Live Fit.

If you walk into any commercial gym you’re likely to come across a field of treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes. They have their use and are great tools if you have established your goals and understand how to reach them, but there are a few tools you need in your belt to actually make these tools useful to you so that you see results for all of your work.

Why not just embrace the “go as hard as you can and be a boss” mentality? Because there is a fine line to walk between pushing as far as your body can handle and pushing too far – not only hurting yourself right then and there – but over training to cause your body to break down and you have to deal with a slough of nasty side effects, such as:

• Unhealthy weight loss
• Decreased appetite
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Loss of motivation
• Irritability
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Elevated resting heart rate
• Increased risk and occurrence of injuries
• Persistent muscle soreness

If you know where this line is, though, you can steadily improve your performance for the distances you can run and the time that you can run for. While that’s not the focus here, the same applies to weight training – you wouldn’t want to hit your heaviest lifts every day without giving your body time to rest. There’s an art to the process as much as there is to learning to play an instrument. To understand the nuances of the process is to steadily set personal records every few weeks as you continue to improve towards your goals.

No one wants to deal with the above symptoms, but if you just keep it slow and easy you’ll have no results for your hard work. Your body needs stress to adapt and make noticeable changes in health and/or appearance. If you don’t put in enough effort, you may as well be watching Simpsons reruns – for all the hours spent, nothing will ever come of it. Using guesswork to figure out your target heart rate is about as effective as using tarot cards to determine if you need your umbrella tomorrow.

The best range in which to work for both safety and effectiveness is called your target heart rate (THR).

How to Find Your THR

Enter the Karvonen formula:

Target Heart Rate = ((max heart rate – resting HR) x %intensity) + resting HR

Let’s break that down into English.

• Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)
  • While not perfect, the simplest and most reliable way to establish your MHR is to subtract your age from 220. So, if you are 30 years old you would subtract 220 – 30 for an MHR of 190 beats per minute (BPM).
• Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
  • There is both the precise way to find this, and the convenient way to find this. The precise way, as prescribed by the NCCPT for all of its trainers is to find your heart rate immediately upon waking up, while still laying down in bed. Do this for three mornings in a row and average them together for your RHR.
  • The convenient way, which is still useful if you need the number immediately, is to take your heart rate while sitting, having already been sitting still for about 5 minutes. It won’t be as accurate, but it is still close enough to use in a pinch.
• % Intensity
  • This refers directly to your training intensity level. Depending on your goal you will be aiming for 50-85%. The lower end of this is for weight loss, and the upper extreme is for cardiovascular conditioning. Right in the middle is the typical goal for a healthy adult looking to lose weight, putting you at an intensity level of 60-70%. If you don’t hit at least 50%, though, you won’t accomplish much.

Let’s Do the Math

Let’s plug the numbers in using my own information:
RHR = 72

MHR = 192

%Intensity = 75%

Target Heart Rate = ((max heart rate – resting HR) x %intensity) + resting HR

Target Heart Rate = ((192 – 72) x 75%) + 72

This comes out to a target heart rate of 162 beats per minute for me personally aiming for 75% training intensity.

Keep in mind when using this yourself that the optimal intensity level for fat oxidation, that is, burning fat for energy, lies between 60.2 and 80% intensity level/MHR.

So, you’re starting college? Congratulations! The beginning of college is an exciting time, filled with hopes, dreams…and stress! You may have heard of a phenomenon called the “freshman 15.” This refers to the possible weight gain that can occur during the first year of college due to numerous factors. Let’s think of some ways to avoid this.

1. Let’s Talk Breakfast.

The Dairy Council of California states that if you skip breakfast on a regular basis, you are more likely to gain weight. Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Breakfast gets your metabolism going!

You might want to start off your day with a couple of hard-boiled eggs and spinach. A healthy breakfast can provide you with the necessary fuel to focus and concentrate on your classes throughout the day.

2. Let’s PARTY

You have your freedom. You’ve been wanting this for a long time. It’s time to let loose! But be careful with the booze. Alcohol can really pack on the pounds when consumed in large quantities

Here are two tips for mitigating the caloric effects of alcohol:

Drink a glass of water after each glass of alcohol.

Eat a good meal before you head to the bar.

3. Run for Your Life

Make time in your schedule to do the type of exercise that you enjoy! If you don’t like to run, don’t tell yourself that you will run every morning because you will quickly lose motivation. However, try to do some cardiovascular exercise each day. Walk to class instead of taking the bus. It’s good for your health, and you will be more alert during class.

4. Sleep Your Way to Success?

More and more studies are being done on the quality of sleep and how that affects your performance. Everybody has different sleep needs in terms of the average amount of sleep per night, but there is some agreement on how to get quality sleep.

If possible, make sure your bedroom gets as little light as possible while you sleep. Pitch black would be best. Also, try to reduce or eliminate the amount of noise. Sleeping fewer hours, but without interruption, may be just as good, or better, than sleeping longer with noise in your environment.

5. Take 20

Did you know that it takes around 20 minutes for your brain to understand that you’re full? There is a slight delay while you are eating in understanding how much food you have consumed. This is empowering information because if you eat slowly over a period of 20 minutes you can prevent overeating. Take your time, enjoy your food and help your digestion at the same time.

6. Watch Out for the Soda

Many students reach for a soda (or two or three) while they are studying to give them that extra caffeine and sugar boost. Over time, that’s a staggering number of calories. One possible solution is to shift your schedule slightly. For example, if you went to bed at 1 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. you may not need the caffeine or sugar that soda provides and you might also sleep better!

There are many challenges and stresses in starting your college career. However, the “freshman 15” need not be one of them. The above tips might help you to lead a more relaxed, healthy approach to this exciting time in your life. Good luck out there!

By Flow Trainer, Mackennon Klink, BS, CSCS, PN1

As many as 30% of adults sleep fewer than six hours per night, which is the minimum amount of necessary sleep. If you think you can get away with fewer than six hours of sleep, allow me to drop some knowledge (also, you seem grumpy. You should probably take a nap).  Sleep is one of the bear necessities of life (yes that is a Jungle Book reference) as it has a huge impact on quality of life. Just as we need food, water, and exercise – we need to sleep to survive.

Poor sleep quality can have a huge effect on your life by negatively impacting your workouts, recovery, sex life, mood, dietary decisions, and can lead to potential health problems (think obesity and hypertension).  In fact, we get our muscular gains while sleeping. So, by not getting enough restful sleep, you are inhibiting the body’s ability to rebuild and restore your muscles.

Quick recap: a lack of sleep is associated with:

• Higher stress levels (isn’t work enough?!)
• Increased hunger
• Smaller muscles
• Sexual dysfunction and less sex
• Irritable behavior
• Earlier death
• Increased body fat

None of those sound appealing, thus having optimal sleep is a necessary priority. Remember: Your body needs at least 6 hours of daily sleep to prevent the above mentioned dysfunctions. I prefer to keep my intelligence, sanity, muscles, and life.  Please, and thank you.

You may be thinking, “But Mack, I get plenty of sleep at night!” 

How do you know if you need better quality sleep?

Do you:

• Wake up stiff and sore as a rock?
• Feel sleepy throughout the day, even with that morning quad shot espresso?
• Toss and turn during the night?
• Get sick often?
• Snooze through that alarm four or more days a week?

If one or more of these apply to you, then it’s time to improve your sleeping habits. Your lack of sleep is impacting your body more than you may know.

Here are 6 ways to improve your sleeping habits:

1. Keep your room cool.  By keeping the room between 65-69 degrees Fahrenheit, you fall asleep faster (faster to sleep = more sleep..simple math!), as well as sleep longer.  If the room is cool your body doesn’t have to continually regulate which means you get deeper, more restorative sleep. In addition, while sleeping the body releases melatonin (one of our best anti-aging hormones). In a cooler room, more melatonin is produced = you look younger. #winning
2. Keep your room as quiet & dark as a cave.  Eliminate all light and noise in your room. This may seem like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at the number of individuals who constantly fall sleep watching either YouTube or Netflix. For the best sleep, avoid using electronics an hour before bed, especially the tv and smartphone.  Melatonin is only released in the dark, so make your sleeping area as dark as a cave. Some white noise (i.e. a fan) may help some individuals fall asleep, but eliminate all light.
3. Avoid afternoon. caffeine.  As a coffee addict myself, I have no problem with coffee or caffeine – whether it’s to help wake up on those early days, for the extra boost in your workout or to increase alertness.  However, caffeine has a six-hour half-life. If you have caffeine around 5pm, the effects won’t wear off until 11pm.  In addition, caffeine disrupts sleep quality by decreasing REM sleep, the necessary deep sleep your body utilizes to recover from crushing your workouts.
4. Avoid late workouts.  Working out leaves your nervous system alert and active up to three hours afterwards.  Limit your workouts to the morning or afternoon if you have difficulty sleeping post-exercise.
5. Have some protein and/or carbs before bed.  The phrase “eat after eight, gain weight” is a fallacy. To build a better body composition, your body needs both protein and carbs to have the necessary ingredients to build muscle while sleeping.
6. Have a set evening routine.  The body loves consistency! Your body prefers a regular wake up and sleep time. Avoid evening caffeine and stimulating lights from electronics and instead, practice relaxation techniques such as stretching, meditation, or reading that book you always wanted to but just don’t seem to have the time.  By doing so, your body will increase melatonin and serotonin productions for a more restful sleep. 

Sleep is often the forgotten component of fitness. In fact, it’s as equally as important as your workouts and nutrition. Without proper sleep, it’s difficult to see significant improvements in general health and/or fitness.  Some of these tips will be easier to include in your routine, yet if you stick with these, you should be achieving more restful sleep and better gains.  If not, check your overall stress levels.  Stress, if not proactively dealt with, can significantly impact your sleep quality and overall health.  Learning to cope with stress can, and will, make a big difference in your sleep and therefore overall health.

There are many other ways to improve sleep quality and quantity.  Those are my 6 tips for better sleep.
Do you have any other tips or tricks to improve your sleep?

Drop a comment below, but for now it’s nap time….zzzzzz……

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.”
~William Blake

References:

1. Bach, E. (n.d.). Hack Your Sleep. Retrieved from https://bachperformance.com/hack-your-sleep/
2. Rooney, M. (2010, September 09). You Snooze, you win. Wake up to the Significance of Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/you-snooze-you-win-wake-up-to-the-significance-of-sleep-3330/

This post was written by Flow Personal Trainer, Mack Klink

Take away points:

* The Plank is a simple exercise that’s often performed wrong by over extending the duration with terrible form.

* Do not allow your body to creep into lordosis or excessive kyphosis.

* Focus on maintaining the three points of contact over plank duration – quality over quantity.
The Plank, the exercise that everyone does and thinks they knows how to do. It’s easy, right? Place your elbows on the ground, straighten out, hold on for dear life and in no time you’ll have the six-pack you always wanted. What more is there to know about planking?

Quite a bit actually.

The plank started out with noble intentions, however, the problem is most people aren’t correctly activating the right muscles.  The emphasis is placed on time, rather than strengthening the deep core. This is a problem because overextending the set too long can potentially cause postural dysfunction. The core isn’t designed to fire for extended periods of time in isolation.

Postural dysfunction

While planking, individuals are usually not paying attention to both form and technique. Instead, they’re scrolling through their Facebook or putting together their workout playlist. In short, their focus and attention is elsewhere. The plank was never meant to be a half-ass engaged hold with large curves in the back, and belly sagging towards the ground. While in this position, your body creates a large lumbar lordosis* while the upper back is compensating with an exaggerated thoracic kyphosis*. After reading that last line, I bet you are like “lord who it’s with an exaggerated what its?”

So, what’s wrong with being in this position? According to Mike Robertson, owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST),

“You are literally hammering your lumbar spinous process together to create stability.” In short, this is NOT carving out that six pack (the main purpose) and instead hurting your overall posture with the lumbar lordosis and excessive kyphosis and causing lower back pain!”

The correct way to plank

Luckily, there is a quick and easy way to prevent your body from creeping into these postural aliments and all you need is a stick.

Go ahead and assume the elbow plank position with the stick on your back. The goal is to have three points of contact with the stick: head, upper back, and glutes with minimal space between the stick and lower back.

By being in this position, the exercise is completely changed. First, your body is in the correct position with optimal posture and minimizes lower back issues. Second, you will get your transverse abdominals, external and internal oblique muscles engaged for maximum muscle contraction.
More muscles working = better results.

It may be difficult to hold the plank position while maintaining the three points of contact at first, but don’t worry. Keep working on it. Focus on holding this position for as long as you can, even if it’s only for 15-30 seconds. Focus on quality, not quantity and progress slowly.

The Plank’s Step by Step Coaching Points:

* Use a stick to keep yourself honest.

* Place elbows underneath your shoulders and flatten forearms against the ground.

* Lift your torso off the ground

* Place the stick on your back. Remember to maintain the three points of contact on the stick.

* The lower back should have a small dig, just large enough for a coach or friend to slide their fingertips between your back and stick.

* Focus on squeezing your glutes, brace your core, and pressing your hands into the ground.

Give it a try. Focus on maintaining the three points of contact throughout the entire plank duration and you may discover a new appreciation for this exercise.

Some quick definitions.

* Lordosis – Greek word meaning “bent backwards,” refers to the inward curve of the lower back and cervical spine (neck). Too much of a low back curve is called lumbar hyperlordosis or hollow back.

* Kyphosis – Greek word meaning “hump.” There should naturally be kyphosis in your thoracic spine (upper back). However, too much hump in your back can lead to you becoming the next Humpback of Notre Dame.

In recent years, the popularity of personal trainers has skyrocketed as people have started recognizing that some educated personal attention can go a long way to achieving your fitness goals. However, picking a personal trainer is more than just walking into your local gym and asking for the first available trainer. Much like teaching methods in school, different people are going to benefit from different approaches.

You want to make sure that your personal trainer not only has a fitting personality, but the skills to help you reach your individual goals. Here are some tips at getting the most from your personal training sessions.

1. Choose Wisely: Much like when you’re hiring anyone else, it’s important to shop around first to find the person that best fits your needs. A good trainer will have up-to-date national level credentials, or have a degree in exercise science. Additionally, they’ll likely work at a top of the line gym. To be even more positive about your choice, make contact with them. This is someone you’re going to be spending a lot of one on one time with, so you should meet with them, or at the very least speak on the phone, to get a sense of who they are and how they will fit with your personality. Some good questions for them range anywhere from payment, to references, to motivation style.

2. What Do You Want to Achieve? Personal trainers have different specialties. If you are trying to achieve a very specific goal, such as a competition or better yourself for a specific sport, it’s best to find someone that has previous experience with those skillsets. If your goals are more general, then you have a wider pool to choose from. Share your objectives and concerns with your trainer previous to the first session, so that they can plan a way to achieve them.

3. Bonding: You’re going to respond better to someone that you feel can sync up with your learning style and push you in a manner that you find beneficial. Find someone that is open to hearing your preferences, questions and concerns, and responds to them. Ultimately, they’re supposed to be teaching you how to make exercise a natural part of your life, and must adapt to the manner which most benefits you. If that is not the case at any point, be sure to bring this up with your trainer right away.

4. Know When to Quit: If you can afford to constantly have a personal trainer and feel that it continually benefits you, then by all means continue. However, that is not the case for most people. For most people, these relationships end in one of three ways. The first is that you have achieved your objectives or simply feel that you don’t need a personal trainer anymore. The second is that you can only afford a limited amount of sessions, to which your trainer should have been made aware. Hopefully you gained the knowledge to continue training on your own, as cost is also an important consideration when choosing whether or not to keep a personal trainer. Lastly however, you may choose to leave your trainer. Personal trainers should make you feel better, and energize you to want to come to their sessions. If you’re consistently dreading going to your sessions, feeling beat up, or not achieving your goals (and you’re doing everything you’re supposed to), then maybe it’s time to walk away and find someone else to help you.

Personal trainers can be that stepping stone in order to get over your physical or mental hurdles, and can help educate you to make exercise a natural part of your life. Look into a personal trainer today to get that extra push to achieve your goals.

Featured photo source: Pixabay.com

You’re dedicated to your health and well-being. You make a point of visiting the gym several times a week to ensure you engage in enough strength-training exercise, as well as aerobic exercise to promote your overall health. Did you know there are some simple tricks and tips that can help you make the most of your time at the gym?

1. Eat before you exercise. Eating some protein and carbohydrates can help your body energize for your workout. Additionally, having adequate protein available can help fuel your body as you need in order to get the most out of exercising. It is also important that you have enough water to drink before and during your workout. Adequate hydration is critical to your body’s optimal performance.
2. Visit the gym at slower times. If you only have an hour for exercise, you don’t want to waste fifteen minutes hanging around, waiting for the rowing machine or elliptical to become available. If you plan your exercise time when there are fewer people at the gym, you can skip the long waits, as well as the potential distraction of socialization.
3. Start your gym time with something fun. Whether you love strength-training, running or yoga, opening your exercise time with something that you enjoy doing will get you pumped up for the entire experience. If you’re looking forward to starting your time at the gym, you’re more likely to prioritize your time there instead of hunting for excuses to skip a day.
4. Practice interval training. You may think that going as hard as you can for as long as you can is the ideal for exercise. In reality, moderate levels of exertion punctuated with brief, intense intervals of exercise is the ideal for burning fat and calories. These exercises can be intense, but you only need to perform them for a minute or two, followed by a short rest and recovery period between intervals.
5. Work with a personal trainer. Working with a trainer can help you get the most out of your exercise time. If you are nervous about one-on-one engagement with a trainer, consider sharing a trainer with a friend. That way, you can lower your costs and increase your motivation to perform to your best ability at the same time. Your personal trainer can help you (and your exercise buddy) reach your goals and avoid injuries that will slow your path to improved health.
6. Be sure to stretch. Stretching at the beginning of your exercise is important, as is stretching at the end to maximize the increases in your flexibility. What you may not realize, however, is that you should also be stretching while you exercise. Stretching between training exercises uses those break times productively and helps your tired muscles recover from the exertion.

Getting in better shape is a common goal among Americans, and one we are typically not very good at reaching. Every year, millions of Americans attempt diets and exercise regimens, only to fail within days of starting. Working with a personal trainer is one of the best options for individuals who are serious about enhancing their fitness and improving their overall health.

At Flow Fitness, we have an amazing team of personal trainers who can help you achieve the body and degree of fitness you’ve always wanted. Here are some reasons to consider a personal trainer through Flow Fitness.

1. Personal Trainers Help Keep You Motivated. Exercise burnout is less likely if you’re working with someone who encourages you and helps you see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Your trainer will develop a personal relationship with you and will learn how to motivate you to really push yourself while exercising. We have a diverse group of trainers at Flow Fitness, ensuring that one of them will be a great fit for your personality, needs and exercise preferences.
2. Personal Trainers Encourage Accountability. If you’re just working out on your own, it’s easy to give a less than full effort or skip days without feeling much remorse. Canceling with a personal trainer, however, requires that you explain why you aren’t showing up. Additionally, if you try to glide through your sessions without giving it everything you have, your trainer will notice and call you on this behavior.
3. Personal Trainers Help You Achieve Goals Safely. There’s a minimum amount of calories you need to eat daily, and safer ways to perform common exercises. Your trainer can help you avoid and prepare for food-related temptation by coaching you about your diet and nutrition. They can also help you improve your form when you’re exercising, reducing the potential for serious injuries and improving your overall results. The staff at Flow Fitness are all educated or accredited in the fields of Exercise Science, Kinesiology and Physical Education. We pride ourselves on helping you safely meet your fitness goals.
4. Personal Trainers Keep It Fresh. Your trainer will create a highly individualized workout program based on your level of fitness and your goals. Your trainer will make sure those exercises change regularly, allowing for the maximum rest, recovery, and later performance of the muscle groups you target. Those rotating exercises will also help ensure you continue to feel engaged by your exercise regimen. The more interesting and engaging each training session is, the more likely you are to stay motivated and involved in your physical fitness goals.