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Method Fitness Exercise Tip of the Day

Do this stretch 2 – 3 times per week to get the maximum benefits.

Have a happy, healthy weekend!

Looking for some inspiration to call up your local personal trainers in NYC? Are you searching for something to get you off the couch and out the door for a bit of exercise today? Are you struggling to make yourself workout after an intense day at work? Most people find that getting started with exercise is the most difficult part of the process.

Once you get going you can usually motivate yourself to get going, but getting started has to come first. To give yourself a bit of inspiration to call up a personal trainer in NYC or get into your local private personal training gym in NYC today, consider the following three facts:

Muscle Burns Fat

The more muscle you have in your body the less fat you will have. Most people look in the mirror and see their fatty areas and wish they could get rid of them. This is a tough way to look at the problem since you know losing that fat is going to take some time. You don’t want it to take time, so you put it off to tomorrow. Sound familiar?

When you think about how much fat you have to lose it can be very intimidating. That’s why personal trainers often suggest you think about it in a positive way. One positive thing is to focus on building muscle throughout your body, rather than burning fat. Fat burn will come as a natural result of building muscle.

Are you unsure how to build muscle? Personal trainers have a wealth of information and can help you pump up fast. Remember, pump up here means the same thing as slim down. If you have a private personal training gym in your NYC local area, that is the fastest way to find the best personal trainers in your area.

Muscle Trims the Body

Take two women who weigh 180 pounds and stand them next to one another. They may weigh the same, but chances are one will look larger than the other in at least one area of the body. This is why two people can weigh the exact same but wear two different pant sizes. It doesn’t seem to make sense until you learn what personal trainers already know: it’s not what you weigh on the scale, but how much muscle and fat you have in your body.

If you build muscle in your body you will look smaller! You may not drop tons of weight on the scale, but you will definitely look smaller in your bathing suit and wear a smaller size in blue jeans. Are you ready to pump iron now?

Psst…a quick note for women: building muscle doesn’t mean you will look bulky like a man. You will just have less jiggle and more firm.

Exercise Lifts Your Mood

This is the best reason to call up those personal trainers in NYC and get your body moving today: exercise releases natural endorphins that lift your mood! This is why women who are premenstrual can workout and magically feel better. It’s even better than popping a Midol!

In summary, you should call up your local private personal training gyms in NYC and start working out today because it will:

1. Keep you smiling through your work outs. The key to achieving your fitness goals AND maintaining your svelte physique is to stay positive and focused. Personal trainers are there to help you make improvements both physically and mentally, which leads to success.

2. Pump up your metabolism so you lose fat at a faster rate. More muscle makes you look smaller and tighter, regardless of your weight. Personal trainers know how to trim you down the right way, without starvation or improper exercise tactics.

3. Boost your mood so you feel and look better. Exercise can ease aches and pains.

In-home personal training is a new concept that blends the effectiveness of hiring a personal trainer with the convenience of working out in your own home. In-home personal trainers in NYC come to you so there are no excuses to not stick with your personal fitness goals. If you struggle to stick to a routine exercise program or find that excuses should be your middle name, this is a great option to consider an in-home personal trainer in NYC.

If you doubt that you could actually get an effective workout right in your own home, consider the following ideas to get started with or without an in-home personal trainer.

Make TV Time Workout Time

How much television do you watch on a daily or weekly basis? If you spend even 15 minutes in front of the TV, you have time to exercise! Not having the time to get in an effective workout is the biggest excuse personal trainers often hear, but it is nothing but an excuse. Any small bit of time that you have free can be used to whip your body into shape.

If you have time for a television show even once a week you have time to exercise. If you have a treadmill or other piece of home fitness equipment put it in front of the TV and make yourself work it for at least half of every TV show you watch.

If you don’t have home equipment, jog or march in place while watching TV. You can even use dumbbells or hand weights while you watch.

Go Back to Childhood

Do you have a park near your home? Or, do you have playground equipment in your backyard for your children? If so, then you can take a tip from some of the best in-home personal trainers in NYC and travel back to childhood to get in a great workout. Try to do chin-ups on the monkey bars. Climb the walls and run up and down the slides. Get creative and you will find many ways to work up a sweat just like you did as a child.

The benefit of in-home personal training in NYC when working out in this manner is you  have someone to show you proper form so you eliminate the risk of injury. In-home personal trainers can also give you ideas and spot you so that you make it through the harder moves.

Old School Still Rocks

Think of old school exercises that you did as a child or maybe remember your mother doing with Jane Fonda in the living room years ago. Think of very basic yet highly effective exercise movements that can be done without any equipment. Some ideas include:

* Jumping Jacks

* Push-Ups

* Sit-Ups

* Grapevines

* Toe-Touches

* Knee Lifts

There are hundreds of different moves that used to be performed through old school aerobics videos.

Dance it Off

This is probably the most fun way to workout in your own home: dance! Turn up the music and get your booty moving. You can burn off tons of calories if you put all your energy into this simple yet effective form of cardio.

In-home personal training in NYC is a great idea if working out at home fits your personality or life circumstances. While you may be able to sweet talk and excuse yourself out of workouts, in-home personal trainers in NYC will make you stick to your word so real progress is made.

Check out the Method Fitness Facebook page for more fitness tips!

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.

Summer is on its way and you’re desperate to tone up your muscles and get that definition going . Besides enlisting the help of our top personal trainers in NYC, what can you do to make sure you have the best bod on the beach or sunning by the pool?

It actually doesn’t have to be difficult to tone up for fun in the sun. Consider these five tips from some of the best personal trainers in NYC, all of which can easily be implemented into a busy lifestyle.

#1: Never just sit there.

If you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk most of the day, vow never to just sit there for more than an hour at a time…and no, typing on the keyboard doesn’t count! If you have a private office you can get up and do some simple strengthening moves such as tricep dips off the edge of your chair or table (make sure it’s sturdy!). At the very least get up and walk around the office a little every hour to keep your body from getting stiff.

You can also use a Physio ball or Swiss ball as a chair instead of a regular office chair ( see above picure.) This will allow you to engage your core muscles while you’re working.

At home, you can do push-ups, squats, crunches, and butt raises while watching TV. Vow to do something to reach your goals during every commercial break.

#2: Don’t downplay the importance of weight training.

Many people looking to tone up or get better definition in their muscles often downplay the importance of weight lifting circuit workouts. Such as a circuit of lunges, chest presses, and bicep curls. Many of these exercises burn off fat even after you have finished your workout.

Remember, you have to get rid of the fatty layers covering your muscles before you will actually be able to see them. If you are already at a healthy weight and just need to tone up some, weight training will help keep you from gaining fat by increasing your metabolism.

#3: Skip the sugary treats and stick with veggies and lean protein.

Foods and treats loaded in sugar are more likely to be stored directly as fat since they process through the body so fast and are less likely to be burnt off before they are deposited in your fat cells for storage.

Instead, stick with lean proteins and low starch unprocessed carbohydrates. Salads with grilled chicken, turkey or fish are great as the weather gets warmer.

#4: Eat every four hours or so.

Don’t go for long periods of time between meals as your metabolism will drop, you will burn less fat, and you will be so hungry by the time you do eat that you are more likely to eat unhealthy foods that are easier to grab. Keep some healthy snacks on hand such as raw veggies with humus or red apples with raw almonds when you are away from home so you will not get so hungry and be tempted to make a bad choice.

#5: Try one of our top personal trainers here in NYC.

If there is every a time to get help from one of our top personal trainers, it is just before summer. Our top personal trainers know exactly what you need to do to tone up and will be able to tell you the fastest way to see the results that you are looking for.

Our private personal training gym is located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas ( 6th Ave at 53rd st) New York City , NY 10019. But we can also come to your home for in-home personal training here in NYC.

You can can reach us at 212-255-5842 to schedule a trial session at the reduced rate of $50 but hurry summer is right around the corner.

Are you currently in the process of trying to get in great shape for summer?  If so, then I would highly recommend that you look into hiring personal trainers to assist you with your weight loss and fitness goals!  A personal trainer can be extremely helpful for a wide variety of reasons.

One reason that having personal trainers can be really helpful is that they often give you a real sense of accountability.  Maybe you had a long day at work and are tired, or perhaps you just feel like relaxing and watching your favorite TV show.  These reasons as well as others might cause you to skip your workout.  However, if you know that your personal trainer  is expecting you to meet up with them at a specific time then chances are that you will be less likely to miss your workout.  Not only because you do not want to disappoint your personal trainer but also because you do not want to waste your money by not showing up to your personal training session! 

Another reason that it is great to have personal trainer is that they can help create the fitness plan that is best suited to your current level of fitness as well as the timeline for which you would like to reach your goals by.  It’s not always easy to come up with a plan like this on your own, especially if you are someone that is fairly new to working out.  More often that not, personal trainers can also help out by giving you some excellent guidelines for healthy eating which will then in turn help you with your weight loss goals. 

Many times people stop doing their workouts because they get bored of doing the same things over and over again.  Therefore, another advantage of having personal trainers is that they often can come up with some truly great ideas of how to mix things up in order to keep your workouts fresh and interesting.  Just let your personal trainers know what type of workout activities you think you might be interested in, and they can then easily customize workouts that will not only be really effective but fun as well!  This is great because it prevents boredom from creeping in which means that you will be much more likely to actually stick to consistently doing your workouts. 

If achieving your health and fitness goals is really important to you, then hiring a personal trainer is well worth the investment. 

Do you rarely get ill or need prescription medicines? If not, then you might not be getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.  Sometimes it’s hard to know which foods will make us fit as a fiddle, and that’s especially true since a lot of opinions are conflicting. 

Also, eating “nutritious” foods doesn’t guarantee that you’re getting all of the necessary vitamins and minerals.  

Victoria Boutenko, penned a fascinating book entitled “Green for Life.” Boutenko searched for the perfect human diet, and made some intriguing discoveries.   

She discovered the “Chimpanzee Connection.” Chimpanzees are genetically the closest relatives of humans, and have DNA that is 99% similar!

So what? Consider that chimpanzees are physically healthier than homo sapiens are. The former also have an extremely robust natural resistance to various diseases that are fatal to humans, such as cancer.

Ms. Boutenko’s studies revealed that the key to the chimps’  fantastic health was their diet. Specifically, there are major variances between the diets of humans and chimps. 

Victoria’s research revealed that the key to the chimpanzees’ excellent health was their diet. In fact, the eating habits of homo sapiens and chimps is extraordinary different.  

In a word, the answer is: greens! While humans eat many unhealthy foods, the diet of chimpanzees is very high in leafy green vegetables. Meanwhile, too many humans don’t eat enough of them. 

Afterwards, Ms. Boutenko shifted gears and focused her study on greens that are dark and leafy. She discovered that it’s a “super food” that’s packed with very high amounts of vitamins and minerals. Here are five fascinating facts about dark green veggies:

 1. Greens are packed with both amino acids (and AKA protein).  
 

Were you aware that dark leafy green vegetables are an excellent source of protein?

Molecules of protein contain a chain of amino acids. When you eat protein that’s included in foods such as meat, you’re consuming chains of amino acids that have already amassed into a “complex” protein.  

Meanwhile, when you eat greens that are dark and leafy, you consume a high amount of amino acids. Your body then uses those amino acids to construct complex protein chains.

 2. Greens contain a high amount of insoluble fiber

You likely already know that human diets should contain fiber. But fiber can help to expel harmful toxins from your body. Insoluble fiber is especially important, since its structure resembles miniscule sponges. Each of these “sponges” takes in an amount of toxins that is several times higher than the volume of the fiber. Here are some major advantages of fiber: 

It decreases your cholesterol level

It burns unwanted weight and prevents overeating

It prevents and lowers the risk of getting cancer

It prevents and treats diabetes

 3. Greens encourage your body’s homeostasis

What is homeostasis? It’s the physiological process that causes all of the substances in your body to function at levels that promote excellent health.

For your body to reach homeostasis, it requires a large quantity of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and amino acids. Greens are a wonderful way to consume these substances.

 4. Greens are alkaline, and thus promote healthy cells in your body  
 
Otto Warburg won a 1931 Nobel Prize. Warburg discovered what causes cancer. Specifically, a lack of oxygen in the body’s cells resulted in weaker cell respiration. The result was fermentation, which itself resulted in acidity (a low pH level).

There’s a connection between the foods that you eat, and the pH balance in your body. For instance, consider Parmesan cheese (-34) and spinach (+14).

Daily eating enough dark green vegetables will make you better equipped to maintain a pH balance that is healthy.

 5. Greens contain chlorophyll (a “liquid” form of sun energy).  
 
You may find this interesting: a single molecule of chlorophyll is extremely similar to a single molecule of human blood. Chlorophyll cleans and heals your organs, while simultaneously removing substances that are harmful.

Here are some of the benefits of chlorophyll:

Chlorophyll promotes an alkaline body  
Chlorophyll aids in preventing cancer  
Chlorophyll promotes a high blood count  
Chlorophyll battles toxins  
Chlorophyll benefits vision

Chlorophyll helps to heal sores faster  
Chlorophyll helps varicose veins  

Have you had a Green Smoothie? We know that greens are healthy, but eating them daily can be challenging. The solution is to try an easy-to-prepare green smoothie.  
 
Victoria discovered that mixing greens, fruit, and water, created a mouth-watering smoothie that the body can absorb easily. To enjoy the greatest benefits from green smoothies try one right after your workout when your body has the greatest ability to absorb these vital nutrients.

*See the recipe below*

These green smoothies have three primary ingredients: greens, fruits and water. Try using various types of greens and fruits, to maximize the health benefits. You might surprised to learn how delicious a green smoothie can be! 

Servings: 1  
 
First, gather these ingredients:   
 
2 cups of a dark, green vegetable  
1 cup of strawberries  
1 whole banana  
1-2 cups of filtered water  

Mix the ingredients by using a high-speed blender, until the consistency is smooth.

Nutritional Analysis: A single serving of a green smoothie contains:  

199 calories

1 gram of fat

6 grams of protein

10 grams of fiber

47 grams of carbohydrates

E-mail or phone today, to start enjoying a personal training fitness program with one of our personal trainers here in NYC that will rapidly give you a healthy start to your summer.

Healthy Benefits of Personal Training in NYC

Motivation

Motivation is one of the largest struggles encountered when trying to improve your fitness on your own and it is the primary advantage of personal training. This is also why many people exercise with a personal trainer. When someone expects you to be there that makes workouts more enjoyable, there is much less reason to stop. A personal trainer will provide a powerful motivational force in your routine, giving you incentive and responsibility when it comes time to exercise.

Efficiency

Anything you do that you don’t need to, or that there is a better way to do, is a loss of efficiency. Also, focusing on areas you don’t need to work on instead of areas that need work is a waste of effort. Personal training can both reduce wasted time, while increasing the gain in fitness.

Knowledge

Do you know exactly how each workout helps you? Or what areas you need to work on the most? Even if you don’t want personal training long-term, just spending a few months with a personal trainer can vastly improve your knowledge of exercise, giving you a very long-term gain for a short-term investment.

Customized Program

Personal training will also provide you with a fitness program designed just for you, as a trainer can evaluate your fitness level and tell you exactly what aspects need improved, and what you can do to improve. Also, if you want to do something specific, such as play a certain sport, a personal trainer who specializes in that field will be able to provide you with a workout tailored to your specific needs.

When exercising your abdominal muscles, are you exercising the deep ones? If you’ve surfed the Internet, watched TV, or read a magazine or newspaper during the past week, then you’ve probably seen an advertisement for some sort of abdominal gadget. But oftentimes, even these gizmos don’t work the deep abdominal muscles. Fortunately, core exercises and the invaluable guidance of a personal trainer in New York city can provide your body with several benefits:

1. Better breathing

Not only is breathing important, but proper breathing is equally important. Your transversus abdominis muscle (TVA) is linked to the diaphragm. So after strengthening your core muscles, you greatly boost your ability to inhale and exhale completely. And the more oxygen your body intakes, the better all of your body’s systems will function during a workout.

2. Recreational activities will be more enjoyable

Whether you enjoy skiing, surfing, cycling, or running, core exercises will improve any sport that requires flexibility and aerobic routines. That’s because these exercises improve your balance, flexibility, coordination, and breathing. The bottom line is that your endurance and sports skills will improve.

3. Less frequent lower-back pain

Lower-back pain is a relatively common occurrence in everyone’s life. This usually happens after placing too much weight on the lower back, or applying it too quickly. But by strengthening your core muscles, your lower back will become better suited to bear heavy weights. When you have stronger core muscles, your spine will move more freely, thus reducing the frequency of lower-back difficulties. With the help of a certified personal trainer in NYC you can add the right exercises to your workout regimen to help prevent such problems.

4. More strength

In the old days, you’d wear a weight belt in the gym, in order to do exercises such as deadlights, shoulder presses, or squats. The function of the weight belts was to support your core muscles as you did an array of exercises.

However, that was before we knew about core exercises. Through a personal training program in New York City with a personal trainer that is knowledgeable in these areas, you can add the right core exercises to your exercise program, to strengthen the original “weight belt”: core muscles. Your core muscles, such as the TVA can replace those ancient weight belts, supporting your body the natural way.

5. Your flexibility will increase

You may be thinking, “What do deep abdominal muscles have to do with flexibility?” Core exercises stabilize your lower back, which in turn can improve your body’s flexibility. That’s because your ligaments and muscles can move in their full range of motion. This improved flexibility will reduce pressure and tension in the muscles of the lower back. A personal trainer can help to choose the best core exercises to improve flexibility.

So there you have it! Core exercises should be an integral part of your exercise routine, because they give your deep abdominal muscles a workout. Personal training with a personal trainer in New York City can help to determine which exercises and how many sets would be right for your particular workout. By strengthening your stomach, you also strengthen your workout!

To learn more about our private personal trainer services in NYC and our special introductory offer and free gym membership click here.

Personal Training in New York City

Are you counting your calories? We often hear about calories regarding diets and various foods on the market. However, the counting of calories should just be the beginning. When you start a program of dieting and exercising, it’s important to track the calories properly.

Calorie Basics

Firstly, you know that dieters want to reduce their calorie intake, but what exactly is a calorie? Calories are units that you use to gauge how much energy value a food has. You can obtain calories from four sources: alcohol, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. However, you should be aware that alcohol and fats have a much higher density of calories, than carbohydrates and proteins do.

So, the Question of the Day is: how many calories do you need daily? In most cases, you need about 2,000 calories per day, though this figure can vary. However, to determine more accurately the quantity of calories you need daily, consider three factors: your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the amount of energy that you use during physical activity and exercising, and the thermic effect of food. However, you can use some basic exercise weight loss formulas to make the calculations easier:

* If you are sedentary: (weight * 14) = estimated calories per day

* If you are moderately active: (weight * 17) = estimated calories per day

* If you are very active: (weight * 20) = estimated calories per day

While “sedentary” speaks for itself, “moderately active” includes 3-4 weekly aerobic sessions, and “very active” involves 5-7 aerobic sessions weekly.

Quality and Not Just Quantity

However, when following a fitness program, it’s just as important to focus on the quality of calories that you intake, rather than just the quantity of calories. While soft drinks and junk food are high in calories they’re mostly “empty calories,” meaning that the calories contain no nutritional value. Such calories will make you feel full, but you’ll be running on empty soon.

So how should you meet your daily calorie intake? If you’re following a fitness program, it’s important that your nutritional plan includes a diet that is moderate in protein; and includes many vegetables, a low-to-moderate amount of fat, and a low amount of starchy carbohydrates. This distribution of calories will help you to burn fat while developing muscles. With the help of a personal trainer in nyc you’ll also look and feel fantastic!

Burning Fat AND Pounds

Speaking of fat, a direct correlation exists between calories and fat. When getting into shape, it’s important to focus on burning and fat and building muscle, rather than simply losing weight. A gain or loss of 3,500 calories will respectively result in a gain or loss of roughly one pound of fat. To get into shape, you’ll need to minimize your fat intake while maximizing your fat burning. For instance, devouring a bacon double-cheeseburger after performing cardiovascular exercise would be quite counterproductive.

So there you have it. When following a fitness program, calories (and other stuff) count!