAT you want to accomplish (and how to turn that into an actionable SMART Goal) in order to start your weight loss journey. Today it’s time to explore Step Two of Getting Started ….

Step Two: Determine WHY you want to accomplish your goal.

This sounds easier than step one, right? But don’t be deceived – if you don’t have a strong, honest, and inspired WHY, you will fail. Every. Single. Time.

Make your WHY stronger than your excuses.

So here’s a good project. Take a minute to sit down with a notebook. Or a sticky note. Or the back of an old receipt. Use one of the blank pages or the margins in this book. Draw a line horizontally across your page. Above the line, figure out your WHAT. Then, below the line, start to write about your WHY.

Don’t just imagine this exercise, actually put pen (or pencil) to paper and WRITE IT DOWN. Don’t type it into the notes field in your phone, don’t text it to your significant other, go old-school and write it down. Go ahead and set this book down, it’ll be here when you’re done…

(IMAGINE ME HUMMING THE JEOPARDY THEME SONG HERE FOR AS LONG AS IS REQUIRED FOR YOU TO GET A REALLY GOOD WHAT AND WHY ON PAPER)

Welcome back! Did you do it? Did you write down your WHAT and your WHY? Congratulations! You’ve done it! You’ve begun that journey of a thousand steps! You’ve put into motion something that will gain inertia as you continue forward and will change your life FOREVER.

Want to explore a great program to help you put your WHAT AND WHY into action? Check out the Six-Week Weight Loss Challenge at Elevate Fitness to see how you can get into the best shape of your life in just six short weeks!

Lose Weight Easily with Calories In/Calories Out

For years we’ve known that the simple truth of weight loss is that you must burn more calories than you take in (called creating a caloric deficit) in order to lose weight. In fact, you can get very mathematical about weight loss.

According to The Mayo Clinic, a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Therefore, to lose one pound, you need to create a 3,500 calorie deficit. If you create a 500 calorie deficit daily, you’d lose a pound by the end of a week.

Now, of course, there are other factors that affect weight loss, but the basic principle of managing calories out and in will provide some weight loss for everyone. And for many, this strategy alone, when implemented and maintained properly, will provide remarkable weight loss results.

So, armed with the knowledge that this is the best strategy for weight loss, how do we implement a program to track and monitor our progress and success? This is the key to our success, after all, the science won’t fail us – if anything fails us, it will be our consistency, accuracy or commitment to the process.

Let’s assume you want to lose some weight and you’ve chosen the caloric deficit method as your strategy. The easiest way to implement your strategy is to start tracking the calories you consume (what you eat) and the calories you expend (what you burn). As a first step, the simple task of tracking your calories will make you more aware and accountable.

The first step in tracking is to determine what method you want to use. The most basic option is to grab a pen and a notepad and start writing down what you’re eating. Another option is to use an app. The advantage of using an app is having access to a database of food items and their caloric content saving you the trouble of having to determine or guesstimate those values.

We recommend MyFitnessPal as its free version is incredibly robust and the database of foods is unmatched.

The most important part of tracking your food, though, isn’t the method you choose, it’s the consistency. You must, must, must log every calorie that you consume in order for this strategy to be effective.

Once you’ve master tracking the calories in, you’ll want to start tracking the calories out. This requires a little more work because you’ll either be using estimates and averages (like doing a Google search for “how many calories does a 190-pound male burn in an hour of jogging?”) or you’ll be using some equipment that may need some calibration in order to turn out accurate data.

Our recommendation for tracking calories out is going to be the high-tech option again, for its accuracy and simplicity. Because it’s accurate it will work. And because it’s simple you’ll stick with it.

We recommend using a heart rate monitor that measures caloric expenditure during your workouts. By using a monitor you can simply pull the number of calories burned from your device at the end of a workout and plug it into your tracker (like MyFitnessPal).

If you’re able to answer the all of following questions with a YES relative to your tracking method (notebook, spreadsheet, app, etc.) then you’re on the right path the successful weight loss!

1. Is this method easy for me to access throughout the day as I eat and/or workout?
2. Is this method easy enough that I can use it quickly and easily without interrupting my day?
3. Is this method something I can commit to using every single day, sometimes multiple times per day?
4. Am I excited about getting started with this method of tracking?

Great! So you’re tracking your calories in and out. Now what?

Now it’s time to create and MANAGE a daily deficit. The formula for determining a deficit is simple:

CALORIES IN – CALORIES OUT = CALORIC SURPLUS OR DEFICIT

Now, this begs an important question: how does the basal metabolic rate figure into this equation? Basal metabolic rate or BMR is the calorie burn required by your body to sustain basic day-to-day life.

Some people include their BMR in the equation and that okay, but know that if you choose this method it may slow your progress as BMR can be tricky to determine and it can vary wildly from day to day.

Instead, we recommend clarifying the above formula to mean the following:

CALORIES EATEN – CALORIES BURNED DURING EXERCISE = CALORIC SURPLUS OR DEFICIT

This removes a lot of guesswork and provides you with easily obtainable data to work with. It’s also likely to create more dramatic results as you’ll have to work a little bit harder to create that deficit using this formula.

Now to MANAGE your deficit, you’ll want to determine how much weight you’re going to lose and in what time frame. We recommend no more than two pounds per week (on the aggressive side of things) as anything more brings A LOT of additional variables into the equation that can affect your results.

Let’s use a pound per week (a very good goal for most people looking to lose weight, in our opinion). We determined previously that you’d need a 3,500 deficit at the end of the week to achieve this goal. Now you can set out to create a plan to ensure you achieve this.

If you’re looking for a more aggressive weight loss program, you’ll want to work with a fitness professional who is trained to create and manage aggressive strategies. A great example of this type of training is the Elevate Fitness 6-Week Weight Loss Challenge, where past participants have lost as many as 8 pounds a week*!

*Results not typical.

Purpose & Building of The Long Run

by Elevate Fitness Running Director, Kevin Collins

The purpose of the long run is to teach the body to be able to sustain the running movement for a long, long time without failure. That’s it. It is not a speed workout. It can be merged with tempo (sustained hard effort run) workout, but you have to use caution with this because if the run is truly long, it can wipe you out long before your race day. Ignore that and you’ll get injured. It drives me nuts when people ask me if they should run their long runs at “race pace”. No. Run your long races at “race pace”. Think if Boston & NYC Marathon Champion Meb Keflizighi ran all his long runs at race pace. Sub-4:50 miles every single weekend for 18-24 mile runs? That’s lunacy. If you want to incorporate race pace, add a short tempo run on the end of your long run or begin the early miles hard and cut it for the second half or perhaps try a “step-down” tempo that builds the pace every mile until you are finishing the long run at your hardest effort. Otherwise, separate tempo and long run. On race day, the benefits of both will nicely combine coupled with a nice taper (rest) phase to give you what you want.

Building a long run with regard to length begins with an assessment of your recent long run history.

What is your longest run ever? How long ago was that? I usually start with: what is your longest run in the past two months (a good measure of time that can allow a runner to completely fall out of running shape on 100 percent days off for that duration). What is this long run about? Fitness or a race goal? Race goal – What length?

Let’s say it is 30 minutes. Start there. If you have planned a marathon two months from this point, SKIP the Marathon. Your ascent between 30 minutes and 4 hours of running is so steep a climb for long run that an injury is almost inevitable. Start your ascents earlier. A safely conducted marathon training plan is a 6-month process. It all goes back to consistency. (Consistent runners always do long runs whether for fitness or performance year round).

If you are like me, the long run is simply about fitness. Therefore there is no timeline for building a long run, so take as much time as you need to build it. I generally give my runners 15 minute or 2-mile increases every 2-3 weeks, but if you have no particular timeline add on every 3-4 weeks. So if a long run begins at 30 minutes, progression (in length) looks like this:

Two-week Buildup		Three-week buildup
Week #1	30 min	Week #1	30 min
Week #2	30 min	Week #2	30 min
Week #3	45 min	Week #3	30 min
Week #4	45 min	Week #4	45 min
Week #5	60 min	Week #5	45 min
Week #6	60 min	Week #6	45 min
Week #7	75 min	Week #7	60 min
Week #8	75 min	Week #8	60 min
Week #9	75 min	Week #9	60 min
Week #10	90 min	Week #10	75 min
Week#11	90 min	Week #11	75 min

…etcetera.

A two week build up might be appropriate for a 6 month Marathon goal, but a 6-month Half-marathon goal gives you more time to build up given the distance is half, so why rush the process and increase the distance/time and raise the risk of injury? This also applies to a lifestyle fitness runner. Set a standard for LONG (My standard is 90 minutes or 10 miles) and take your time getting there. Once there, Lifestyle Runner, STAY there! The true effect of a long run is not the actual length, it is the # of consecutive weeks you can get in a long run that makes the difference! Remember that a runner who achieved ten consecutive weeks of 18-mile runs is going to have a better marathon experience than a runner who did nine weekly 10 milers followed by a single 22 miler before tapering. Even in long runs, adaptation to stress of any kind is where the power is. It cannot happen in a single week any more than an aspiring elite runner can become “elite” by following one of their 100 mile training weeks in just a single week. See the big picture. Training, like long runs, is about patience and big picture-thinking!

Some Long Run Training Tips:

When time-management is an issue, choose time-based runs over mile based runs. You can always count on being done “on time” regardless of pace.
When choosing between a safe route and a boring one, ALWAYS choose safety over boredom!
When a mild injury poses a question mark regarding whether or not you will be able to finish, choose tracks or a single neighborhood block so that you are always near your car!
If heat is an issue, start the run hydrated, don’t waste time trying to hydrate during the run if you can’t do the former.
During Summers, it’s always good practice to start each day off with a few jumbo cups of water.
As said before, gel heel cups in your shoes are tremendous prevention of impact injuries that can be caused by extremely long runs.
If you can’t get your long run in Friday through Sunday consider it missed! Put your effort into not missing the following weekend.
When motivation to finish is an issue, out and back runs in a linear fashion are best. After all, if you can make it to halfway, there is only one way home.
If procrastination is an issue, drive to your starting point. Adding a step will reduce the likelihood that you will go back home without the run complete. A promise to pick up my favorite beverage on the way to my starting point can get me at least out the door dressed to run.
If being cold and/or drowsy is an issue upon waking for an early morning run, wear your base-running outfit to bed overnight. Reducing steps out the door in this manner can also be the answer.
Start runs slow, there is plenty of time to warm up. Secure the confidence you can finish first before applying effort and if the pace doesn’t pick up, don’t analyze it. The run was long and complete. End of story.
Remember that the final 15 minutes or 2 miles will ALWAYS be a struggle. This is your longest run and the limits of your endurance specific to running. The only cure to glide easily through an 18-mile run, for example, is to push the long run up to 20 miles and hover there awhile. The same for a 22 miler being the cure for an easier 20.

Want to learn more about running programs at Elevate Fitness?

How Accountability Creates Success in the Gym

When we start a new diet or exercise program, it’s easy to place blame when things don’t quite work out the way we’d planned. Our local grocer didn’t carry the right type of fish the diet required, or our gym didn’t have the specific brand of rowing machine the program recommended. If pressed, we’d probably have to admit that with a little extra effort we could have adapted that menu or made the available rowing machine work. So why is it so hard to get results in a day and age where you can literally download weight loss programs off the internet for free and where you can follow someone’s diet and exercise plan on Instagram post-by-post?

For most of us, it boils down to the fact that we have nobody holding us accountable. Accountability is a key factor in determining the likelihood of success in any endeavor, and especially in our fitness and wellness endeavors. Just do a quick search of scholarly articles on accountability in exercise on Google and you’ll see pretty quickly how important this single component can be in determining your chances of success.

Let’s take a look at four simple ways to add accountability to your weight loss or workout program.

MAKE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT

A lot of people find it helpful to make a financial commitment to their goals – of course, we recommend joining a gym (and not just any gym, we think you’ll LOVE Elevate Fitness). Whether it’s a new gym membership, new sneakers or a nifty high-tech fitness tracker, investing in your goals helps you feel committed to getting it done. You’re more likely to attend a gym you’re paying for than you are to use that free exercise video on YouTube. And the reason is simple: you’re not losing anything (in theory – really you’re losing the opportunity to reach your goals) when you skip a day of YouTube workouts, but if you skip out on a gym membership – you’re spending real money and it’s harder to make excuses to skip that workout.

Whether it’s buying a gym membership, committing to a trainer or buying new shoes: drop a little cash on your goal and you’ll find that the investment often pays off big in the end!

FIND A SUPPORT SYSTEM

For some of us, a support system is a workout buddy, for others its participants taking a group fitness class or completing a cross training workout together. Almost everything in life is easier when you have people around you who are rooting for your success. A strong support system is a component of almost every success story.

Working out in the gym? Try a group class or get a buddy pass and bring that particularly encouraging coworker in with you. Check out this post on why you should work out with your significant other. Find someone who’s in your corner and who wants to see you succeed – and better yet – be that person for somebody else and you’ll find that that will help you push harder toward your goals, too!

PLAN, PLAN AND THEN PLAN SOME MORE

It’s a fact that committing something to paper has a more profound effect than entering into your phone or a digital calendar. So buy a wall calendar or a day planner or even an empty notebook and start planning your workouts. Get your plan on paper and then it’s easier to stick to.

And don’t just schedule your workouts – plan your meals to discourage taking the “easy” or “fast” route and sabotaging your progress in the gym when you’re in the kitchen. Schedule dates to weigh in or get your next 3D scan (more on that later). The more you plan, the better your chances are of succeeding.

Once you’ve got your plan on paper, start taking steps to make it a concrete plan. Sign up for your classes (Elevate Fitness makes that easy with our mobile app) confirm your schedule with your workout buddy, or even post about your intentions on social media – all of these simple and fast steps will help you hold yourself accountable to your plan. And remember what they say: failing to plan is planning to fail.

DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY

Don’t just document your plan, document your results, too. Not only will that help with accountability, but it will help keep you motivated and wanting to accomplish more as well.

There are a number of effective ways to document your journey. The most simple is journaling. Whether that’s keeping a log of your workouts and accomplishments or creating a photo journal of your journey on social media it will help create a history of small victories that keep you motivated and moving forward. Plus – if you’re posting your gym selfies on Instagram and suddenly stop, someone’s bound to inquire why – see? You’re already being held accountable!

Another great way to document your journey is to pick a metric you want to see change. Maybe it’s your weight or your body fat or how much weight you’re squatting. Pick a metric and start tracking, you’ll be amazing at how quickly you’re caught up in the excitement of managing and moving that metric. A great tool for this is a 3D Body Scan which gives you a 3D avatar showcasing your progress as well as hundreds of individual and unique measurements you can manage. Best of all, it takes less than 5 minutes to get a lot of data to record your progress.

READY TO CREATE YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY? TRY ELEVATE FITNESS FOR FREE TODAY!

Running: Tapering and Racing

by Kevin Collins, Elevate Fitness Run Club Director

The final phase of any block of training is the Taper Phase. This is a phase which we taper off the high stress training and make reductions to “freshen” up your body so that it can perform on race day. You will hear about tapering primarily when it comes the Marathon or Ultras and occasionally for Half-Marathons because the length of the races which demand higher mileage often demand it. “Backing off” for a race is simply a mini-taper which can last 2-4 days which is standard to prepare for a good shorter race where a personal best is the goal. The taper is simply a beefed up version of that, extending 2-3 weeks depending on the degree of your fatigue or the enormity of your mileage base in advance of the race.

To taper and therefore freshen the body up, we have to cut out or sharply reduce the variables that caused you to be fatigued in the first place: 1) The quantity and 2) the quality.

I will do a 3 week taper if I am feeling unnaturally fatigued before a race (Remember that “fatigued” as it applies to training does not refer to “drowsy, bored, dehydrated, or lazy”). Recognize the difference! I will do a 2 week taper if I’m feeling pretty good and ready to go and will not go shorter than ten days. During this taper, I will reduce the amount of running I do per day. For you all, that may be a daily reduction of 15-30 minutes off your base runs (15 minute daily runs require no taper, they require more running!). If your you are doing 75 minutes per day, however, this taper can be pretty effective for bringing life in your legs you don’t even remember since the first month of your training stint.

I will also reduce the quality of your runs. Your final workout called a sharpener is essentially a mini-speed workout, so small it will barely fatigue your legs, yet it will preserve if not restore all the bounce, opened up stride, deep inhalation you’ll want to be on point on race morning. Week one of taper, I’ll remove all quality completely, allow you to jog lightly all week. It’s a “crash” resting tactic to freshen up your legs as much as possible without halting training to the point of deconditioning. Week #2 (the week of your race, I’ll give you the taper workout). Never do the taper after Tuesday. The days ahead matter most. Like landing a plane before hitting the ground you need the focus. Focus on sleep, diet, mental relaxation, hydration, stretching and most importantly, NOT running too hard or too much! If you don’t feel like jumping rope or taking the stairs vs. the elevator the night before your race, you are not ready to go. Once you develop an effective taper routine, you will have trust in it as a template for the future. No two tapers are exactly alike over time. It’s a time to heed the requests of the body and it is a time to listen to it carefully.

The taper can drive you nuts, you will feel like your training hardened muscles are softening, you may gain a couple of pounds, you’ll feel like you are falling out of shape, your runs may go flat and even the first few days of the taper, it may not feel like it’s having any effect (Remember that when you started training you didn’t feel the increasing fatigue in the first few days either! Think of this as a reversal of that). I can tell you that at the 20 mile mark you will thank every extra mile on your base runs leading up to the race you DIDN’T do during this crucial 2-3 week phase. The life preserved in your legs will carry you the last 6.2!

Note: One of the best things you can do 4-6 weeks out from your marathon is to race a half-marathon. This will make you feel race ready and race sharp mentally. Also since the race is half the length of the marathon, you are likely to run a faster pace per mile than expected in your marathon which in turn will make the marathon pace feel smoother and easier mile after mile. It will also calm your nerves because the half-Marathon will give you much needed race confidence – particularly if it goes very well despite the fatigue you are under having not yet reached the taper phase! A reminder that a poor Half-Marathon before your marathon does NOT in any way guarantee a poor forthcoming marathon! I have seen plenty of evidence in my own racing career to support that as well!

Not an Elevate Fitness member but interested in trying out Running Club?

How to Run (Safely) Six Days a Week

by Elevate Fitness Running Director, Kevin Collins

In Running, more is more up to the point of diminishing returns. Once adapted to more, your body can sustain paces for longer than before. Remember that speed is also having the ability to resist slowing down miles earlier in a race or not at all at various distances. Diminishing returns or the point at which more running over any given timeframe is no longer making you stronger are different for everyone depending on 1) How much their body can handle currently and 2) How much your lifestyle can handle.

A young All-American Post-Collegiate Runner who is working a full-time desk job and working on an MBA with a newborn, for example, may be perfectly fit and rested enough to run more than 15 minutes per day, but their lifestyle cannot sustain it. Likewise, a 70-year retiree with a long history of sports may have plenty of time to handle 60-75 minutes per day or perhaps even two workouts per day, but their body can’t handle the stress. An All American living under cheap rent and part-time work may be able to run 2 hours per day every day which would undoubtedly lead to adaptations that are on the fringe of the most elite over time. Diminishing returns is different per individual.

The six-day rule is a solution in that it allows the runner to run the maximum amount of miles/minutes per day under the least amount of stress to the body and lifestyle.

If a runner tells me they are “advanced” I might ask them: “By what measure?” They might tell me it’s the speed they can run or how much they can run at one time. My measure is: How much running are you doing per week? What does that look like? After all, a two day per week plan of one 30 minute run and one 60 minute run is nice variety, but it’s essentially the same # of steps, breaths of air, and weight-bearing in a 7 days stretch as a runner packing in 6 days per week of 15 minutes per day. 90 minutes = 90 minutes.

This is not to say that you should not do a long run once per week, but if runner #2 adds just 5 minutes to each of their 6 days per week, 15 minute runs, that adds up to another 30 minutes or 5k per week for some. Multiply that by 52 weeks or one year and that’s an additional 156 miles on Runner #2’s legs at the year’s end! Who is going to have better muscular endurance for running?

The second reason for six days per week is it holds everything in balance. For runners attempting 3 days per week of running, the truth is, nobody sticks to a perfect Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule. It’s much easier to develop an unhealthy mindset for training in which you are looking for excuses not to run that day rather finding solutions to fit it in. Monday/Wed/Friday schedule oftimes become Monday, Friday Saturday schedules one week followed by Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday schedules the next. Look at this on a month calendar and you’ll see vast irregular patterns of amassed mileage into tight frameworks of days followed by random gaps. Sometimes you can count the mileage between one Thursday and the next and see that your mileage has in fact doubled in a seven day stretch not readily visible looking at the standard Sunday-Saturday 7-day week. You can blame many injuries on these irregular and unbalanced patterns of running!
Another problem with a two or three day per week training plan is raw conditioning. Think about it: three days. One should be long run, one is a speedwork, what’s left? One base run per week is not building any base whatsoever. You do not HAVE the base conditioning to 1) Run hard (or fast) or 2) Run long, perhaps even finish them. These two are stressful workouts that challenge the limits of your running potential. Where is your training to do so on one per week? You are conditioned for neither stress.
TIPS for six days:
Be flexible. Excluding a hard day or long day, don’t commit to a wholly rigid distance or time that is absolutely like say 30 minute or 4 miler. Have a range. 30-45 minutes per day or 4-6 miles. This is a way of easing back when tired and advancing when you feel good. Your own habits with this process can be a sign of fatigue or peaking during many cycles throughout the year.
Embrace the 15-minute minimum rule. NEVER go below 15 minutes or 2 miles (choose either rule that suits you). Think of this as a “faith run”. It’s something you do come hell or high water. A run that is solely about keeping in good faith a habit for consistency. It’s a run that reminds you that EVERYONE’S body and lifestyle can handle it and sustain it. Pace be damned!
Know when the day begins and ends. A 12:01 am can start a day’s run just as 11:59 pm start counts as a run that day. I personally love these challenging situations when I confront them. Night runs rock! ☺

Document every run. You will have a greater chance of running daily when you document not only the days you run but the days you skip! Once you stop paying attention, days off will become months!

Want more information about the Elevate Fitness Run Club or other running programs? Drop us a line below!

Recovery and Running

by Running Programs Director, Kevin Collins

One ingredient of training that holds value that I don’t discuss much is “recovery”. The main reason I don’t is that is an easily misinterpreted component of training that many times gets confused as a reward following hard training vs. a tool that is used for your progress. I give you ONE off day per week. This is meant to be a total rest day that is meant for the following reasons….
– To give you a mental rest from training by removing the concept of running as a form of infinity in your daily life.
– To prevent injury by giving you a pressure-free day that also allows you to catch up on sleep.
– To be able to enjoy your fitness at social events and among friends and family without any pressures that day to have to disengage to “get your run in”.
– To be reminded of something runners and people whom workout often forget. 24 hours minus a workout is a pretty nice long day!

When is a recovery day useful? Well, that depends on what you feel you need it for Recovery, confidence, secure quality or completion of a particular workout, the aforementioned? Here are some suggestions for when it’s best of service for you…

The day BEFORE Speed workout or tempo run. If fresh legs are in order, try it the day before a speed workout so that you can guarantee that you show up ready to bring out real quality in your scheduled workout!

The day BEFORE your Long Run. If you are taking on a lengthy long run that you either have not done recently or taking on a distance you have never done in your life, this can bring the freshness to your legs that can give you the confidence to finish!

The day AFTER your speed workout or tempo run. This will ensure that you are absorbing the benefits of a workout. Like a dry sponge soaking up water, your body will absorb the benefits of a good hard workout much better with your off day the next day.

The day AFTER your long run. Same as above. This can also ensure that you are safely given a day to stay off your legs so as not to compound mileage in a tight space so as not to create an overuse injury.

Travel Day. Once your schedule is dependent on arrivals which are often linked to the schedules of others who most times are NOT factoring in a run with you later, things get stressful. Plan your OFF day on travel day!

SUNDAY. More often than not, you’ll find family and social events on Sunday afternoons and you certainly can count on the kids being home. Don’t miss life. Young people especially, you will find yourself wishing years back with family with shorter lifespans with you by mid-life. This can apply to friends, too. Wherever your dearest are planning activity in the week, that’s the day to plan off. Select your day wisely! It can also be Friday or Saturday. Refrain from all three. Be disciplined on that second day and remember 15 minutes counts!

Cross-training Day. Rest day from running can include something alternative. Maybe this “rest” day is a rest from running only. Yoga, a full-body weight-lifting day, a Hydro-run or swim day. Try something else.

No Days Off. I personally run 7 days per week as many runners do. If you choose this method of “active recovery” you can substitute this as “jog day”. While a base run is a more mindless run, you can also substitute that “OFF” day with a “jog” day. However, you must have the discipline to FORCE the pace VERY easy. This is a useful option for those of you who thrive on habit. I don’t like to permit myself OFF days because I don’t personally like my mind to be conditioned in any way to even grant one. It’s a matter of focus maintained for me and not breaking momentum. Not for everyone but perfectly fine if you remember to call it “jog” day!

Remember also…When you are NOT running speed, tempo, or long run you are running for endurance and conditioning only. You do NOT have to run hard to build endurance and base conditioning specific to running, you just have to run. Mindless, pace-less, distance-less minutes. Set a # of minutes and let your mind wander. With company let the conversation flow. Do not treat every running day as you would a race with any set goals. This is both exhausting and pointless. Save your aggression for a hard or long run day.

Want to give Run Club with Kevin Collins a try?

Winter Running Survival

By Elevate Fitness Run Club Coach and Running Programs Director, Kevin Collins

As a runner, winter running is my #1 dislike. I’ll gladly run 26 miles in 90 degree heat before a 5k in the freezing temps. I may be different, but to those who share my misery December (Yes, even December) through the end of March, let me also share with you that I have only two days off running in the past two years (15 minutes or longer counts for me as a legitimate “run’). This takes some luck too, of course, but my love of running fitness under most obstacles finds its way. I’ve had more extreme streaks, In training for the 1996 Olympic Marathon Trials, for example, I once averaged 48 consecutive weeks at an average of 18 miles per day on twice daily training both morning and evening in Upstate NY. You can bet I trained through some horrific weather. So why do I do it and HOW do I do it?

Let’s start with the “WHY”…..

While I hate running in cold, I hate being out of running-specific shape MORE. You’ve heard the phrase “Summer bodies are earned in the Winter”. Remember that Spring has no mention here. Spring is too late. Don’t spend Summer getting in beach body shape by Thanksgiving. Be ready BY Spring so that the dawn of Summer is your arrival. If you have a race to prepare for, why not just be prepared? When a runner is truly seasonally committed year-round, that Half-Marathon you saw in two weeks and decided to do on impulse is all yours. You are getting ready for nothing, you are simply ready. “Perma-fit”.

I always had a significant goal whether driven by a race, a challenge or desire for better fitness. My current goal is simply no days off in 2019. It’s a goal with an audience of one – just me… or least I am the only one I care not to disappoint. A personal undertaking that brings a zest for daily life. It doesn’t have to be a marathon, but even if it is, the goal of each regarding preparation share one result: Fitness.

Now let’s discuss some HOW tips. Training through the winter does have some obstacles, here are some tips I’ve learned as a CNY Runner for nearly 40 years…

Don’t always believe the weatherman’s hype. You should always choose safety above all else. “Safety over boredom” is a rule all runners should follow. As mentioned, I have a 15-minute rule. I will test any conditions on a 15-minute run before skipping. That’s a 7.5-minute jog down the road, turning and jogging 7.5 minutes back to the house. It takes approximately 10 minutes of even a light jog for the body’s blood to warm provided you properly dressed (two layers on bottom, three on top). Judge cold after that 15 minutes. If the conditions pass the 15-minute test, give it another go and finish that 1-hour run!

Stay close to home. Even a half-mile block in a neighborhood makes a convenient “track”. If suddenly confronted with extreme conditions that are intolerable, don’t get yourself stranded! Safety should be less than 2 minutes away.

Stay close to “powder”. I have a rule in freezing weather that if it looks “wet, assume it’s ice, don’t step there”. Get your grip on the powder. Ankle deep snow is actually very stable to run in.

Stay out of traffic. Parks or neighborhoods are best during winter. A surface suited for running is not always suitable for drivers. Don’t put yourself at risk. If you can reduce the chances of getting hit by a car to “zero” by running on a footpath, in a park, track or an open field, do it!

There is no such thing as cold weather, just improper location. Most people don’t have the luxury of training down South as I did while training for the Olympic Trials, but here in Syracuse, we are blessed with gyms that have indoor tracks if you don’t like the treadmill. With friends joining you, a track is timeless. The minutes or miles will roll by just like a car road trip with friends.

GET a treadmill. As runners, we all know the misery of the treadmill (AKA: “DREADmill”) Time, in fact, seems slower on a treadmill because pace changes while both natural and common while running outside don’t take us out of the natural mindless “dream state” as a treadmill does. Think of it as a form of “sleep apnea”. Every time you slow down or pick up the pace, you are made aware by the restrictions of the steady pacing of the treadmill and you end up pushing buttons to accommodate much like an annoying alarm clock going off while you sleep. Can you sit in a chair and stare at an hour hand? Yeah, me either, BUT the treadmill IS convenient, safe, effective. Do you LOVE being runner fit MORE than you hate boredom? I do. Get one and/or keep that gym membership. They are your savior!

Worship the Winter Hat. Is there any piece of warm running apparel more convenient than the beanie on your head? It obstructs nothing regarding the running movement. Virtually weightless. It should be the first cold weather running apparel added on exiting Summer and the last cold weather apparel coming off entering Spring.
Ignore your friends. You hear it every time you go out into the icy, cold blackness: “What are you CRAZY?…Can’t you just take one day off?” Add a sled, skis or snowshoes or shovel or talk of snow forts and snowball fights to the situation and they’ll ask if they can come. It’s not the weather runners, it’s the running they don’t understand. Don’t buy into their own excuses.

Want to try one of Elevate’s Run Programs with Kevin Collins? Fill out the form below for more information!

Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Tennis Game Today!

We asked Elevate Fitness Tennis Professional Chris Galle to share 5 ways you can improve your tennis game TODAY, and here’s what he had to share with us!

ONE.

“Play your Game”-Listen, you’re not Roger Federer or Serena Williams, so why try shots that only they can do? Construct points that set up your strengths, and you will also feel like a Grand Slam champion.

TWO.

Reduce your first serve speed by 10%. By getting more first serves in, you will give yourself a better shot of getting the upper hand in rallies. Most players are defensive when returning first serves and are more offensive minded on second serves. Your doubles partner will thank you for not getting them killed on your slow second serve.

THREE.

Don’t try to hit the line like the pros do on the tour. There is a reason you are a teacher, doctor, lawyer, etc. Do you want Serena doing heart surgery on you? Hit the outside 25% of the court to “teach/dissect” your opponent.

FOUR.

Figure out your opponent’s weakness and punish it. We want you to punish their weakness until your opponent cries, “Uncle.”

FIVE.

Work with a tennis pro to improve your game. Whether it’s private one-on-one coaching and lessons or group lessons or league play, getting involved in coached programming can help you increase your game better than any other single strategy.

Want to give Elevate Fitness tennis programs a try? Fill out the form below to learn more!

5 Ways to Burn Fat Fast

By Shalini Mittal

Whether you want to improve your overall wellbeing or want to get thin, shedding those extra pounds may not be easy for you. Apart from diets and exercises, many other factors may have an impact on your fat and weight loss. Fortunately, you can take a few steps to boost your fat burning process.

1. Go for the Strength Training

For strength training, you need to contract your muscles in order to boost your strength and build muscle mass. Typically, strength training requires you to gain muscle mass with the passage of time.

According to many research studies, strength training offers a lot of benefits as far as burning fat is concerned. With this type of exercise, you can gain fat-free mass. This can boost your body’s ability to burn fat.

To get started, you can do body-weight exercises, lift weights or use gym equipment.

2. Eat a High-Protein Diet

If you add foods rich in protein to your diet, you can curb your appetite and shed those extra pounds. As a matter of fact, many studies have shown that eating more protein helps you prevent love handles.

Another study found that a higher amount of protein could help you maintain your muscle mass and reduce weight.

Once your protein consumption goes up, you may not feel as much hunger as you did before. As a result, you will begin to lose weight. You can opt for foods, such as dairy products, legumes, eggs, seafood, and meat, to name a few.

3. Get More Sleep

It’s better to get more sleep for weight loss. So, it’s a good idea to get to bed a bit earlier and wake up a bit later.

Many studies support the fact that weight loss can be achieved with more sleep. Another study showed that quality sleep for at least 7 hours per night could also help you shed weight.

On the other hand, lack of sleep may lead to triggered hunger hormones, obesity, and increased appetite.

So, what you need to do is reduce your consumption of caffeine and stick to your sleep schedule.

4. Consume Vinegar

As far as improving health is concerned, vinegar can do a great job. Apart from its positive effects on your blood sugar levels and heart health, it can also help you trigger your weight loss processes.

In a study, researchers found that taking 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar on a daily basis could help you get rid of body fat over a period of 12 weeks. Moreover, this practice can reduce your appetite and boost the feelings of fullness.

The method of consumption is quite easy. You can dilute some apple cider vinegar with fresh water and consume it a couple of times each day with your routine meals.

5. Eat Healthy Fats

Although it seems weird, upping your consumption of fat can also help you keep that fat away. Fat consumption may slow down your metabolic process that can reduce your hunger and appetite.

So, these are 5 ways of burning fat fast and get into shape.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shalini_Mittal/1225843

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9977602

Not a member of Elevate Fitness yet? Try us for FREE!

Tips for a Better Bench Press

The bench press is just one of the many effective exercises you might find yourself doing at Elevate Fitness. In fact, with so many different exercises out there, that often it’s difficult to remember how each one works. Not only that – with so many to choose from, but it can also often be difficult to determine which ones are right for you to use based on your fitness and your weight loss goals. Our certified personal trainers are highly trained and capable of helping you determine which exercises to include in your fitness and weight loss program and how to properly execute them. Feel free to inquire at the front desk if you find yourself needing some guidance.

In this video, we learn how to safely and effectively perform a bench press.

Not a member yet? Try Elevate Fitness for FREE!

At Elevate, we help our members become the best version of themselves with a huge variety of quality programs and cutting-edge fitness technology in a high-value, low-cost, clean, full-service fitness facility. At Elevate Fitness, we believe that high VALUE doesn’t have to mean high cost. We deliver high-quality customized programs and services, many included with membership, for much less than you’d expect. At Elevate you won’t find a candy dish by the door or pizza in the lobby, that because we FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS: creating a high-quality experience that generates positive, lasting results through lifestyle change, community involvement, and an outstanding member experience. Locally owned and operated for over 30 years, Elevate is committed to helping its members achieve positive, lasting results through innovative programming, technology, and lifestyle change. Other clubs offer equipment, Elevate offers RESULTS.

How-To use the Leg Extension Machine

The leg extension is just one of the many effective machines available to you at Elevate Fitness. In fact, we have so many machines, that often it’s difficult to remember how each one works. Not only that – with so many to choose from, but it can also often be difficult to determine which ones are right for you to use based on your fitness and your weight loss goals. Our certified personal trainers are highly trained and capable of helping you determine which machines to use and how. Feel free to inquire at the front desk if you find yourself needing some guidance with the machines in your club.

In this video, we learn how to use the popular leg extension machine.

Not a member yet? Try Elevate Fitness for FREE!

At Elevate, we help our members become the best version of themselves with a huge variety of quality programs and cutting-edge fitness technology in a high-value, low-cost, clean, full-service fitness facility. At Elevate Fitness, we believe that high VALUE doesn’t have to mean high cost. We deliver high-quality customized programs and services, many included with membership, for much less than you’d expect. At Elevate you won’t find a candy dish by the door or pizza in the lobby, that because we FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS: creating a high-quality experience that generates positive, lasting results through lifestyle change, community involvement, and an outstanding member experience. Locally owned and operated for over 30 years, Elevate is committed to helping its members achieve positive, lasting results through innovative programming, technology, and lifestyle change. Other clubs offer equipment, Elevate offers RESULTS.

How to Set Up Your Bike for a Spin Class

by Darcy Dibiase

It’s the most common reason people avoid spin classes in gyms: they don’t know how to set up their bike for the class. And not every instructor is in the habit of beginning each class with a “How to Set Up Your Bike for a Spin Class” powerpoint presentation. Yet, we know that indoor cycling is a great class to help you meet your goals, so let’s not let fear of the unknown stop us any longer, okay?

So let’s give you a brief tutorial so that if it’s your first class you can set up with confidence, or if it’s your favorite class you can get a nice refresher on how to make sure your bike is set up to give you your optimal workout. These tips apply to both our indoor cycling classes and our Group Ride and R30 classes!

On most spin class bikes, including those at Elevate Fitness, there are essentially adjustments you’ll want to make before the class begins:

1. Saddle position (how high up and forward/back your seat is) and,
2. handlebar position (where your handlebars are relative to your saddle height and arm-length).

Let’s watch Elevate Fitness Instructor Darcy give us a great demo on how to properly set up your bike:

That’s really all there is to it! Make sure to bring your towel and your water bottle, and don’t forget – if you have any questions not only can the instructor help you out, but your fellow classmates are almost always more than willing to help you out! Ready to give spinning or Group Ride a try? Remember – your first class is always free at Elevate Fitness Clubs in Syracuse, just fill out the form at the bottom of this page! And get more great tips from Darcy here!

How to Update Your Credit Card Information Online

At Elevate Fitness, we strongly recommend that our members set up their monthly billing using a checking account number and routing number. This prevents you from running into issues when your credit or debit card expires, or if your card is compromised. For those members who aren’t able to use a checking account, credit and debit cards are an option. This video shows you how to update your billing information on our website quickly and easily. Update your expiration date, change the card you’re using and more.

Not a member yet? Try Elevate Fitness for FREE!

At Elevate, we help our members become the best version of themselves with a huge variety of quality programs and cutting-edge fitness technology in a high-value, low-cost, clean, full-service fitness facility. At Elevate Fitness, we believe that high VALUE doesn’t have to mean high cost. We deliver high-quality customized programs and services, many included with membership, for much less than you’d expect. At Elevate you won’t find a candy dish by the door or pizza in the lobby, that because we FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS: creating a high-quality experience that generates positive, lasting results through lifestyle change, community involvement, and an outstanding member experience. Locally owned and operated for over 30 years, Elevate is committed to helping its members achieve positive, lasting results through innovative programming, technology, and lifestyle change. Other clubs offer equipment, Elevate offers RESULTS.

View, Save or Print your Check-Ins Online

At Elevate Fitness, it’s easy to manage your membership online. Want to see how often you’re using the club? Need a list of your check-ins to provide your insurance company for reimbursement? Or maybe you’re just the type who likes to keep good records. Now you can view, print and/or save a list of your check-ins (all time or you can pull from a custom date range) easily from your computer right at home!

This video provides you with step-by-step instructions and shows you how you can do all this and more!

Not a member yet? Try Elevate Fitness for FREE!

At Elevate, we help our members become the best version of themselves with a huge variety of quality programs and cutting-edge fitness technology in a high-value, low-cost, clean, full-service fitness facility. At Elevate Fitness, we believe that high VALUE doesn’t have to mean high cost. We deliver high-quality customized programs and services, many included with membership, for much less than you’d expect. At Elevate you won’t find a candy dish by the door or pizza in the lobby, that because we FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS: creating a high-quality experience that generates positive, lasting results through lifestyle change, community involvement, and an outstanding member experience. Locally owned and operated for over 30 years, Elevate is committed to helping its members achieve positive, lasting results through innovative programming, technology, and lifestyle change. Other clubs offer equipment, Elevate offers RESULTS.

Signing up for Rewards – Step by Step

Download our app from the Apple App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android devices.
Read about our Rewards Program in this blog post.
Register for a free Perkville account here, being careful to use the same email address for both the app and Perkville. This should be the same email address as the one we have in our Elevate Fitness membership system for you (using mismatched emails will not allow the systems to communicate properly).
Check your email. You’ll get a message from Perkville asking you to verify your email address. You will not be able to earn any points until you’ve completed this step.
When you register for a class (or complete any other earning activity) make sure you do it through the Elevate Fitness app to ensure you earn your points!

Earning points for group exercise classes at Elevate Fitness, step by step.

Not a member yet? Try Elevate Fitness for FREE!

NOTE: Elevate Fitness reserves the right to change the point value for both earning and redeeming at any time with or without prior notice.

Earn Rewards for Working Out at Elevate Fitness

As if getting fit wasn’t rewarding enough, what if you could earn rewards for working out? We’re excited to announce the Elevate Rewards Program! Earn points for club check-ins, referring friends, and more! Then use them towards a list of exclusive rewards! We look forward to seeing you in the club as you earn points and rewards. To join the rewards program, simply click here and follow the on-screen registration instructions!

How will it work?

First, you’ll want our app. This is the easiest way to interact with your rewards account, earn rewards for working out and to track your earnings, see available rewards and more. The Elevate Fitness app is available in the App Store and on Google Play.

You will automatically earn rewards for working out when:

Referring a friend to Elevate Fitness: refer through our Elevate Fitness app, and we’ll automatically track your referral for you, and when your friend activates one of our qualifying membership types, your points are automatically added to your account – no action needed from you beyond sending the guest pass to your friends and family and encouraging them to visit the gym. And then your referrals can join the program and earn rewards for working out!
Completing your New Member Personal Training Session: when you first join Elevate Fitness Clubs, we encourage you to take advantage of your complimentary personal training session with one of our certified personal trainers on one of your first visits to the gym, when you do complete this session, points will automatically be awarded to your account!
Having a Birthday: I mean, if we’re going to age, we might as well get points for it, right?
Following @ElevateSyracuse on Twitter: We post inspiring stories, gym/fitness/workout types, specials, promotions and reminders about holiday hours, weather cancellations and more. Follow us to stay in the know about all things Elevate.
Checking In to the Gym: When you scan your card at the front desk, points are automatically added to your Rewards account!
Attending a Class: Elevate Fitness has the BEST group fitness classes of any gym in the Central New York area, and now, when you register to take a class in our app, you get points! Check out our class schedules here.
Completing a Personal Training Session: every time your trainer confirms your participation in a personal training session, you’re getting points.
Checking in on Facebook: Use your social network to hold yourself accountable to your goals! Check-In and watch those points add up, and watch the support from your friends build as you work toward building the best body of your life!
Posting/Sharing an #ElevateSyracuse photo on Facebook or Tweeting with #ElevateSyracuse: We LOVE seeing our members use social media to help stay on track with their goals. When you use our custom hashtag to tag your posts, you’ll get points AND see your posts displayed on the social media sharing screens located throughout our clubs.
Every $1: Spent in our Pro-Shop: you spend, you earn. Get great supplements, custom Elevate Fitness workout and fashion apparel or the fitness accessories you need to up your intensity during your workouts. Whatever you’re buying, we’re rewarding you for it.
Just for Joining the Rewards Program: that’s right – you have to register to start earning those points. And we want you to start earning points right away, so as soon as you register, we’re rewarding you!

Redeem Points For

Free membership dues
Elevate Fitness merchandise and swag
Free gift memberships
Retail and personal training discounts
Free body image scanning sessions
and more!

Set Up Your Account

Once you have created your account, look for the Settings link in the upper right corner of the page. In the profile settings, make sure to enter your birthday so you can get points just for being born (the first time, don’t worry – we won’t make you go through that again)!
The email settings are where you can manage how frequently you receive notifications about your points or unsubscribe. You can also add additional email addresses to merge old Elevate Fitness Rewards Program accounts into one. Those old points don’t have to go to waste!
In the Linked Account settings, you can connect your Facebook and Twitter and accounts with the rewards program, and earn points when you post (make sure you post from within your Rewards Program account to get credit for the post)!

Check-In

Make sure you scan in, or manually check in, at the member service center every time you visit Elevate Fitness to get credit for your workout.
If you’re taking a group fitness class, check in for that at the class kiosk (coming soon) or via the Elevate Fitness app (also coming soon) as well so you can collect the points.
If you’re attending a personal training session, you’ll automatically get points for your session when your trainer completes your session in our scheduling software.
You can only check in when you are physically at the gym.

Social Media

To get points for checking in on Facebook or Twitter, make sure your social media accounts are linked in your rewards program settings. And use #elevatesyracuse when posting.
After you have checked in at a gym, you will receive an invitation in your rewards account to check in on Facebook or Twitter.
There may be a delay between the time you check in at the gym and the time your receive the invitation, this is normal.

In the future, we’ll be adding additional ways that you can earn rewards for working out as well as additional rewards that can be redeemed for your hard earned points.

Not a member yet? Try Elevate Fitness for FREE!

NOTE: Elevate Fitness reserves the right to change the point value for both earning and redeeming at any time with or without prior notice.