Fitness & Wellness

How To Get Rid Of Back Fat

How To Get Rid Of Back Fat

Published by on January 9, 2019 | Leave a response

If you don’t want to go out in Alexandria without a heavy, loose sweatshirt that hides those bulges and dent from your bra or hate clingy fabric because it shows your folds on your back, it’s time to get rid of back fat. It’s not as easy as finding the best workout, unfortunately. It’s a much larger problem. While a targeted workout will build the muscle tissue underneath the fat, nobody will ever be able to see that tone. The fat keeps it hidden. Targeted exercises don’t work, since the body doesn’t pick and choose the location of the fat it’s going to burn. It comes off of the body from everywhere. You need to use both a healthy diet and exercise to fight back fat and get that sleek look you want.

There are exceptions to every rule.

If you’re not overweight, but don’t have any muscle tone, working out might be exactly what you need. In this case, it’s not back fat you’re seeing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with most people. Either way, exercising the back muscles should be part of your program. There are three types of back muscles, upper, mid and lower back muscles. You need to tone all three areas to get that firm look that’s so appealing. Exercises for the lower back muscles focus on erector spinae. Mid back exercises work the lattissimus dorsi, lower trapezius and rhomboids. For the upper back, work on the trapezoids and deltoids.

There’s no specific back fat diet, just healthy eating.

As mentioned previously, when you have fat on any part of your body, you have to lose it all over your body. Exercise only tightens the muscles and doesn’t address the fat that covers them. Choosing a healthy diet is the route to getting rid of the back fat. Back fat is nothing more than fat that’s accumulated at a specific area. Muffin tops come from mid and lower back accumulation while underarm bulges and the rolls around your bra come from upper and middle back fat. It may seem like back fat is the last fat you lose, it actually comes off everywhere as you shed pounds.

You need a workout that not only strengthens the back muscles but also burns fat.

Any exercise that includes pulling or pushing uses back muscles. Push ups help the deltoid muscles to get strong. A dumbbell shrug or shoulder press builds the muscle tissue. While cardio is good for burning calories, for back fat, lifting weights and strength building exercises not only build the back muscles, they burn loads of calories. You want to do both in your workout to get a sculptured appearance. Core workouts and HIIT workouts are also great for burning calories and in some cases, building back muscles.

  • Compound exercises, ones that focus on using more muscles and joints, burn more calories and build muscles fast. Isolation workouts, those that focus on a specific muscle group, give more contour.
  • Eat healthier when you’re trying to shed weight and get rid of back fat. Don’t forget that what you drink also counts. Soft drinks contain as many calories as 150 per can. While diet soda may not add pounds, it adds inches to your waistline. Water is a great alternative.
  • Any exercise that has you raising your arms or putting them behind your body helps build the back muscles.
  • Always focus on good posture. It stretches you out and up, minimizing the appearance of back fat.
Posted in
Get A Free Week Of P90X

Get A Free Week Of P90X

Published by on December 27, 2018 | Leave a response

There’s nothing better than free, especially when it’s a valuable commodity. There’s also nothing more valuable than being your fittest and healthiest. Now you can get a free week of P90X, at the WorX in Alexandria, VA. There are no strings attached, just a week of a great workout and fun. That’s right. P90X is short for Power 90 Extreme. Originally, it was meant as an at-home workout program, but let’s face it, when you work out alone it’s not only hard to stay motivated, it’s not nearly as much fun as doing it in a group. You’re more likely to stick with it and the cost is far less to try it out…free is about as inexpensive as it gets.

You’ll work hard, but never be bored.

The program is varied. It’s based on a wide selection of different types of workouts. The originator, Tony Horton calls the mixed workout, “muscle confusion” because your muscles never get to settle into a repetitive movement and you keep them working hard. It’s a circuit style training that moves you quickly from one workout to another and has parts of other fitness modes lie kickboxing, cardio, yoga and plyometrics.

There’s a wide variety of workouts focusing on different types of movements and different body areas.

While the exercises may be traditional, the manner you carry them out aren’t. If you’re working on back muscles, you might start with pushups, move quickly to rowing with dumbbells or using resistance bands. Another reason it’s better to do the workout with us is that even though you can spend quite a bit to order it, when you need equipment, it doesn’t come with the course, so you have to invest even more. We supply all the equipment you need.

You get more from a workout when you vary it frequently.

Studies show that varying your routine often helps build muscles faster and prevents plateauing. Plateauing occurs when the muscles become adept at doing a specific move, due to repetition. As it becomes more efficient, you’ll burn fewer calories. That’s why you only do routines for three weeks and switch to a new workout program on the fourth. After three weeks of that, you switch to another, then four weeks later back to the first.

  • P90X isn’t for the faint-hearted or anyone that wants to glide through their workout without breaking a sweat. It’s tough!
  • You can’t out-exercise a bad diet, so there’s nutritional advice ready if you need it.
  • When you workout at The WorX, you get the advantage of an accountability program that helps you clarify your goals and stick with it.
  • You’ll love the changes you see in such a short time and be ready to take up the challenge and go for more. It’s a perfect example of how much fun getting fit can be when you’re working with others who have similar goals.
Posted in
Get An Accountability Partner

Get An Accountability Partner

Published by on December 11, 2018 | Leave a response

What is an accountability partner? In fitness, it’s someone you workout with that holds you accountable for your workout. It’s not that you make them your boss or your guardian, it’s just the courtesy you extend to a friend. If you know you’re meeting someone at the gym, you’ll be more likely to go. They’re also accountable to you for the same reason. There are huge benefits from working out with another person, besides the fact that you’ll be more accountable to go to the workout.

Personal trainers act as accountability partners.

You make an appointment with a trainer, just as you do with other professionals, and you’re more apt to go to that appointment than you would if you were simply going to the gym. Besides the fact that the trainer has a great deal of knowledge that helps you get fit faster and creates the right workout for you, it’s one of the reasons people are more successful when they use a personal trainer. He or she is that person’s accountability partner. Yours could be a friend or a family member. You could also have more than one. If you’re going to group training, find a friend to go with you, then you’ll have both the trainer and the friend.

You can have fun with an accountability partner and still get a good workout.

If you’re the competitive type, you might find yourself working harder or pushing further just to get one up on your partner. It’s healthy, friendly competition that will drive both of you. If you’re not competitive, you might find that commiserating together over tough workouts or cheer each other onto to a successful completion.

An accountability partner can provide more safety and some good insight into a workout.

You can’t be perfect at everything, that’s why four eyes and ears are better than two and two heads are better than one. If you’re working with an accountability partner, he or she can often fill in the gaps on anything you missed while watching a workout or learning a routine. You do the same for them. They also provide more safety for sports like weight lifting or a safety net when running early in the morning or at dusk.

  • You’ll be more likely to push harder and accomplish goals when you have an accountability partner. People tend to do more when they know someone is watching.
  • Not only does an accountability partner provide an appointment for a workout, they make a workout more fun. Time goes more quickly and you barely notice how hard you’re working, so you tend to work longer.
  • If you’re working out at a gym on your own, an accountability partner can provide interesting input on exercises they’ve tried, for more variety.
  • Working with an accountability partner makes you more adventurous. You tend to try new types of workouts and alternative methods of exercise.
Posted in
Why Is Leg Day So Exhausting

Why Is Leg Day So Exhausting

Published by on November 22, 2018 | Leave a response

Whether you live in Alexandria, VA or any other part of the country, having a specific leg day can be exhausting, especially if you work those legs hard, to the point of failure. There’s a reason for that. The legs involve large muscle groups, particularly if you compare them to the arm, which often gets the same attention and often its own day. You won’t feel nearly as tired if you’ve worked a smaller group of muscles. It just makes sense.

Consider functional fitness workouts rather than isolating specific body parts and working only those on specific days.

Functional fitness works the whole body, not just one area, like the legs. While you’ll still get tired, you won’t be as tired as if you’ve worked that large group of muscles to exhaustion. You’ll also get more bang for your exercise time by doing full body workouts and are likely to see better gains and more energy after each workout. People often use leg day to do high-intensity, concentrated strength training that can cause the ultimate in soreness where even getting out of bed, off the toilet or down the stairs causes misery. That’s not a benefit.

Isolating muscle groups like the legs may not improve your overall fitness.

Sure, you want to address problems like muscle balance or inadequate development of large muscle groups causing smaller ones to do the job, but stressing just one body part isn’t necessary if the goal is to be fit. Cardio days provide both cardiovascular improvement and often involve building the muscle strength in the legs. Strength building days also work on the entire body. HIIT and kickboxing give overall strength building and helps all the muscles and joints of the body to work in synergy.

If you’re under stress, you’ll get tired.

Stress comes in many forms and the brain never differentiates. It can come in the form of an attack or an angry boss screaming. Both of these elicit the fight or flight response that prepares your body for either. If you’re focusing on your legs and working them too hard, because these are large muscles, it can bring on stress. That’s one reason overtraining can be so harmful. Following a program of total body training that works you hard, but doesn’t focus on just one area, can bring better results and leave you feeling great instead of exhausted.

  • Even though you may break up your days with one day for heavy chest and back work, one day for heavy ab workouts and one day for heavy leg work, you’re stressing your body every day. That will stress you and leave you tired, which is a symptom of overtraining.
  • While some aches and pains are expected, working too hard can set you back. There’s a difference between a “good” sore and one where you can’t walk. If you’re experiencing the second, you need to adjust your workout.
  • Leg workouts should be part of your overall fitness program, but combined with other types of exercise, too. It allows the muscle tissue to build without stressing the area too much at once.
  • There are other ways to exercise your legs that aren’t as dreaded or tiring. An overall strength day will exhaust you less, be as good and keep you coming back to the gym rather than avoiding it.
Posted in
Is It Better To Workout In The Morning

Is It Better To Workout In The Morning

Published by on November 8, 2018 | Leave a response

You often read how a workout in the morning is exceptionally good and how it sets the day with more energy to spare. However, if you look at our scheduling, you’ll notice we have sessions in the morning, in the afternoon and early evening. There’s a reason for that. Not everyone is the same. Not only do people have different schedules, their bodies have different schedules, too. Some people are at their prime in the morning and others can barely ask for coffee, let alone think about a workout.

You make the difference!

If you’re an early bird, then getting the workout out of the way and moving on to your next task can make an early morning workout perfect. You get it done and never have to worry about the occurrences through the day that can interrupt your plans for the gym. It can also boost your energy and set your day off right. However, for those night owls, that old song, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” could be changed to “Waking Up Is Hard to Do.” You’ll be more apt to skip your workout and spend a few more minutes in bed, plus your body may not be ready to take on the hard work, like it might be later in the day.

Some studies show that people who workout in the morning tend to be more consistent.

That’s easy to understand. Morning people tend to have their own inner clock that wakes them when the sun rises. There’s really nothing else going on at that time either, unless the farm report on TV is of particular interest. Working out later may have it’s drawbacks, like scheduling problems and other diversion pulling you away from the workout, but it also lets you blow off steam from all the garbage you faced throughout the day and the stressors.

Morning workouts are a benefit if you’re trying to shed weight.

here’s a lot of scientific studies, like the 2012 BYU study, that showed early morning exercises lost weight faster than those that didn’t. One reason was that it gave a jumpstart to metabolism that helped burn calories throughout the day. You exercise after fasting all night, which also helps, exercising while fasting burns fat stores, rather than the calories from food.

  • If you workout later in the day, you don’t have to do as much warming up. Your body is 20 percent more flexible as it is the first thing in the morning.
  • Studies show that people who worked out later in the day often had a more intense workout and worked harder. Lungs are at peak efficiency later in the day and protein synthesis peaks. Endurance is better, too.
  • Evening workouts can raise the body temperature and interfere with sound sleep. Weight lifting proved different when it came to evening workouts. It actually improved the quality of sleep better than people who lifted in the morning.
  • No matter what time you work out, doing it is important. If you’re simply not a morning person and will probably miss sessions because of it, workout in the afternoon or evening.
Posted in
Is Warming Up Really Necessary

Is Warming Up Really Necessary

Published by on October 24, 2018 | Leave a response

You may have questioned whether warming up was really necessary and never pursued the answer, but it’s one that most trainers get asked frequently. Once you understand the role that the warm up plays in your workout, you’ll agree that it’s really important and while you may still hate doing it, won’t neglect it when you’re starting your routine. Just as important as warming up is the cool down phase. Another addition to a workout that people often feel is useless, but is extremely important.

Why warm up?

Warming up for maximum exertion is extremely important if you want to get the most benefit from the workout and avoid injury. A good warm up will let you get the most out of your workout and leave you feeling satisfied and like you did a great job with the most benefit. There’s a reason it’s called a warm up. It raises the core temperature of the body. It also increases your heart rate and sends blood flowing to every muscle in the body, alerting the nervous system to prepare the brain for stress.

You need the increased temperature to get the maximum benefit from the exercise.

As the blood surges into the muscles, the increased core temperature warms the blood and increases their temperature, too. That prepares them for the tough workout ahead. The warmer temperature increases the effectiveness of the shortening and lengthening process muscles undergo in a workout. If they’re not warm or functioning at their best, it increases the potential for injury from muscle tears and pulls.

Dynamic stretching is the best possible warm-up.

It’s not just warming up, but the type of warming up you do that counts, too. If you’re standing in place, touching your toes and holding for ten seconds, you’re doing static stretching. That’s not the best type of warm-up. Dynamic stretching keeps you moving while you’re stretching, which helps circulation and increases the core temperature faster. It’s a more active form of warming up that boosts blood flow and gets the brain and body ready to work. Static stretching actually tends to relax muscles and reduce blood flow, so they’re far better as a cool down exercise.

  • For dynamic stretches, think jumping rope, agility drills and jogging. For static stretches, think touching your toes and holding, side bends and hamstring stretches.
  • Dynamic stretches used as a warm up increase your range of motion and make you not only feel more limber, but actually be more limber.
  • Studies show dynamic warm ups can actually help athletes perform better. Studies compared performance after no warm up, static stretching and dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching improved performance.
  • Dynamic stretching warm ups tend to activate more muscles, since you’re moving as you’re stretching. That prepares your entire body better for the workout ahead.
Posted in
Can Working Out Improve Posture

Can Working Out Improve Posture

Published by on October 11, 2018 | Leave a response

There are many different ways to look thinner, without actually losing weight. One is by wearing concealing clothing. When you stand taller, it pulls everything in and that also makes you look almost instantly thin. Unfortunately, it’s hard to maintain if you’re out of shape. In order to get the benefit of that great look, working out can help improve posture and let you maintain it throughout the day. It’s one of the reasons many of the exercises I use with clients in Alexandria, VA are core exercises.

When your core muscles are weak, your posture suffers.

Not only is it hard to pull your tummy in for very long when core muscles are weak, but you also won’t walk as tall. The core muscles consist of lower back and abdominal muscles, plus the buttocks and thighs. The lower back and abdominals help keep the spine erect and the thighs and glutes help align the hips. There are many different ways to build core muscle strength from kettlebells to resistance exercises. Working on overall body strength improves posture tremendously.

Back, neck and shoulder exercises help keep your head held high.

An adult head weighs about ten to eleven pounds, but you don’t notice the weight when it’s balanced properly in line with the neck and upper back muscles. If you move your head forward just one inch, the increased pressure is like adding ten more pounds. Move it forward two and you have twenty pounds. Lean forward like you’re reading a text, approximately three inches and now that ten pound head exerts the pressure of a 40 pound weight. That’s as much as a four year old weighs and is inviting back, neck and headaches! Diligent attention to back, shoulder and neck exercises can help. Of course, avoiding the awkward position when texting does too.

Doing stretching exercises can improve your posture throughout the day.

You don’t have to wait to do exercises until its time to go to the gym. You can work on your posture throughout the day. Make it a conscious effort to sit up straight with your shoulders back. Periodically throughout the day do stretching exercises to relieve muscle stiffness. Stand up, roll your shoulders, stretch your arms in the air. Do shoulder blade rolls and back rounds to get the kinks out and move those stiff muscles.

  • Improved posture does more than make you look thinner and more confident, it helps reduce the risk of injury by reducing muscle and ligament stress.
  • When you have good posture, it helps reduce the effort to walk, sit and move. You’ll move more efficiently and that means, you’ll use less energy and won’t tire as rapidly.
  • Learning how good posture feels is as important as exercising to achieve it. Once you know how you should feel when your body is aligned, it’s easier to ensure you’re in that position.
  • Poor posture can also affect your digestive tract. It can lead to acid reflux, compress the abdomen creating gas and constipation.
Posted in
Should You Workout When You Have A Cold

Should You Workout When You Have A Cold

Published by on September 24, 2018 | Leave a response

Cold season comes to every area of the country at one time or another, even to Alexandria, VA. Knowing whether you should workout when you have a cold will prepare you for the inevitable. There really isn’t one right answer, but many different answers, because, let’s face it, every situation is different. First, think of others. You’re contagious with a cold from a few days before symptoms until the symptoms disappear. If you go to a gym, you could be infecting others, so be kind and workout at home instead.

Take note of whether your symptoms are just in located in your head.

No, that doesn’t mean that the symptoms are imaginary and all in your head. It means if you have a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion or a slight maybe a slight sore throat from drainage, it’s okay to exercise. The intensity of the exercise you do makes a difference, too. Don’t go aggressive and try to break your speed record running. Instead, go for a walk.

Is there something going on below your neck?

A bad sore throat might be one of the symptoms that keep you from doing your workout, but there are others and they all take place below the neck. Chest congestion and a bad cough make it hard to breathe, so your workout will be miserable at best and harmful at worst. Is your stomach upset? It could be a sign that your cold has gone to the next level into something more severe. Stay at home and get some rest.

There are some sure signs you need bedrest and maybe even a visit to the doctor.

If you’re running a fever, you have more than a common cold. Do you have chills, fatigue and achy muscles, check with your health care specialist and get rest. The illness is more than just a common cold. Your workout will be miserable if you attempt to workout. Remember that if you do workout, you risk the potential of making your illness even worse and putting yourself at risk of getting sicker. That could interfere with workouts even longer.

  • Some people want to work through their illness and if that’s you, just take it easy on yourself and workout with less intensity. Cut your workout short or break it up to several smaller sessions.
  • Beware of working out if you’re taking cold medication. Some cold medications, like decongestants, speed up your heart rate. When you workout, your heart rate also increases. That can lead quickly to shortness of breath.
  • Listen to your body. You know when you feel too miserable to workout and take heed. If you’re unsure, try walking a bit. If you start to feel better, then exercising is the right thing to do.
  • A strenuous workout triggers a stress response, which can lower your immune system. If you find you’re getting more colds than normal, look at your workout. Do you allow yourself a day off for recovery after a tough workout? If not, you may be adding to the problem.
Posted in
Is It Really Possible To Get A Flat Stomach?

Is It Really Possible To Get A Flat Stomach?

Published by on September 10, 2018 | Leave a response

A six-pack, great abs, a flat tummy are all the same and something almost everyone envies. After all, it’s easy to bulge out your belly, but no matter how hard you try, if you’re not in shape, no matter how hard you suck in your tummy, you’ll never get a flat stomach. It’s not magic and there’s no quick fix. Achieving a flat stomach takes work and dedication.

There’s no such thing as spot reducing.

If you could really exercise away only certain troubled areas, everyone would have the body they want with minimum effort. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. If you have excess pounds in the form of fat, then you have to lose it. No matter what you do, you can’t dictate exactly where those pounds are going to be lost. In fact, your body dictates that. Most of the excess weight will be lost evenly on your body, but there are some pesky pounds that are reluctant to leave called visceral fat. Where is it located? You guessed it! Right around the middle.

Visceral fat is the most dangerous type of fat.

Visceral fat lands in the belly area and hangs on for dear life despite your efforts to rid yourself of it. It crowds the organs and makes you more susceptible to serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes. There’s good news on the horizon, however. You can get rid of it, it’s a wee bit tougher than normal fat. When you’re working on weight loss, cut out sugar and sugary drinks like cola that add to the problem. Even diet cola can be an offender. Eat more protein, cut the carbs (like bread and pasta–stick with veggies and fruit) and get plenty of fiber (that’s where veggies and fruit fit in).

Bring out the big guns and start an exercise program.

You need to replace fat with lean muscle tissue. While you’re working on a healthy eating plan, you can start a program of exercise. Do all types of exercises, including strength-training, endurance training, flexibility exercises and exercises that improve balance. As you build muscle tissue throughout your body, you’ll be burning more calories, since muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does.

  • Remember, even if you build the most powerful abs in the world, if they’re covered with a layer of fat, nobody will know.
  • While cardio is an effective way to burn fat, weight training works extremely well and the muscles you build help you lose even more weight. Don’t worry that you’ll bulk up if you’re a woman. Mother Nature prevents that by providing hormones that won’t let you do it. You’ll just look toned.
  • When you’re not working out in the gym, try going for a bike ride. Riding a bike can help get your muscles get in shape and the abs stabilize you while riding, so they’ll get a workout too.
  • Don’t expect overnight miracles. It may take months before you see a change, depending on how much weight you have to lose. It will be worth it when you do.
Posted in
What To Do When You're Too Tired To Workout

What To Do When You’re Too Tired To Workout

Published by on August 24, 2018 | Leave a response

It’s easy to find yourself too tired to workout. After a tough day at work, just thinking about spending 45 minutes to an hour at the gym can be overwhelming. In fact, thinking about the effort to go there and just changing your clothes without being able collapse on the couch immediately following the change can make you wince. There are ways to combat this or even find alternative routes if you plan ahead. No matter how much pep you have in your step right now, you know that one day you’ll be too pooped to pop, so have a plan of action ready.

Combat fatigue with water or a healthy snack.

Your first thought may be a cup of coffee when you’re absolutely out of steam, but reconsider. Actually, water is often the quicker picker upper that I turn to when I’m tired. Dehydration can take its toll and you won’t even know it. Try drinking an ice cold bottle of water and see if you have a bit more energy. Follow it up with a healthy snack to boost your energy level. If that doesn’t work, try the next approach.

Tell yourself you only have to workout for a short time.

You don’t have to get a full workout, go for ten to fifteen minutes, but go. If after that first ten minutes, you start to feel more alive and awake, extend the time. Give yourself permission to leave if you just aren’t feeling it after the initial time. You really may be physically exhausted and need the rest. Go home, get some sleep and workout the next day instead.

Have a shorter five minute version of the workout that you can do anywhere.

I can’t take credit for this one. Reading an article about a workout called the nitric oxide dump by Zach Bush, MD, got me thinking about it. His four minute workout is simple. It’s doing three sets of four exercises for 10 to 20 repetitions each. The exercises are deep knee bends, tin soldier (alternating 90 degree raises of each arm), snow angel (It’s arm only version of the jumping jack) and the military press (a pull up without the bar–arm movement only). These four exercises are done a minimum of three times a day, at least two hours apart. While I like his version, find your own. Create a mini workout you can do throughout the day to keep stress at bay and keep you going. If you’re too tired to go to the gym, at least you have some exercise in that day.

  • Know yourself. If you’re consistently exhausted after work, exercise before work. Skipping one day because you REALLY don’t have the energy is one thing, but never let it be more than once in a while. If it is, rethink your exercise time.
  • Practice deep breathing. When you’re exhausted, deep breathing can often help you regenerate and boost your energy level.
  • Move more during the day. If you’re at a desk job, get up at least once an hour and walk around. Not only is that healthier, it also aids in keeping your energy level higher.
  • Check your sleep schedule. The problem may really be with the amount of sleep you’re getting. Make sure you have adequate ZZZs to get you through the day.
Posted in