Showing posts with label cross training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross training. Show all posts

Friday, June 22, 2012

Why Cross Training Can Help You Lose More Fat, Build More Muscles, Reduce Aches and Pains


NJ personal trainer and fitness expert Carey Yang interviewed on why and how to do cross training to help lose more fat, build a stronger well-conditioned body, heal and prevent injuries.

Carey Yang, Certified Personal Trainer & Fitness Expert


Millions of Americans suffering from overuse injuries from exercises or sports now can learn why they should do cross training and how to do it right with New Jersey celebrity personal trainer and fitness expert Carey Yang.

Yang is the owner and master personal trainer at Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC — a leading in-home personal training and weight-loss management company serving and helping clients in Morris County, Sussex County, Passaic County, Essex County and Somerset County areas in New Jersey.

Cross training has been used for years although it’s a relatively new training concept. Athletes have used exercises outside their sports for conditioning due to weather, seasonal change, facility and equipment availability, and injuries. Cross training add many benefits to sports training including injury prevention.

Cross training is one type of training methods used to achieve well-rounded overall conditioning. The exercises are normally very different from what an athlete does in a particular sport. It gives a chance for the muscles, tendons, bones, joints and ligaments to take a break from repetitive use from sport-specific activities. In the meantime, cross training provides complementaryconditioning to balance an athlete. This concept is also very useful for amateur athletes or recreational weekend warriors.

Another benefit of cross training is to help reduce or reverse muscle imbalances in the body. For example, a baseball pitcher may develop an imbalance laterally between the two sides of the body as well as in the should girdle of the throwing arm. After thousands of high-speed forceful throwing, the throwing arm and muscles become stronger but potentially overused and injured. Rotator cuff injuries are very common. Cross training can help balance the strength on both sides. It helps stabilize muscles and realign the body. In addition, since you’re participating in different activities during cross training, it adds variety to your program and reduce chance of burn-out due to boredom.

One caution for cross training is that it doesn’t help develop skills for a specific sport. It isn’t a skill-specific drill. A football player can lift weights or slow-jog 5 miles a day all summer during off season. But he won’t be in great “football shape” when the pre-season starts. By all means, “cross” training should not be used as the sole training program. You still have to start slowly with cross training and increase intensity progressively without getting injured.

There are many ways to apply the concept of cross training to your fitness program, sports or activities all year round. Some examples are listed in the following.

* Aerobic Cross Training I
Use a variety of cardio equipment within one workout session; e.g., ten minutes on the treadmill, ten minutes on the bike, ten minutes on the elliptical machine.

* Aerobic Cross Training II
Use a variety of cardio equipment or modules throughout the week or month; e.g., run 30 minutes on Monday, bike 30 minutes on Wednesday, step class on Friday.

* Mixed Cross Training
Use a variety of activities that emphasizes different body functions and fitness; e.g., total-body weight training on Monday, kickboxing/martial arts on Wednesday, Yoga/Pilates on Friday.

* Cross-Over Training
Use activities that require totally different body functions or energy systems; e.g., A cyclist can do boxing (mainly upper body movements) during off-season so that he can rest his legs (lower body) for a while. Cycling requires more aerobicendurance while boxing demands more anaerobic energy output. Both energy systems are important in overall cardiovascular fitness.

* Seasonal Cross Training
Use or train for different sports or activities over large blocks of time or seasons; e.g., running for Spring, playing golf, tennis or swimming for Summer, outdoor rock-climbing for Fall, skiing or snowboarding for Winter.

* Functional/Complementary Cross Training
Use different activities to train similar function used in the main sport; e.g., Runners may use mountain biking to target the legs from slightly different actions. Cyclists may use cross-country skiing to maintain leg strength and cardiovascular endurance.

Although an advantage of cross training is decreased risk of injury, one still has to start the sports or activities slowly. Don’t fall into the same pitfalls in your main sport. Learn the basics. Perform adequate conditioning exercises in advance. Increase the intensity and duration progressively.

Many sports and activities share the same fitness characteristics of strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, balance, and flexibility. But each sport is still different with somewhat shift in performance requirements. A cyclist certainly doesn’t want to get injured from downhill skiing. In the same token, A football player would be sorry for sitting out on the bench for the season from motorcycle accident.


About C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC
C. Carey Yang, Your Dream Body WorkoutXpert (TM), is a certified personal trainer and fitness boot camp instructor based in Morris County, New Jersey. He provides in-home personal fitness training, backyard boot camp, wellness and lifestyle coaching, and fitness and weight-management seminar. He specializes in helping busy, working professionals who want safe, effective workouts with maximum results in minimum time. Yang is the creator of the 6-Step Dream Body Blueprint (TM) Body Transformation System.

To learn more about lifestyle and wellness coaching, personal fitness training and nutritional counseling and to sign up for a free monthly e-zine, receive free fitness and fat loss e-books, and schedule a complimentary consultation, visit http://www.BeyondFitnessSolutions.com.

He is also available for media interviews, providing a list of tips and articles, and presenting wellness and fitness seminar. Call 973-303-2424 or email Carey at BeyondFitnessSolutions.com.


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Monday, September 24, 2007

Run Better with Pain-Free Knees and Heels

Running is one of the most popular exercises for improving your heart health, cardiovasular fitness, burning calories, losing weight and relieving stress. Its popularity also implies that you could suffer from overuse injuries.

If you're an avid runner, you've probably trained and competed in distance running (full or half marathons) or triathlon events. You could easily log in 20 to 50 miles a week on the treadmill or on the road. That's a lot of pounding, pouncing and stresses on your legs and joints.

If you've done H.I.I.T. (high intensity inteval training) type running routine, you know the demand and you can feel the soreness on your leg muscles. Sooner than later, you'll be caught up with joint pains if you do H.I.I.T. too much too often. That's why it's recommend not to do more than three H.I.I.T. cardio sessions a week and no longer than 30 minutes each time.

Recovery is an important yet often neglected part of any training program. Many runners know how to push themselves to run harder, longer and faster. If your recovery is not sufficient, you'll break down than build up. You're prone to injuries.

As a result, many running-related injuries have occured on the knees, shins, ankles and heels. The two most common injuries are "runner's knee" and plantar fasciitis.

There are many ways of preventing and rehabiliating the injuries. Running shouldn't be a pain if you run with correct body mechanics and proper training plan.


Runner's Knee
It's called "chondromalacia" technically. It's a condition where the articular cartilage underneath the kneecap (patella) starts to soften and break down. You feel pain under or around your kneecap that worsens when walking downstairs, running hills, squatting or jumping.

Overuse is the major cause of runner's knee. Other causes are being overweight, poor running or foot mechanics, overdoing activities that involve a lot of running, jumping or change of direction.

How to fix & rehab
  1. R.I.C.E. Ice your knees for 10 to 15 minutes after running to relieve the pain.
  2. Warm up and stretch properly before running or any sports, especially quadriceps and hamstrings.
  3. Cut your milesage. Avoid running downhill until the pain subsides.
  4. Run on softer surfaces such as treadmill, dirt trail, grass or soft track.
  5. Cross train with different activities or sports. Replace a few runs with lower impact activities such as walking or using an elliptical trainer.
  6. Pick a pair of suitable running shoes that keep your knees stable, provide adequate cushioning and support. Replace for every 500 miles.
  7. Strengthen the muscles around your knees. Quad sets (quadriceps isometic exercises), short-arc extensions, straight-leg raises are a few helpful exercises. Slowly progress to full-arc extensions, knee extension machine and closed kinetic chain exercises such as leg presses, squats and lunges.
  8. Stretch your calf muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings, iliotibial band, hip adductors (inner thigh), hip abductors (outer thigh), hip flexors and glutes.
  9. Perform balance and stabilizing exercises that challenge your "proprioception", your body's ability to know where its limbs are at any time.
  10. Always consult with your doctor or physical therapist for your specific conditions. Check for any muscle imbalance, tight muscles or foot mechanics.

Plantar Fasciitis
This is another common injury of foot in runners or any athlete involving intensive use of feet. It referred to an inflammtion of the plantar fascia running along the sole of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is a chronic symptom occurring over time with repetitive overuse stresses on the plantar fascia.

People with high arch, uneven leg length or poor running biomechanics are more prone to this injury.

You feel pain on the bottom of your foot towards your heel. The heel pain is usually the worst when you just get out of bed in the morning or at the beginning of a run. The pain typically subsides after you warm up and stretch.

How to fix & rehab

  1. Rest your affected foot.
  2. Warm up and stretch properly before running or any sports.
  3. Cross train with different activities or sports. Replace running with no or low impact activities such as swimming or cycling until the pain eases.
  4. Massage the bottom (arch and hill) of your foot for five minutes several times a day with a tennis ball, a tin can or a water-filled bottle.
  5. Before getting out of bed in the morning, warm up and massage the bottom of your foot to loosen up the plantar fascia.
  6. During night time sleep, your feet are in plantar flexion position that shortens the plantar fascia. This would aggravate the pain even more due an extended period of inactivity. A night splint may be used in order to hold the ankle joint in a neutral position.
  7. Pick a pair of shoes that provide good arch support.
  8. Stretch your calf muscles and around your feet and ankle.
  9. Perform strengthenging exercises such as hill raises and toe walking.
  10. Always consult with a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or fitness trainer/specialist for your specific conditions.
>>> Sign up FREE 'Jump-Start Your Body!' Training and Nutrition program to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Fire Up Your Metabolism to Burn off the Last 10 Pounds of Body Fat

The Forever Last 10 pounds, huh?

Many people have this question as to how to get rid of the perpetually stubborn 5 or 10 pounds of body fat. It's the most difficult and challenging 5 to 10 pounds to lose since your body wants to store fat for emergency use.

People all want to blame their genes, declining metabolism due to natural aging when they cannot lose weight.

These are just excuses.

You can still stay fit even if you're over 40!

I have a few strategies to help you boost your metabolism, kick-start your fat-burning furnace and move beyond your plateau. Follow these simple steps, you may be able to melt away the last pound of body fat and reveal your six pack abs in no time!


What Is Metabolism?

Metabolism is a scientific term that describes the rate of energy conversion - how your body process the foods and metabolize them into nutrients to fuel your body. This comes with a price at caloric expenditure. Although it's true that our metabolic rate drops by an average of 10% for every decade after age 25 to 30, it doesn't have to be this way. The decline is mostly due to reduced physical activities, poor diet and nutrition, bad habits and unhealthy lifestyle.

Our daily caloric intake is consumed through many pathways. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) takes up approximately 60 to 70% of daily energy consumption. That is the energy consumed while your body is at rest, sitting or sleeping, doing nothing. A good chunk of calories is consumed to support normal brain and body functions. Physical activities and exercises use up about 20 to 25%. The thermic effect of foods is about 10 to 15%.

As you can see, it's most powerful to raise your resting metabolic rate since it takes up a majority of caloric consumption. Increasing physical activies and intensive exercises help consume more calories. A good combination of food intake helps complete the last piece of metabolic puzzle.


What Can You Do to Boost Your Metabolism?
Follow these 5 simple strategies . . .
1. Perform resistance training to build lean muscle. You need to engage in some types of resistance training (free weight, strength machine, tubing/band). You know that by building lean muscle mass, your body burns off more calories even if you're just sitting around, doing nothing. The difference could be 20 to 50 more calories burned for every extra pound of lean muscle mass you build up. In addition, when repairing the damaged muscle tissues from resistance training, your body consumes extra calories to complete the repair and recovery process. So you got additional calorie expenditure. Learn how to change up your training routine when you hit the plateau.

2. Perform High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) cardio exercise. I have covered this topic about H.I.I.T. cardio exercise to effectively enhance your cardiovascular fitness and help you burn fat all day. I have also shown many sample H.I.I.T. cardio routines. You can do H.I.I.T. cardio on the treadmill, elliptical trainer, stairmaster or stationary bike by alternating fast and slow speeds for long/short durations and several repeats. The concept can be applied to other types of cardio exercise and outdoor running - jump rope, cycling, kickboxing, hill running and distance repeat. You can do H.I.I.T. for 30 minutes as a separate workout on days that you don't lift weight. Or better yet, do a quick 15-minute H.I.I.T. at the end of your resistance training session. The "after-burn" will help you keep burning fat for at least 24 to 48 hours afterwards.

3. Add variation and variety to your training program. It's a standard training practice to periodize a training program throughout the year or season. You should at least evaluate and change up a training program every 4 to 6 weeks of mesocycle for many reasons. When you do new exercises, you're in the learning mode. Your body tries to guess how you can handle it. This "inefficiency" helps you burn more calories. After a period of consistent training, your body adapts to the new load and intensity level. Your progress starts to diminish. There are many ways to change up your weight training routine. By doing so, you'll progressively overload your body to make continual strength gain and muscle growth. Adding variety to your training program as a cross training helps you to prevent overtraining burnout and overuse injuries. You can also add different activities or choose your workouts by your personality.

4. Adjust protein intake. Without going into details about specific diet, nutrition and supplements, a higher protein intake will help you burn more calories because it just takes more energy to digest protein. This is the thermic effect of foods. Always eat a balanced meal. You know that you need protein to help build muscle. The idea here is not to overload your diet with protein and accidentally eat high-fat food. A good tip is always have some sources of protein in every meal or snack.

5. Plan your next week. Reserve one hour or two each week to review what you have done this week and plan your workout and nutrition for the coming week. Note any schedule conflict with your workout so that you plan around it. Then you plan your nutrition around your workout. It also helps with damage control for unforeseen social obligations or job demands. Be proactive about your training and nutrition schedule.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!


>>> Sign up for FREE 'Jump-Start Your Body!' Workout and Nutrition Program to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.


Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved.



Friday, March 09, 2007

Pilates for Strong Core Muscles and Lean Body

Pilates has been gaining popularity in recent years in yoga studios, health clubs and fitness centers. About ten million Americans have tried Pilates approach. Some people have tried it to help relieve their back pain or stress. Some others want to have dancers' long and lean body. Some facts about Pilates:

  • Pilates was developed by Joseph H. Pilates prior to World War I to help injured soldiers regain their mobility.
  • Joseph Pilates developed hundreds of exercises to be performed on resistance-spring contraptions such as the Reformer and the Tower.
  • The principles of Pilates are all about mind, breathing, centering, control, precision and fluidity.
  • "Mat Pilates" moves are developed based on exercises performed on the floor without any apparatus.
  • The dynamic sequencing movements benefit the whole body, in particular target the core muscles. The goal is to stabilize the body and improve strength, flexibility, balance, posture and alignment.
  • Pilates movements are performed with concentration with focus on a specific "imprint" breathing method.

When working with Pilates movements, you'll almost work on every muscle group directly or indirectly with an emphasis on balance and strengthenging of core muscles (abdomen, back and buttocks). It's more than just physical movements. You'll learn proper breathing, posture and positioning.

The unique Pilates "imprint" breathing creates body &mind connections and make the core movements much more effective. You'll learn how to activate and engage your "transverse abdominus" - the very inner layer of your core muscles that acts an safety belt around your waist to protect your core.

Pilates can help you build a well-around balanced fitness training program. Want your six pack abs to show? Give it a try as part of your complementary cross training program for improving strength and flexibility.

Resources:
Pilates Method Alliance
Stott Pilates
Winsor Pilate
AFAA - Practical Pilates (TM)

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Choose Your Workout by Your Personality

You know you just love to do certain things over and over without feeling bored. But there are other things that are simply not your cup of tea. Every person has different lifestyle, unique personality, likes and dislikes. Some people like fast-paced games, extreme sports or explosive power-moving activities; while others like slow-tempo activities or endurance sports.

Wouldn't it be logical to choose physical activities or workout routines that match your personality. You'll enjoy them more and stay interested longer. Exercise is supposed to be fun, not just one check-marked item on your to-do list. Sooner than later, it'll become a "postponed" or "cancelled" item.


Workout by Personality

If you're bored easily, try cross training that mixes thing up and allows you to engage in different activities throughout the week, month, season or the whole year.

If you're spiritual or like body-mind connection, try yoga, Pilates, or (internal) martial arts, Tai Chi Chuan.

If you like to do things on your own, try strength training and add some variations. You can do it solo at home or in the gym.

If you're easily discouraged, try walking. It's cheap and can be done anywhere. There is no excuse that you cannot do it.

If you're always busy, try short, frequent bursts of activity. You may not be able to schedule a block of 60 minutes to work out. But you can try to squeeze in several 15-minute periods for short and quick exercises such as walking, bodyweight circuit training, shadow boxing, jump rope, etc.

If you're a social butterfly, try anything that needs a company. Play a pickup game. Play double tennis. Go to group exercise class or spinning class. Join a running club.

If you're short-tempered or have to be constantly on-the-go, try (external) martial arts, boxing or kickboxing to release your adrenaline rush.

If you're always patient or organized, try endurance sports such as long distance running, marathon, cycling or triathlon.

Enjoy yourself and have fun!

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Periodize Your Training Program To Make Continual Progress

Why Isn't Your Workout Working?

Have you been wondering why you stop making progress (e.g., growing muscle, gaining strength or losing weight)?

Have you been doing the same workout routine over and over? That is, you're bored and stuck in a fitness rut.

Have you thought about changing up your training program, mixing up workout routine or even taking a long break from training?

There are many training systems available depending on your goals and training cycle. Here is why your workout isn't working. The basic concept starts with variation and progression for a training system. It's related to so called general adaptation syndrome (Ref. 1 and 2).

It states that variation of certain training factors will lead to greater gains than no variation. When you experience a new training stimulus, your body is "shocked" with some physiological discomfort. Your body adapts to the stimulus and improve performance after a few repeated sessions. After a while your body is used to the routine and intensity and becomes more efficient, the gains start to diminish. Your body has no reason to grow if you stop working out surpassing an optimal intensity threshold.

Put it this way. There is no magic training system, sets or reps.

Everything works, but nothing works forever.


Periodization --- Keep Your Workout Working

The concept of periodization is to change the training stimulus for gains to continue to occur progressively. The training stimulus can be changed by varying volume, load and intensity. Periodization was originally modeled in terms of Olympic weightlifting. Many concepts have been applied directly to fitness training.

Periodization refers to the "planned" manipulation of training volume, load and intensity throughout a series of specific training phases or cycles. Periodization is an application of the principles of progressive training. You vary your repetitions, sets, weight and intensity during each cycle. It's a method used to make continual improvements in performance throughout the year and avoid reaching plateau.

If you follow the same workout for any length of time, your body soon adapts to the constant load and your gains diminish. However, by structuring your long-term training goals in a number of training cycles, you will be able to make gains in strength, mass and endurance all year round. It will also help you avoid overtraining and injuries.


What Is A Periodization Program?

A periodization program is divided into a number of distinct training cycles. The longest cycle is called a macrocycle and usually spans a period of one year, although shorter macrocycles can be used. This would suit those who cannot commit themselves to a year-round program or those who want greater variety in their training.

The macrocycle is then broken down into 2 to 6 shorter training cycles (mesocycles). Each mesocycle spans several weeks and emphasises a particular training goal (e.g., hypertrophy for muscle mass, strength, maximum strength/power, or muscular endurance).

A well designed traininig program starts off with higher volume, lower intensity and lower skill workouts. The program gradually increases in training intensity toward heavier weights, lower reps and requires higher skill levels. The aim is to peak at the end of your mesocycle.

Each mesocycle is followed by a short period of 1-2 week rest. Rest is very important to allow your body to recover from the intense training and relieve stresses on your bones and joints. Resting doesn't mean that you do absolutely nothing. You'll engage in "active" resting and recovery. You do only very light training, or a completely different activity for cross training such as golf or recreational swimming that does not tax your energy systems or central nervous system in the same way. Each mesocycle is then divided into week­long microcycles, around which you plan your day-to-day workouts.


Types of Periodization Program

There are many variations in the periodization program, depending on your goals, training experience and lifestyle. (ref. 3)

  • Linear Periodization: It's the classcic and straightforward method. You do something, make some progress to the next level or next thing, reach a peak, and back off for a break. "The main problem is that you constantly move away from the quality you've just developed," Alwyn says. Linear periodization starts from high reps/low loads and progresses successively to low reps/high loads. For example, you lift 15 reps in Phase One, 12 reps in Phase Two, 10 reps in Phase Three and 8 reps in Phase Four.
  • Alternating Periodization: Instead of going straight linearly from the highest reps to the lowest, you alternate reps and workloads in different phases. For example, you can lift 10 reps in Phase One, 12 reps in Phase Two, 6 reps in Phase Three and 15 reps in Phase Four.
  • Conjugate Periodization: A program can mix and match weights/reps in different stages. It combines some heavy lifts for strength, some fast lifts for power, some medium-rep sets for muscle mass, and some high-rep sets for muscular endurance.
  • Undulating Periodization: This program is designed for athletes who need to maintain high levels of muscular endurance, strength and mass throughout the season. The undulating periodization program adjusts the sets, reps, rep tempo and rest period in every single workout.

Embrace The Changes
Some periodization programs may be better or more suitable for one than the other. Any type of periodization is better than the other types of training programs. Most people respond much better if their training program is periodically changed according to these principles.


Get Professional Help

Still have problems? Hire a qualified personal trainer to help you design an individualized fitness training program. You're welcome to contact me for consultation, carey@careyforfitness.com.

References:
1. Medvedeyev, A. A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting. Trans. Andrew Chamiga. Linovia, Russia: Sportiviny Press, 1989.
2. Fleck, S. and Kraemer, W. Designing Resistance Programs. Champaign, IL: Human Kinectics, 1988.
3. Schuler, L. and Cosgrove, A. The New Rules of Lifting. New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 2006.


>>> Sign up for FREE monthly e-Newsletter to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.

Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitnesss.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC.
All rights reserved.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Avoid Overtraining to Improve Performance and Prevent Injuries

Train, Train More, Train Longer, Train Harder

Many people have made their New Year's Resolutions to improve their health and fitness. They run out of the gate like hungry tigers with great enthusiasm hoping that this year will be different. They'll do the same things - going to the gym five days a week, lifting weights three times a week and doing cardio five times a week - and yet they expect different or even better results!?

Some people don't even take the time to rest and recover and tend to go overboard. Well, if working out five times a week is good, seven times must be even better. Right!? People want to see the results fast. They spend two hours a day, five days a week in the gym for a good hopeful couple of weeks. You can tell by the gym traffic. These are all great. Or really?? Remember, it's how strong you finish the year that counts, not what you start the year with. Don't end the year like a lamb.


Truth in Life

Then the reality starts to set in. We're living in a super busy society. We all have other commitments in our life - career, family, or kids, etc. Very soon these super busy over-committed people cannot go to the gym as regularly due to late long hours of working, business traveling, time conflicts with kids' games and other social obligations, or getting sick. They start to lose their work-life balance.

They cannot come to the gym to work out on a regular and consistent basis. But when they do get a chance to work out, many skip warm-up to save time. They attempt to lift the heaviest weight they can remember from last time and do as many as possible till they're wiped out. It ends up that they get hurt because their bodies weren't used to sudden heavy weights. Injuries prevent these people from coming back to the gym, if ever, to train regularly at desired intensity. You know what happen next. They'll gain all the weight (or fat) that they have tried hard to lose and plus some more.


Consistency Is The Key

One of the challenges to achieveing your fitness goals is consistency. You need regular exercise to stay on track your fitness resolution without overdoing it and becoming sick or injured.

There is a fineline between
overloading and overtraining!

Appropriate and progressive overloading your body is one of the fitness training principles to use so that your body learns to adapt to the loads and grow stronger.

On the other hand, overtraining will have adverse effect on your body and performance. Your body may actually start to break down than build up. To juggle the right amount of training with adequate sleep, rest and nutrition is not an easy task, even to many professional athletes.


What Is Overtraining?

Simply put, overtraininig is the result of subjecting your body more work or stress (load) than it can handle. It happens when a person experiences neuro-muscular stresses from exercise faster than their body and mind can recover and repair. This doesn't typically happen overnight or from just one or two over-workouts. In most cases, it is an accumulated effect of consistent over-stressing without adequate recovery.

You've heard the old saying before: "You lift weights in the gym but grow outside the gym." It is the properly loaded exercise that breaks down your body. However, it's through rest, recovery and proper nutrition to repair your body that makes you stronger and healthier. Improvements occur during your recovery, not during your gym time.


Signs of Overtraining

Stresses can come from physical, mental or emotional sources. They all have effect on your health and well-being. How do you know that you're overtrained? How can you read the signs and symptoms of overtraining? Check the following by youself.

  • Elevated resting heart rate or pulse
  • Increase in minor injuries, colds or flu's
  • Chronic muscle soreness or joint pain/tenderness
  • Exhaustion, lethargy, fatigue
  • Appetite loss
  • Reduced ability to concentrate
  • Decreased performance
  • Anxiety, irritability or depression
  • Apathy or lack of motivation


How to Avoid Overtraining?

Somestimes it's difficult to tell if you're overtrained or simply ill based on these symptoms. The most common signs to look for are lack of motivation in the areas of your life and feeling of exhaustion. Reduced concentration and decreased performance in lifting weights is also a warning sign to watch out carefully. Prevention is definitely better than cure. But what do you do if you think you're overtrained?

Follow these suggestions ...

  • Make small and gradual change (progression) in your exercise program over a period of time.
  • Make sure you have adequate rest between workout sessions.
  • Eat a well balanced and nutritious diet to refuel your body.
  • Adjust your training program to fit your work schedule and lifestyle. Perhaps exercising two or three times a week is more realistic and achievable than five times a week. Be flexible and have fun with what you do.

All-or-nothing gung-ho approach to

fitness training is doomed to set yourself up

for failure and disappointment.

  • Change up your training program by cross training to add fun and variety, or hiring a personal trainer to help you to design an individualized training program.
  • Periodize your training program by cycling your training routines and taking time completely off from training every so often. For example, taking one or two weeks off for every 10 weeks of training is a common training practice. Even professional athletes have off season for a break to rest and recover from wear-and-tear and injuries. Why shouldn't you?

Taking time to take care of your body and mind. You'll come back stronger and be more focused in your next workout session or training cycle. Over the long term, you'll improve your performance consistently and stay injury free.

Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang.
All rights reserved.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Winterize Your Muscles for Winter Sports

Let It Snow, But Don't Fall

As ski and snowboard season is fast approaching, it's time to do pre-season conditioning. Before the snow falls, focus on training your muscles for winter sports. People could have enjoyed their ski vacation more if they could spend a little time preparing themselves in advance. Don't come home with broken leg(s) from your ski trip. Everyone I saw on crutches every year from ski trip all said that before: "It can't be me. I've been skiing or snowboarding since I was 12. It's not gonna happen to me." Guess what happened next.


Total Cost of Injuries --- More Than What You Think

Leg or knee injuries could put you out of commission for at least six months on the average, not uncommon for 12 months or longer. If you have a surgery, you'll expect many visits to the doctor and physical therapist. In addition to medical cost and time, you cannot function normally in your daily activities. The chances are that you become less mobile in today's already sedentary lifestyle. It's very likely that you put on some weight (or fat) due to being less physically active and potential stress-eating. The problems are snowballing and going spiral downward.

Your health and fitness level would be re-set for at least a year or two backwards. That is, all the hard work you've put in for the past year or two is going down to the drain. The new injuries prevent you from coming back to work out as intense as before. The rebuilding process is a long and long time to come. So the accumulated cost of leg injuries is at least two-year worth of your fitness along with the medical cost, extra time for therapy and inconvenience in your daily life.


Think about Winterizing Your Muscles

Wouldn't it be reasonable to spend a little time (and small training fees) to prepare your body for your next ski trip? When you think about winterizing your car or house for the winter season, it's about time to winterize your muscles as well. It's not just for skiing or snowboarding. You can also strengthen your back muscles so that you don't pull your back when shoveling snow. Back pain is number one injury --- the most common and frequent one that bothers millions of Americans every year. Although it's cold outside, you should continue to exercise in winter. There are a few tips and cautions to have a safe workout and stay fit in winter season.

Let's face it. We don't normally do similar activities that closely mimic what you do on the slopes to handle different terrains like steeps, glades, moguls, terran parks or the backcountry. We're not used to staying in low crouch position, squating (sometimes on one leg), turning left and right, jumping up and hopping down for an extended period of time under icy, cold, elevated altitude conditions. Remember what happened in the morning of the second day on your first ski trip. You cannot seem to get out of your bed without letting out a long Ahhh! Your whole body aches and pains all over the places. Your legs may be limping just like getting off of a horse. It is all because you're not used to it, not like the professionals who do it everyday and are used to that kind of physical demands.

Wouldn't you think about at least conditioning your body better in advance? You're able to ski more aggressively and handle more extreme terrains. Not only do you have the fitness level to enjoy the snow longer, but you can enjoy three or more consecutive days of skiing in a row and live to brag about it!


Strengthen Your Winter Muscles

The main functional fitness characteristics for conditioning your winter muscles are cardio endurance, static-dynamic strength, power, balance and flexibility. A training program that incorporates those conditioning characteristics necessary to enjoy your ski season includes the following elements:

  • Muscular strength with emphasis on the hips, lower back and legs
  • Muscular power, speed and endurance for the whole body specific to downhill skiing
  • Cardiovascular aerobic and anaerobic endurance
  • Balance, agility and coordination
  • Core strength, stabilization and endurance


Ski Specific Conditioning Program

A ski-specific training program includes three parts: functional (sport-specific) strength circuit, interval cardio workout, and strength endurance workout. If you have followed my cross training approach with strength and cardio circuit training before, you should be very familiar with the circuit training. You are in better condition than most weekend warriors or seasonal athletes.

I have designed a sample pre-season winterization program that you can do at least four to six weeks before your first ski trip. This ski-specific conditioning workout routine combines all the elements described above in a circuit training fashion. It can be done in your comfortable living room, basement or in your backyard. Please contact me (973) 303-2424 or email carey@careyforfitness.com to schedule your Winter Muscle Bootcamp.

Copyright 2006 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang.
All rights reserved.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Super Circuit Training - More Than Just Reps and Sets!

More About Circuit Training ...

Circuit training involves doing a series of exercises one after the other with little or no rest in between in a circuit fashion. It can be a useful training method when you are strapped for time, have limited weight/machine selections or have small confined workout space during high traffic hours in the gym.

Strength and cardio circuit training can be used a cross training alternative to provide excellent all around fitness, strength and stamina. It can also help reduce risk of overuse injury, keep one interested in the fitness training program or break through training plateau.

Circuit training is a versatile program that can be customized to meet specific needs and requirements: fitness level, strength endurance, cardiovascular stamina, weights & equipment availability, workout space, indoors/outdoors or sports-specific.

Many sample circuit training routines have been demonstrated using bodyweight, strength machine, barbell and dumbbell.

Circuit training is one of the most efficient training systems to tone up muscles, fire up your fat burning furnace, and reveal your six-pack abs.


Circuit Training --- All About Time and Efficiency

Most important of all for circuit training is time and efficiency. The circuit training workout routine should be structured and organized so that you make minimum change in weights/equipment or space. You can move from exercise to exercise efficiently with minimum interruption. You'll be out of the gym in no time to get the maximum results in minimum time.

Circuit training may be exactly what you need to shake up your stymied training program and kick your fitness up a notch.

Maximum Results, Minimum Time!


Sample Super Circuit Training Routines
In the following I design a few sample super circuit training workout routines. Replace each exercise with a similar version depending on the weights/equipment availability or your specific conditions. You can also change the sequence around in the second set or vary the weights/reps/time in the your next workout.

You'll feel different tension on your muscles as you work on them with several exercises from different angles in a range of weights, sets or time.

Although I prefer a total-body circuit training, a specialized program for upper-body only, lower-body only or specific-body-part only workout routine can also be designed.

Another way to structure a balanced circuit training is pair up or superset opposing muscle group exercises as a mini-circuit as part of the whole circuit. There are so many ways that one can structure a circuit training program. It's totally customizable. You won't be bored with workout again.

Ciruit training is more than
just mindless reps and sets!


Sample Bodyweight Timed Circuit Workout Routine
Pushup x an many as you can in 60 seconds
Squat x as many as you can in 60 seconds
Situp x as many as you can in 60 seconds
Lunge x as many as you can in 60 seconds
Pullup x as many as you can in 60 seconds













Sample Strength Machine Timed Circuit Workout Routine
Leg Press x 2 minutes
Chest Press x 2 minutes
Lat Pulldown x 2 minutes
Shoulder Press x 2 minutes
Triceps Pressdown x 1 minute
Biceps Preacher Curl x 1 minute
(water break)
Leg Extension x 1 minute
Leg Curl x 1 minute
Pec Fly x 2 minute
Seated Row x 2 minutes
Abdominal Curl x 1 minute
Back extension x 1 minute

Sample Smith-Machine Circuit Workout RoutineIncline Bench Press x 10 reps
Flat Bench Press x 10 reps
Squat x 10 reps
Bent-over Row x 10 reps
Deadlift x 10 reps
Shrug x 10 reps
Pullup x 6 reps
Shoulder Press x 6 reps
(water break)
Chinup x 8 reps
Shoulder Press x 8 reps
Front Squat x 10 reps
Reverse-grip Bent-over Row x 10 reps
Snatch-grip Deadlift x 10 reps
Calf Raise x 10 reps
Flat Bench Press x 10 reps
Decline Bench Press x 10 reps

Learn more circuit training routines in the following:

>> Strength and Cardio Circuit Training








>> Modified Olympic Weightlifting for Power Circuit Training

>> Spartan "300" Circuit Workout



Check out more expert training and workout routines.


>>> Sign up for FREE monthly e-Newsletter to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.


Copyright 2006 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved.





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Saturday, November 04, 2006

Protecting Your Shoulders from Rotator Cuff Injuries

News Headline Nov. 4th, 2006 (Click here for full report):

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Pedro Martinez is recovering well from an operation on his right shoulder but said Friday he would consider retiring if he does not return to full strength.

"It's getting better and progress is above all what is hoped for," Martinez told The Associated Press. "To go back I have to recover, I have to be healthy. But if God doesn't want that, then I would have to think about giving it all up."

If you go ahead and click on MLB Injuries, you'll find the injury list. It's not surprising to see that the top injured baseball players are the pitchers suffering from arm-related injuries in their shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists or fingers. No doubt shoulder-related injuries are the number one injury for baseball pitchers due to repetitive overuse.

When I talk about how to use cross training to prevent injuries, I happen to use a baseball pitcher as an example. As best conditioned as they are, even professional athletes cannot escape from injuries after all sorts of conditioning workouts from their top trainers. With top-dollar contracts in their pockets, they actually have to perform and are forced perform at the top of their games - fast balls, curve balls, etc. - hundreds and thousands of throwing over the years trying to strike out the batters. The end of the news story is "Martinez, just two strikeouts shy of a career 3,000, has two years left on his contract with the Mets." This could be end of his baseball career. I'm wondering if he has tried Yoga as a cross training and conditioning exercise. Perhaps he should have. Men do yoga, too.

For 9-to-5 working folks and weekend warriors, although you don't have to throw hundreds of balls, you still have to be careful in conditioning your body and shoulders to prevent from weekend warrior syndrome. It's frustrating to hurt your shoulders so painful that you cannot function fully doing normal daily activities or playing your sports. Perhaps you have difficulty reaching behind your back to grab your wallet or raising your arm to reach the seat belt. You may feel pain when trying to scratch the back of your head or even wash your hair. The pain could be such a disturbance to wake you up in the middle of the night. If so, you may be suffering from a rotator cuff injury.

Rotator cuff injuries such as tendonitis, bursitis or tears affect many people nowadays typically due to degeneration, bone spurs, trauma (accidents or sports related), overuse, and reduced strength and flexibility related to the aging process. The rotator cuff group consists of four small muscles and tendons that form a sleeve around the shoulder. They allow us to raise our arms overhead, move arms forward, backward, downward, side way and in circular motion. Working together with scapula (shoulder blades), the shoulder girdle joints and muscles allow us to perform all upper body functions and moves in all three planes and directions.

Shoulder pains can limit your strength and range of motion. Applying cold therapy on the affected area helps reduce inflammation, decrease pain and swelling, and speed up recovery. Rest, anti-inflammatory medication and therapeutic exercises are also helpful to return to pre-injury functional level. It may take as short as 4 to 6 weeks for a mild tendonitis and up to 18 months or longer following a surgery to completely recover, if ever. The nagging chronic soreness and limited range of motion (frozen shoulders) could be lingering around for many years to come. Consult your physician for diagnosis and proper treatment.

The key to preventing rotator cuff injury is to perform conditioning exercises prior to vigorous activities. Many weekend warriors try to pick up softball, baseball, football, you name it; and start to throw repetitively and forcefully without properly warming up. In addition, they are not likely well conditioned before the season like competitive athletes. As you can see, even professoinal athletes are not immune from injuries. This often leads to excessive strain on the rotator cuff and inevitable soreness, particularly with overhead movement or reaching behind the back.

I have some suggestions for you when performing weight training in the gym to prevent rotator cuff problems, particularly if you already have prior injuries:
  • When doing shoulder press and lat pulldown, avoid behind-the-neck movements as they put more stress and impingement on the shoulders.
  • When doing incline or flat bench press, do not lower the weights so that your upper arms are below parallel for the same reason.
  • When doing shoulder lateral raises or upright rows, avoid using too much weight that you have to shrug and swing your body to move the weight upward. In addition, avoid elevating your arms above 90 degrees - just enough to be in parallel with the floor at most.
  • Perform specific rotator cuff exercises to strengthen, stretch and stabilize your shoulder and scapular joints. See a post-rehab specialist or trainer for customized conditioning exercises.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Yoga - Benefits & Risks

Yoga of any styles has been gaining more popularity in recent years. As with Tai Chi Chuan, Yoga has been used as an alternative to ease certain medical conditions and improve general health. Yoga can help improve strength, balance and flexibility and may be beneficial for certain bone and joint problems. In addition, deliberate breathing, relaxation and meditation help you calm down and relieve stress from daily chaos. Anyone who has done yoga knows that after a single session, you feel stronger, calmer and more limber. Studios and fitness centers are offering Yoga-for-Kids classes. Even some pro football players and bodybuilders start to do yoga as a cross training to help them improve posture, balance opposing muscles, as well as increase flexibility and range of motion.

Yoga comes in many different styles, forms, demands and level of understanding and practice. Not everyone can do the same poses in a perfectly professional manner. As with any physical exercises, you have to pay attention and listen to your body and know your limits. Yoga may relieve your back pain. If you bend in the wrong way or overstretch youself, it could break your back.

According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report, there were more than 3700 yoga-related injuries costing a total of almost $94 million in medical care in 2004. The most common injuries involve repetitive strain, overstretching the neck, shoulders, spine, legs and knees. Serious muscle damage and related injuries can occur if people don't take proper precautions, particularly those with pre-existing musculoskeletal conditions.

Injuries tend to be caused by joint over-compression and pushing soft tissues past anatomical limits. People with back problems or lumbar disc injuries should be careful with extreme forward bending. Those with neck pain may want to avoid or modify the cobra pose.

Yoga is a great exercise and an important rehabilitation method. Before you jump right in and get confused with yoga poses (e.g., warrier, half-moon, triangle, downward-facing dog, cobra, eagle, camel, plow, tree, mountain, lotus, corpse, etc.), observe the class. Ask the yoga instructor what style he or she is teaching. Try one class to see if you like it and can perform the basic poses and movements without too much trouble. You want an exercise that's a little challenging for you but not too difficult to perform. Choose one that meets your needs, abilities and fitness level.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons have the following recommendations to minimize yoga-related injuries:

  • Speak to a physician before participating in yoga if you have any pre-existing injuries or conditions.
  • Work with a qualified yoga instructor. Inquire about experience and credentials.Warm up well because cold muscles, tendons and ligaments are vulnerable.
  • Wear clothing that allows for proper movement.
  • Start slowly while you learn the basics, such as proper breathing, before you see how far you can stretch.
  • As questions if you are unsure of a pose or movement.
  • Know your limits. Do not go beyond your experience or comfort level.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, especially if participating in Bikram or "hot" yoga.
  • Listen to your body. Stop or take a break if you experience pain. If pain persists, call a medical professional.
  • Thursday, November 02, 2006

    Cross Training for Variety and Injury Prevention

    What Is Cross Training? Why Cross Training?

    Cross training has been used for years although it's a relatively new training concept. Athletes have used exercises outside their sports for conditioning due to weather, seasonal change, facility and equipment availability, and injuries. Cross training add many benefits to sports training including injury prevention.

    Cross training is one type of training methods used to achieve well-rounded overall conditioning. The exercises are normally very different from what an athlete does in a particular sport. It gives a chance for the muscles, tendons, bones, joints and ligaments to take a break from repetitive use from sport-specific activities. In the meantime, cross training provides complementary conditioning to balance an athlete. This concept is also very useful for amateur athletes or recreational weekend warriors.

    Another benefit of cross training is to help reduce or reverse muscle imbalances in the body. For example, a baseball pitcher may develop an imbalance laterally between the two sides of the body as well as in the should girdle of the throwing arm. After thousands of high-speed forceful throwing, the throwing arm and muscles become stronger but potentially overused and injured. Rotator cuff injuries are very common. Cross training can help balance the strength on both sides. It helps stabilize muscles and realign the body. In addition, since you're participating in different activities during cross training, it adds variety to your program and reduce chance of burn-out due to boredom.


    What Cross Training Isn't For

    One caution for cross training is that it doesn't help develop skills for a specific sport. It isn't a skill-specific drill. A football player can lift weights or slow-jog 5 miles a day all summer during off season. But he won't be in great "football shape" when the pre-season starts. By all means, "cross" training should not be used as the sole training program. You still have to start slowly with cross training and increase intensity progressively without getting injured.


    Types of Cross Training

    There are many ways to apply the concept of cross training to your fitness program, sports or activities all year round. Some examples are listed in the following.

    • Aerobic Cross Training I: Use a variety of cardio equipment within one workout session; e.g., ten minutes on the treadmill, ten minutes on the bike, ten minutes on the elliptical machine.
    • Aerobic Cross Training II: Use a variety of cardio equipment or modules throughout the week or month; e.g., run 30 minutes on Monday, bike 30 minutes on Wednesday, step class on Friday.
    • Mixed Cross Training: Use a variety of activities that emphasizes different body functions and fitness; e.g., total-body weight training on Monday, kickboxing/martial arts on Wednesday, Yoga/Pilates on Friday.
    • Cross-Over Training: Use activities that require totally different body functions or energy systems; e.g., A cyclist can do boxing (mainly upper body movements) during off-season so that he can rest his legs (lower body) for a while. Cycling requires more aerobic endurance while boxing demands more anaerobic energy output. Both energy systems are important in overall cardiovascular fitness.
    • Seasonal Cross Training: Use or train for different sports or activities over large blocks of time or seasons; e.g., running for Spring, playing golf, tennis or swimming for Summer, outdoor rock-climbing for Fall, skiing or snowboarding for Winter.
    • Functional/Complementary Cross Training: Use different activities to train similar function used in the main sport; e.g., Runners may use mountain biking to target the legs from slightly different actions. Cyclists may use cross-country skiing to maintain leg strength and cardiovascular endurance.

    Play Your Card Right

    Although an advantage of cross training is decreased risk of injury, one still has to start the sports or activities slowly. Don't fall into the same pitfalls in your main sport. Learn the basics. Perform adequate conditioning exercises in advance. Increase the intensity and duration progressively.

    Many sports and activities share the same fitness characteristics of strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, balance, and flexibility. But each sport is still different with somewhat shift in performance requirements. A cyclist certainly doesn't want to get injured from downhill skiing. In the same token, A football player would be sorry for sitting out on the bench for the season from motorcycle accident.

    Copyright 2006 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang.
    All rights reserved.

    Saturday, October 28, 2006

    Strength and Cardio Circuit Training

    Why Circuit Training? What Is Circuit Training?

    To add variety to your fitness training program, you have to vary your workout routine from time to time. Variation, periodization and cross training can help you reduce risk of injury, keep you from being bored, blast through your plateau so that you can keep making progress.

    Strength and cardio circuit training is an excellent program to achieve this purpose. Perform these exercises back to back without rest (or with very little rest) until you complete the circuit. Have some water, rest for a few minutes and repeat the same circuit.


    How to Do It?

    Several sample circuit training routines are listed in the following. You can start with your own bodyweight. Bodyweight circuit training workout routine is useful when you don't have weights at home. You can do it in your hotel room when you're traveling and don't have access to the gym. Do it in the park or in small groups.

    Bodyweight workout could be just as gruelling and challenging!


    Change the number of repetitions and pace yourself to suit your fitness level. Substitute the exercise with a similar variation. If you work out in the gym, you have more options in equipment to work with. For example, try incline or decline bench press to replace flat bench press.

    For strength machine, barbbell and dumbbell exercises, choose proper weights so that you complete the circuit. That means you have to reduce the weight that you can normally do for your 6-rep set. Start at 50% normal weight if you're not sure. Add or reduce weight as needed so that you can complete the circuit feeling somewhat sored and breathless.

    You can alternate between workout A and workout B for barbell and dumbbell circuits. Always warm up for at least 5 to 10 minutes before exercise. Cool down and stretch after exercise.


    The Good Things about Circuit Training

    Strength and cardio circuit training provides you the benefits of both weight training and cardiovascular exercise in a single workout session. Your heart rate is elevated as you keep moving weights with different muscle groups in different angles and positions. Your metabolism is fired up to keep burning fat even for a few hours after you leave the gym.
    Strength and cardio circuit training is one of the best and most efficient ways of burning body fat and revealing your six-pack abs.

    The circuit training is pushing your body aerobically while still challenging your strength. It allows you to work your aerobic system while simultaneously working on your strength and muscular endurance. You'll improve your overall strength endurance and cardiovascular capacity.


    What Is Circuit Training Not For?

    However, strength and cardio circuit training is not meant to be a complete balanced total body workout. It does not replace your regular strength, muscle-building or cardiovascular training programs. Even though you move from exericse to exercise very quickly, it does not mean that you're allowed to bounce or jerk the weights up and down. You still have to maintain good forms when lifting weights.


    How to Design a Super Great Circuit Training Routine

    As you can see, I design the workout routines adhering to my principles in balanced total-body training & prioritiy training:
    • Train both upper & lower body and core area
    • Train both front & back sides of the muscle groups for balance
    • Train both left & right sides of the muscle groups for balance
    • Train large muscle groups first & small/assisting muscle groups later
    • Train with compound exercises first & isolation exercises later
    • Priority-train weak and imbalanced muscle groups
    • Priority-train hard-to-see-by-yourself muscle groups

    Add or replace with one of these workouts in your training program once a week. It helps you tone up muscles, melt body fat and reveal your six pack abs. Who don't want to have at least firm and flat abs?

    To keep stimulating your body and making progress, try different versions of each exercise; e.g., one-hand pushup or clap pushup, jump squat or Bulgarian split squat, stiff-leg deadlift or Romanian deadlift. You'll finish your workout more efficiently and never be bored with workout again. You get maximum results in minimum time.

    Sample Bodyweight Circuit Workout Routine
    Squat x 30 reps
    Standard Pushup x 30 reps
    Mountain Climber x 20 reps
    Curlup x 20 reps
    Superman Backraise x 10 reps
    Lunge x 10 reps each leg
    Wide-width Pushup x 10 reps
    Narrow-width Pushup x 10 reps
    Oblique Twist x 30 reps
    Opposite Arm and Leg Lift x 10 reps
    Down Plank, hold for one minute

    Watch Demo Video 1 >>






    Watch Demo Video 2 >>




    Sample Strength Machine Circuit Workout Routine
    Leg Press x 20 reps
    Chest Press x 15 reps
    Shoulder Press x 10 reps
    Seated Row x 15 reps
    Leg Extension x 10 reps
    Leg Curl x 10 reps
    Pec Flye x 10 reps
    Triceps Pushdown x 10 reps
    Abdominal Curl x 15 reps
    Back Extension x 15 reps
    (You may have tough time moving from machine to machine without a break in a commercial gym unless you have a reserved personal training session to line up these machines for you.)

    Sample Barbbell Circuit Workout Routine A
    Back Squat x 15 reps
    Military Press x 10 reps
    Snatch-grip Deadlift x 10 reps
    Bent-over Row x 10 reps
    Hang Clean x 6 reps
    Good Morning x 10 reps

    Sample Barbell Circuit Workout Routine B
    Bench Press x 12 reps
    Bench Press (close grip) x 8 reps
    Upright Row x 8 reps
    Triceps Press x 6 reps
    Biceps Curl x 6 reps
    Wrist Curl x 6 reps

    Sample Dumbbell Circuit Workout A
    Sumo Wide-stance Squat x 15 reps
    Arnold Press x 10 reps
    Deadlift x 10 reps
    One-arm Row x 10 reps each side
    Squat & Push Press x 6 reps
    Shrug x 6 reps

    Watch Demo Video >>




    Sample Dumbbell Circuit Workout B
    Bench Press x 12 reps
    Incline Bench Press x 8 reps
    Lat Pullover x 8 reps
    Lateral Raise x 6 reps
    Triceps Kickback x 6 reps
    Biceps Hammer Curl x 6 reps
    Watch Demo Video >>




    Check out more fat-burning training and workout routines.


    >>> Sign up for FREE monthly e-Newsletter to receive insider training tips, workout routines and check out your FREE bonus e-books to help you build muscles, lose fat and uncover your six pack abs.

    Copyright 2006 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC.
    All rights reserved.


    



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