FIT 1 BLOG

MAYBE!!!

Physical imbalances lead to poor posture. Poor posture leads to injury, soreness, and pain. When poor posture makes its way into the workplace, it’s time to put away the aspirin and take control of your pain. These kinds of conditions don’t just ‘happen’ overnight. In fact it could take years before you even realize that what you have is a work related injury. Sure, sitting at your computer, participating in meetings, or even talking on the phone doesn’t seem  that physical but over time, it can really take a toll. These activities, although not strenuous… ,can be the cause of tight chest muscles. When your chest is tight your shoulders have a tendency to round forward and your  rear deltoids[back of your shoulders] to weaken causing you to slouch. This combination puts a ton of stress on your neck and shoulders causing chronic aches and pains. Add a protruding neck to the  mix and you end up looking like Quasimoto at the water cooler!!

Since Notre Dame already has a hunchback let’s look at a simple way to take the pressure off your neck and improve your posture. Basically, stretch your chest and strengthen your shoulders[rear  deltoids].

AT THE GYM

Chest Flyes

To maximize the ’stretch’ opt for  a Bosu ball when performing chest flyes. Use lighter weight than you usually would and allow the backs of your arms to touch the ball during the stretch portion of the lift. Then, keeping your elbows slightly bent[like you are hugging a beach ball], bring the weights together. Take  the stress off your shoulders by keeping the dumbells in line with your chest, keep the movement constant and smooth, remember you are stretching out those tight muscles more than you normally would so keep the weight light and the movement very controlled.

Super set this exercise with reverse flyes to tighten and strengthen rear deltoids.

Reverse Flyes

Sit up on the ball and bend forward until your chest rests on your thighs. Tighten your abs and keeping your elbows slightly bent[hugging that beach ball],raise your arms to just shoulder height.

Do 15 reps of each exercise then rest……or….challenge yourself  and while your arms are resting, take the opportunity to bust out a set of  ab crunches on the ball!!

BRING IT TO WORK!!

Although you may not be so fortunate to have a gym at work, that doesn’t mean you can’t supplement your training at the office.

Here is a simple wall stretch to open up your chest during your work day.

Stand in a door frame and with elbow at 90 degrees take a step forward with inside leg. Keep your hips and chest in line. You will feel a gentle stretch through the chest,hold for  20 seconds then repeat on the other side.

Next, simulate the rear delts work out with no weight. In fact , a static contraction can be as effective as resistance training. So in your chair ,bend over, lay your chest on your thighs, engage abs and raise your arms to shoulder height. At the top hold for a count of 8 then release. Repeat 10 times.

BE PROACTIVE!!!

This only takes 5 minutes…..5 minutes to help yourself! That’s HALF the time most of  us spend whining about our headaches!!

Replace your desk chair with a Bosu Ball. The ball forces you to sit up tall and because you are on an unstable surface all of those core muscles have to work hard to keep your balance. That’s why slouching is not an option when sitting on a ball….unless of course you want to LAUNCH yourself out the office window!!

Ahhhhhh Fall…golden leaves, fresh mornings, Halloween, pumpkins…PUMPKIN SEEDS?!

YES pumpkin seeds!!! Truly one of fall’s gifts!!

Rich in nutrients, the list of health benefits for this ’super food’ is looooong. Components[ including zinc] in pumpkin seed oil appear to stave off the onset of prostate cancer. In addition, pumpkin seeds also help to reduce inflammation due to arthritis, and are known to be a great source of minerals such as magnesium, manganese, and phosphorous.

Yes it’s true…they are high in fat, GOOD FATS!! And ,as we all know, essential fats don’t make you fat. In fact they help to REDUCE bad cholesterol in the blood! So……….

DON’T TOSS ‘EM…..TOAST ‘EM!!!

Tamari Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

You will need

fresh pumpkin seeds

Tamari soy sauce

cooking spray

Rinse pumpkin seeds well removing all pumpkin pulp. Spread out on a cookie sheet and let dry over night.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray pumpkin seeds with cooking spray and toss with a little tamari sauce.

Bake in oven tossing every 15 mins until golden .[about 1 hr]

Sooooo tasty, and soooo good for you!!! WHO KNEW?!!

Achieving shapely arms is as much about brain as it is braun. Strategic arm training will prove to be a more effective approach than grunting your way through another maximum load training session!

Let’s start with biceps.Bi means two. That means there are two muscles that make up the biceps. Working both of them will mean a nice strong rounded muscle belly. Biceps brachii and brachialis run from the shoulder to the elbow in the front of the upper arm and are responsible for elbow flexion. Brachii is  the muscle that rotates your arm and gives you the ball-like head while the brachialis is the larger of the two.

Shapely biceps are sexy,but it’s actually your triceps that make up about 2/3 the size of your arm! That said, I don’t need to tell you how important it is for balance,function,and appearance to have them in good condition!

They are called triceps because there is three muscles[together simply called  triceps brachii]each from a different origin joining together at the elbow and are responsible for extension. Because there is three it makes sense that they would be the larger of the arm muscles.

Men AND women train triceps for the same reason….SLEEVELESS SHIRTS!! Everyone wants to feel confident in a tee-shirt or tank top! You needn’t have the genetics of an Adonis. All you need is to be a little more specific with your training.

TRAINING ARMS

I would LOVE to take credit for this…but..alas, I cannot. In fact I read it so long ago I can’t remember from where! What I do know is ,IT WORKS!!

Basically start with a weight you can lift 6-8 times. Then right away[no rest] do the same exercise with half the weight and lift it 15-20 times. Rest for 45 seconds and repeat 4 times. For example:

Biceps curls with dumbells

lift 30lbs 6-8 reps [no rest] lift 15lbs 15-20 reps. Rest 45secs and repeat 4times

Apply this same technique for triceps.

Cable Triceps pull downs

pull 60lbs 6-8 reps[no rest] pull 30lbs 15-20 reps. Rest 45 secs repeat 4 times.

During your 45 secs rest it is a good idea to stretch.

 Biceps stretch

Triceps stretch

Biceps brachii is the ‘peak’ on your biceps muscle.It is also responsible for rotating your arm. Give the brachii a little more love and attention by turning your pinkies inward at the top of  the bicep curl!

SPECIFIC TARGET=BETTER RESULTS

Did you know that consuming enough calcium in your diet will actually stifle the desire to eat more?

It’s  true!! When your calcium intake is too low your brain tries to rectify this and turns on the hunger switch! So keep the switch off and add a little more calcium to your nutrition.

Dairy is the easiest way to do this.However, if dairy doesn’t work for you ,there are some very good calcium supplements on the market. You can find calcium supplements at almost any pharmacy,but I would suggest taking a look at the supplement section in your local health food store.

Since CALCIUM is the buzz word,I would like to show you a really easy way to get more of this essential nutrient. Rich in  calcium and protein, cottage cheese is a really great  healthy snack option. Choose the lower fat versions to keep your waistline in check. Sometimes fat free foods can really lack flavour so to keep it tasty mix no fat cottage with 2% cottage cheese.

Cottage Cheese Snack Salad

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 ripe tomato

diced cucumber

diced carrot

black pepper to taste

chop and mix….doesn’t get much easier than that!