One aspect of fitness that tends to get forgotten is Active Recovery. This is the stuff that helps your body to recover fully, get you the most out of your workouts, and keep your body feeling great. Everyones natural instinct is to push harder with their exercise and workouts, but results are actually driven by the quality of your recovery.
So what is Active Recovery? It's foam rolling, stretching, and even some movement prep exercise that we use in our dynamic warm up. We incorporate this into all the workouts we do here at Defined Fitness, whether it's foam rolling at the start or end of a workout, a stretch in between sets, or getting warmed up with the dynamic warm up. But during your workout is not the only time to take advantage of this. Your off days are the best time and where the biggest benefits are found.
An Active Recovery day would start with self-myofascial release (SMR) through the use of a foam roller and possibly some deeper massage stick and tennis ball work on any points of muscle tension. Foam rolling helps to release knots in the muscles and break up scar tissue and adhesions in the muscles from past injuries/trauma (this should take about 8-10 minutes).
Pick up a foam roller here!
After we've foam rolled the entire body it's time to move onto some stretching. The goal here is to stretch the entire body with about 8-10 different stretches that are held for at least 30 seconds each. The previous SMR work that we've done has loosen the muscles up so that we can better stretch and get those tight muscles to loosen up. (again, about 8-10 minutes here).
And finally we would finish up with the movement prep exercise. This is were we are looking to use some low intensity exercises to active the muscles that we just stretched to help the stretches to stick. We typically like to use glute bridges, walking knee hugs, toe touches, hops, and even bodyweight squats, lunges, and TRX rows and push ups. (8-10 minutes here)
As you can see this is a very low intensity workout and will take only 24-30 minutes to complete.
Shoot for 4 days per week of strength training and metabolic training, but leave the remaining for 3 days for light Active Recovery work.
Happy New Year!!
Defined Fitness
Changing The Way Fitness Is Done!
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
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Thanks for all of your help? Because of our members we were able to give one family an awesome Christmas. We teamed up with Grieb Chiropractic Clinic and between their patients and our members the support was amazing. Additionally, Mattress Discounters came through and donated a bed for the family as well.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Defined Fitness Bodyweight Metabolic Workout
Here is quick bodyweight metabolic workout, no equipment needed, no excuses not to do it!
Bodyweight Squat
Push Up
Renegade Row
Alt. Reverse Lunge
Jumping Jacks
Plank Walk Ups
Burpees
Squat Hold
Mountain Climbers
Tall Plank w/ Cross Shoulder Touch
*3 rounds, 20 seconds of each exercise followed by 20 seconds of rest. 3 minutes rest after each 10 minute round.
Watch the video here
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
Bodyweight Squat
Push Up
Renegade Row
Alt. Reverse Lunge
Jumping Jacks
Plank Walk Ups
Burpees
Squat Hold
Mountain Climbers
Tall Plank w/ Cross Shoulder Touch
*3 rounds, 20 seconds of each exercise followed by 20 seconds of rest. 3 minutes rest after each 10 minute round.
Watch the video here
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
Thursday, December 15, 2011
3 Quick Updates
3 Updates for the upcoming holiday season.
#1. If you have any friends or family in town, or kids home from school they are welcome to attend any group personal training class for free.
#2. Monday, December 19th will be Steeler Monday Night Football Day. All members are encouraged to wear your Steeler gear and even bring Terrible Towels to use during your workout. And we just might be filming class on this day as well.
#3. Holiday Hours: We will be closed Saturday December 24th, Monday December 26th, Saturday December 31st, and Monday January 2nd.
Happy Holidays!
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
#1. If you have any friends or family in town, or kids home from school they are welcome to attend any group personal training class for free.
#2. Monday, December 19th will be Steeler Monday Night Football Day. All members are encouraged to wear your Steeler gear and even bring Terrible Towels to use during your workout. And we just might be filming class on this day as well.
#3. Holiday Hours: We will be closed Saturday December 24th, Monday December 26th, Saturday December 31st, and Monday January 2nd.
Happy Holidays!
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Make 2012 Your Fittest Year!
As 2012 approaches you can't help but start to think about New Year's Resolutions. How did you do on your 2011 resolutions? If you're like most, you probably had good intentions and did good for a few weeks, but then something came up that interfered with the resolution and that was the end of it.
The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they are usually lofty goals set with not much prior thought put into them. More like dreams that you are wishing to come true. This year instead we want you to set fitness goals for 2012 using the S.M.A.R.T. formula.
S.pecific M.easureable A.ttainable R.ealistic T.ime sensitive
For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds in 15 weeks that is Specific. Wanting to "tone-up" and "be-fit" are not. After you've determined what specific goal you are going to commit to achieving you then need to determine how you will measure it. For this example you are going to lose 20 pounds of body fat, so you will need to determine your current body weight, % body fat, and circumference measurements. And then check in on these every 2 weeks to monitor your progress, every 2 weeks you should be losing 2.67 pounds to be on track to losing 20lbs. in 15 weeks.
This brings us to Attainable, Realistic, and Time Sensitive. Is 20lbs. in 15 weeks attainable and realistic? Yes. Is 20lbs, by next month? No. And we have a time deadline, 15 weeks.
Now you have a S.M.A.R.T. Goal of "losing 20lbs. in 15 weeks." But, you can't stop here, now you need to determine what you are going to do to achieve your goal and commit to doing it, not try to it.
"There is only DO or DO NOT, there is no try." - Yoda, Star Wars
This is called creating Process Goals. What things (processes) are you going to do to reach your goal on time. To lose 20 lbs. in 15 weeks you are going to need to workout 4 days per week (2 strength and 2 metabolic, preferred), eat in 90% compliance, create a caloric deficit each day, and stay laser focused on your goal despite other distractions that will pop-up.
So after 2 weeks, have you completed 8 workouts. In 15 weeks you need to have completed 60 workouts.
In addition, to figuring out what you need to do to achieve your goal, it is also important to start acting like a person who is 20 lbs. lighter, fit, in great shape, and has a knock-out body. Does that person skip breakfast because they want to sleep in 10 minutes longer? Does that person stay up late and not get the amount of sleep they need? Does that person make excuses for why they didn't get in their workouts this week or couldn't eat right? No, they take responsibility for their progress and results and you should to. It's not a matter of acting differently once you are their, like most people tend to think, it is a matter of acting as if you are already there and then the results have a way of showing up.
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
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Holiday Gift Drive - We have teamed up with Grieb Chiropractic Clinic to provide one less fortunate family with gifts for Christmas. Currently, all the tags have been claimed so we are now collecting money to buy the kids a Barbie Dream House and as many accessories as possible. With your help they will be able to provide a nice Christmas for their family. Donations can be made at the front desk. And thanks to all who have donated already!
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"Give The Gift of Fitness" - Holiday Fitness Gift Package now available, only $89.00 Includes: 30-day membership, 8 coaching sessions, Defined Fitness Strategy Session, Unlimited Group Personal Training classes, Unlimited facility access, and 2 Free Recovery Shakes. Call 724-934-2000 TODAY for more information.
The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they are usually lofty goals set with not much prior thought put into them. More like dreams that you are wishing to come true. This year instead we want you to set fitness goals for 2012 using the S.M.A.R.T. formula.
S.pecific M.easureable A.ttainable R.ealistic T.ime sensitive
For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds in 15 weeks that is Specific. Wanting to "tone-up" and "be-fit" are not. After you've determined what specific goal you are going to commit to achieving you then need to determine how you will measure it. For this example you are going to lose 20 pounds of body fat, so you will need to determine your current body weight, % body fat, and circumference measurements. And then check in on these every 2 weeks to monitor your progress, every 2 weeks you should be losing 2.67 pounds to be on track to losing 20lbs. in 15 weeks.
This brings us to Attainable, Realistic, and Time Sensitive. Is 20lbs. in 15 weeks attainable and realistic? Yes. Is 20lbs, by next month? No. And we have a time deadline, 15 weeks.
Now you have a S.M.A.R.T. Goal of "losing 20lbs. in 15 weeks." But, you can't stop here, now you need to determine what you are going to do to achieve your goal and commit to doing it, not try to it.
"There is only DO or DO NOT, there is no try." - Yoda, Star Wars
This is called creating Process Goals. What things (processes) are you going to do to reach your goal on time. To lose 20 lbs. in 15 weeks you are going to need to workout 4 days per week (2 strength and 2 metabolic, preferred), eat in 90% compliance, create a caloric deficit each day, and stay laser focused on your goal despite other distractions that will pop-up.
So after 2 weeks, have you completed 8 workouts. In 15 weeks you need to have completed 60 workouts.
In addition, to figuring out what you need to do to achieve your goal, it is also important to start acting like a person who is 20 lbs. lighter, fit, in great shape, and has a knock-out body. Does that person skip breakfast because they want to sleep in 10 minutes longer? Does that person stay up late and not get the amount of sleep they need? Does that person make excuses for why they didn't get in their workouts this week or couldn't eat right? No, they take responsibility for their progress and results and you should to. It's not a matter of acting differently once you are their, like most people tend to think, it is a matter of acting as if you are already there and then the results have a way of showing up.
www.definedfitnesswexford.com
====
Holiday Gift Drive - We have teamed up with Grieb Chiropractic Clinic to provide one less fortunate family with gifts for Christmas. Currently, all the tags have been claimed so we are now collecting money to buy the kids a Barbie Dream House and as many accessories as possible. With your help they will be able to provide a nice Christmas for their family. Donations can be made at the front desk. And thanks to all who have donated already!
====
"Give The Gift of Fitness" - Holiday Fitness Gift Package now available, only $89.00 Includes: 30-day membership, 8 coaching sessions, Defined Fitness Strategy Session, Unlimited Group Personal Training classes, Unlimited facility access, and 2 Free Recovery Shakes. Call 724-934-2000 TODAY for more information.
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