Get in shape for summer in the city.. with Method Fitness!

Personal trainers do much more than just deliver intense, effective workouts to lift your butt and shape your thighs. They also recommend foods that will help intensify the results from those workouts. The best trainers at the world’s finest private personal training gyms in NYC often recommend foods that are readily available in the market during the summer because they are nutritious and delicious.

Following are the top five personal trainer-recommended summer super foods that you should be eating up while they are in season:

#1: Watermelon

Watermelon is so packed with watery goodness that it should be consumed year round even if you have to pay big bucks to find it where you live in the middle of winter. Not only is it a watery fruit that will keep your body well hydrated, it is packed some of the most powerful antioxidants.

Antioxidants have been proven to clear the body of disease-causing free radicals and are critical when it comes to fighting off signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines.

Plus, watermelon is extremely low calorie and naturally fat free. No wonder it is recommended by all the top private personal in NYC

#2: Berries

Berries of every variety are probably your personal trainer’s best friends! Toss some fresh blueberries on your oatmeal in the morning or slice up some strawberries for a cool evening treat on the front porch.

Berries that are dark in color, such as blueberries, are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will energize your body prior to a workout or help it rejuvenate afterwards. You can throw berries on practically anything (even veggie salads) to get a quick energy lift. Over time they will protect your body from disease and sickness and help you fight off the signs of aging as well.

#3: Kiwi Fruit

Kiwi has a very unusual taste and makes a delicious, energizing snack that can be taken with you absolutely anywhere. It is jam packed with vitamin C which will help your body fight off infection and illness. It also contains a lot of those powerful antioxidants which will keep your body free from disease-causing free radicals.

Trainers at the best private personal training gyms in NYC embrace kiwi fruit year round for it’s nutritious, energizing properties.

#4: Tomatoes

Did you plant your own veggie garden this year? If not, head on out to the farmer’s market and stock up on tomatoes because they are one of the most healthful foods to be consumed year round, but especially in summer when they are in season. Pick them off the vine and eat them like apples…yes, they are that good for you!

Besides a wide variety of vitamins that your body constantly needs, you get something called lycopene from tomatoes. Lycopene is such a powerful substance it is being touted as a way to prevent cancer and a variety of other very serious diseases.

#5: 100% wheat free corn tortillas

Personal trainers recommend whole grains year round, but high fiber whole grain wheat free corn tortillas are perfect for summer because you can create delicious wraps filled with fresh veggies for quick lunches, snacks and dinners. They will give you long term energy to get through your sessions at our private personal training gym in NYC!

Looking for more food tips for summer? Talk to Method Fitness personal trainers in NYC today and see what else they can recommend! Also, please check out the new Method Fitness Facebook Fan Page for great fitness/health tips and tricks!

Weight loss boot camps are notorious for being held bright and early in the morning. How does 6 A.M. sound for a fitness beating of grueling drills that last for an hour? While it doesn’t sound all that pleasant, there is sound reasoning behind these early-calls for most fitness boot camps for women in NYC.

While it’s nice to blame the trainers and just assume they make the early start times as another way of torturing you, the fact is those early start times overcome the most common excuses women have for not exercising consistently.

How many times have you complained that you simply don’t have enough time in your day to hit the gym? How often do you swear to workout after work, only to find that by the time your family is cared for you are just too exhausted? Fitness boot camps for women in NYC overcome all of these dilemmas by getting the workouts completed first thing in the morning.

More women are able to fit these weight loss boot camps into their schedule because they can get it done prior to going to work or before the kids wake up!

So, how do you go about actually getting yourself out of bed for that super early morning weight loss boot camp?

1. Give yourself time to hit the snooze button.

If you are famous for hitting the snooze button until you don’t have time to make it to that weight loss boot camp on time, set your alarm at least a half hour earlier than you actually need to be up.Set the snooze alarm to resound about every 5 minutes rather than in longer increments. This way you will be able to hit snooze at least six times before you are late getting up. You will eventually get annoyed by constantly having to re-hit the button, and will get up in most cases!

2.  Put the alarm clock far away from your bed.

You shouldn’t be able to roll over and turn the alarm off without fully waking up. Put the alarm way across the room, preferably where you will have to reach up high or bend down low to turn it off. If you have to make that trip every time the snooze button goes off you are more likely to wake up than fall back to sleep over and over. Just make sure the volume is up very loud so there is no ignoring the alarm.

3. Enlist someone to get up with you, or even participate.

If you have someone waiting at the weight loss boot camp for you, there is less risk of you bailing out to sleep. Get someone to either call and talk to you until you are up and moving around or to participate in a weight loss boot camp along with you. Taking turns driving one another to the boot camp will ensure you both make it out of bed.

4. Be consistent with your sleep schedule.

The best thing you can do for yourself when participating in fitness boot camps for women is to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day, whether you have a weight loss boot camp to attend or not.

The core of your body includes not only your abdominals, but your back and pelvic region as well. The reason why the best personal trainers in NYC often focus on strengthening these muscles is because every movement that you make throughout your lifetime will depend on strength in the core. Stronger core muscles reduce your risk of injuring your back or hips during every day activities, through exercise, or when participating in sports and other activities.

The following are the top 6 core exercises often used by personal trainers to strengthen the core.

1. Plank

Go into push up position with arms bent at 90 degrees and flat on the ground. Make sure arms are parallel to each other and shoulder width apart. Make sure your elbows are in line with shoulders and prevent your buttocks from pushing up toward the ceiling. Your weight should balance on your toes and arms with your body in one straight line. For an easier modified version some personal trainers may allow you to lower your knees to the ground.

2. Superman

Lie on your stomach with your legs together and arms stretched out above your head straight. Lift arms and legs all up together, arching your back to bring them up. Hold for a few seconds and then lower to the ground and repeat.

3. Swimmers

Lay face down on the floor and raise opposite arm and leg up at the same time. Hold for a few seconds then lower and repeat with the other arm and leg. Keep your head in a comfortable position and don’t strain to raise it with your limbs. Personal trainers will often combine this movement with the superman pose.

4. Ab Twists

Stand up straight and hold your arms out at your sides. You can also do this one holding a large exercise ball in your arms in front of you. Twist from the waist, bringing one arm all the way over to meet the other arm (second arm doesn’t move) and then rotate back in the other direction. If using a ball, simply twist it side to side with the movement coming from the waist. Your hips should remain stable throughout the movement.

5. Ball Crunches

You can do standard crunches on the floor, but it is a lot safer and more comfortable to perform them on an exercise ball. Lay across the ball to perform regular crunches with hands on your temples so that your don’t pull on your  neck. Focus on working your ab muscles.

6. Unstable Motions

Here’s a trick that personal trainers use but which most people never think of doing. You can build up strength in your core while strengthening other areas of the body if you stand on an unstable surface while doing it. For instance, you can do bicep curls with dumbbells while standing on a Bosu ball or push-ups with one arm up on a higher surface. These movements put your body off center and your core muscles will have to work to keep you stable.

These exercises should get you started toward your personal fitness goals, but there are many secrets of personal training that can only be discovered by working with a personal trainer. If you want to see real changes in your body in as little time as possible, consult with one of our top personal trainers at our private personal training gym in NYC for more info.