How Often Should you Workout?

How often should I work out?

As a personal trainer I get this question a lot and the answer isn’t always the same. There’s no secret combination of workout days that works for everyone so the real question is “what are your goals?” If someone wants to be a marathon runner and another person wants to be a bodybuilder then the frequency of training will be different for both people.

When starting to design a program defining your goals will be the first step in deciding how often you need to be in the gym.

My expertise is in powerlifting, muscle building and fat loss so for this post I will be focusing on those three programs and what frequency of training I have found that works best.

Let’s start with powerlifting. First off I have coached multiple people to and through their first powerlifting competition and of those clients most of them were women, one was a 12 year old girl! When you think of powerlifting it would be a mistake to think it’s a “guy” sport. There are many women competing and most of them are much stronger than myself! Designing a program for powerlifting can be a bit overwhelming at first and a quick google search will prove that because there is so much content out there but I am here to help. I have looked at many different programs for powerlifting and have found some similarities that are important.

Rest days should not be overlooked.
Form and technique are of utmost importance.
Focus on the big lifts and NOT accessory work.

Rest Days – The first thing that comes to mind when I think of rest days are boxing movies like “Rocky.” You see Sylvester Stallone training non-stop. He’s in the gym and then he’s running and then he’s back in the gym and next thing you know he’s in the ring. There isn’t a scene of Rocky lying in bed or stretching… It’s all action all the time. The truth is rest is very important and needs to be built into your workout program from the beginning. When you lift weights you create microscopic tears in your muscles which need time to heal. Just like a cut or scratch you need to give it time to heal and if you keep scratching at it, it will take longer to heal. You might be in the gym four days a week but you will be training different parts of your body giving the other parts time to rest. Here’s an example of what one of my clients training week might look like:

Monday – Squat, Leg Press, Hip Extensions

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – Bench Press, Military Press, Floor Press

Thursday – REST

Friday – Dead Lift, Split Squat, Hyper Extensions

Saturday – REST

Sunday – REST

Form and Technique – Before we can go any further it’s time to “check yourself before you wreck yourself!” Proper form and technique when weight training will ensure that you can do it for many years to come. Every person is built differently so naturally everyone’s form will be different. It would be in your best interest to spend some time and even a little money to make sure your using proper form. You can hire a personal trainer to teach you or you can video tape yourself working out so you can watch the videos to see what your form looks like. A good rule to follow when lifting it to always be in control of the weight, don’t use quick jerking movements, instead control the weight with smooth reps. Also start slow, select a weight to start that you could easily lift for 12 – 15 reps and slowly increase the weight over time.

Focus on the big lifts – This is really more of a personal preference for me however I think I make some good points here. Utilizing your time in the gym is very important especially if you’re a busy adult who doesn’t have a lot of time in the first place. For this purpose I focus on three main lifts and sprinkle in supplementary lifts as needed for different goals. My three main lifts are Squat, Bench and Dead Lift. When you do the squat and dead lift you are using so many muscles that it’s more of a whole body workout. The bench press isn’t as important but for power lifting it’s one of the main lifts, plus it’s a good break between squats and dead lifts. By focusing on these three lifts you can see great results in less time. Here’s an example of how I build a program around these movements.

First I decide how many days a week I will be training. I’ll make a workout for two different weeks one for training three days and another for four days. Also you can use the same exact workout program for 4-8 weeks, it’s a myth that you need to switch your workouts up constantly to create muscle confusion. Your muscles don’t know the difference and you actually get better results if you stick with the same workout for weeks at a time.

3 Days a week:

Day 1 – Goblet Squat, Step ups, Leg Press, Planks

Day 2 – OFF

Day 3 – Bench Press, Lateral Raises, Shoulder Press, Floor Press

Day 4 – OFF

Day 5 – Dead Lift, Lat Pull-down, Stiff Leg RDL, Seated Row

Day 6 – OFF

Day 7 – OFF

4 Days a week:

Day 1 – Back Squat, Tricep DB Press, Plank

Day 2 – Shoulder Press, Split Squat, Bent Row

Day 3 – OFF

Day 4 – Bench Press, Goblet Squat, Skull Crushers

Day 5 – Dead Lift, Lateral Raises, Glute Bridges

Day 6 – OFF

Day 7 – OFF

The workouts are broken down into different days but the movements are very similar and the sets are the same. Whether I’m going 3 days a week or 4 it’s still 12 exercises total for the week. As far as supplementary exercises those can be added as needed. If I waned to add some bicep curls or cardio I can as long as it doesn’t interfere with my scheduled training. It would be safe to add in a few extra reps on day 5 because I have two days to rest after and I could do some light cardio on off days as well.

Summary – Get plenty of rest, keep an eye on your form and focus on the big lifts. The human body is amazing and should be a priority in everyone’s life. Remember to make time to rest that precious body of yours and do what you enjoy! Strength training is very important and I believe everyone should lift, however, if your passion is something else I believe you should also enjoy what you’re doing. If you hate it you’ll quit.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
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And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Top Three Supplements

The supplement industry is booming with business and is responsible for billions of dollars in revenue every year. In this episode we will discuss some of the top supplements and the thoughts behind taking them.

Protein – Protein powder is a household item and can be found in pantries, kitchens and on top of refrigerators across the nation. Protein powder is a fan favorite among workout enthusiast, gym rats, soccer moms, bodybuilders who are trying to make those massive muscle “gains” and just about anyone who has been to a GNC.

Why is protein so popular?

In 2014 protein powder sales totaled over 6 Billion dollars. Stats like this are used often so let’s take a second and break down exactly what 6 billion dollars in sales means for protein powder. The average price for a 2lb bag (30 servings) of protein is about $50. At that price you could buy 40 million pounds of protein powder and pretend you’re Scrooge McDuck and leap off a diving board to swim in a sea of potential muscles gains! Protein is one of the building blocks of muscle and has been shown in studies that increasing your protein intake while strength training can help build muscle.

Fish Oil – Fish Oil sales are on the rise and we imagine it’s because a “gym rat” was out on a hike and noticed a large grizzly bear chowing down on a freshly caught salmon, the “gym rat” then decided that if they ate the fish too they would in return see some huge gains! Spreading the findings with their friends the “gym rat” single handedly flooded the market with a need for fish oil supplements. That is one theory we are working on, the other one is that fish oil has been show in studies to be very beneficial for health reasons. Containing omega fatty acids fish oil has benefits including but not limited to being associated with healthier blood vessels, helping maintain a healthy level of triglycerides, decreasing the risk of diabetes and other benefits. Also those who currently take fish oil pills can agree that the “fish burps” are a delicious surprise throughout the day.

Multi Vitamin – Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get all of your nutrition with a simple pill? Well maybe we can’t get everything we need from a pill but multi vitamins are the next best thing and have been very popular for many years. Multi vitamins come in all shapes and sizes and there are kids out there right now getting a dose of vitamin C by biting off the head of Fred Flintstone… Poor Fred. The argument for this supplement as our number three is very simple; multi vitamins have tons of nutrients and are easy to take. However there is a new multi vitamin and it is not a pill but rather a patch, yes a patch similar to a nicotine patch that smokers wear to help wean them off of cigarettes. We imagine vegans will be using these patches soon to help wean themselves off of vegetables.

Vegan 1 says: “Would you like some broccoli?”

Vegan 2 replies: “No thanks I’m trying to quit, I’m on the patch.”

Also listen to this episode of Under Ten Fitness for a breakdown of supplements and exercise.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
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And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Full Gym Workout – Squats – Shoulder Press – Dead lift – Rows

Strength Workout

Goblet squat 3X10

Shoulder Press 3X10

DB Dead Lift 3X10

Bent Row 3X10

3X10 means 3 sets and 10 reps each set. We recommend taking a 60 second rest between sets. However you can take more or less rest as needed.

Building muscle takes time but can be one of the most beneficial things a person can do for themselves in the long run. Do you think you will ever want to go to the park with your kids? What about pick your kids up in your arms? Maybe you like to enjoy the outdoors and hiking is something you enjoy.

Daily activities require us to move in a variety of different ways and from time to time we have to pick things up and move around with them. Strength is very important and having muscle to support our bodies will only make our lives better. Studies have also show that weight baring exercises help fight osteoporosis as we get older especially in women.

This is a great simple workout that most anyone can do almost anywhere. The way this workout is put together is for functional movement. The shoulder press is good for building strength in the arms and will help with picking up boxes and lifting things over your head, like those Christmas decorations you have stored in a box in the closet. Goblet squats will help build strength in your legs so you can support your body and standing up from a seated position will always be easy. Dead lifts are good for keeping you mobile as well as strong to pick up items off the ground. And bent over rows with help strengthen your back to help keep you upright.

How to do the movements.

Goblet Squat – Hold the weight with both hands at your chest. Stand with your feet about hip width apart and squat with your feet flat on the ground until your elbows touch your legs or your legs are about parallel to the ground.

Alternating Shoulder Press – Standing with your feet about hip width apart and your body nice and tall, rest the weights just above your shoulders and alternate pressing each arm directly above your head.

DB Dead Lift – Standing with a dumbbell directly between our feet squat down to grab the weight. Standing up with the weight keep your feet flat on the ground and keep your chest upright.

Bent over DB Rows – Holding your dumbbells in each hand drive your hips back until your torso is parallel with the ground keeping your back flat and your chin tucked pull the weights toward your stomach.

For an example of the movements with and audio description please watch the video below.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
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And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Tabata Workout

Tabata Workout! For this workout you will be doing two movements for 20 seconds each back to back followed by a 20 second workout for a total of 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest. The idea behind a “Tabata” is to work more than you rest therefore not allowing your body to fully recover before working again. Doing this will maximize your time and it is a great cardio workout!

For this workout you will do 2 moves for 4 rounds and then 2 different moves for another 4 rounds.

The first 4 rounds will be Mountain Climbers followed by Flutter Kicks.

The second 4 rounds will be Seal Jack and Russian Twists.

(See below video for exercise descriptions)

Mountain Climbers – Get into a push up positions and alternate lifting eat foot toward your chest, think of marching in place.

Flutter Kicks – Lying on your back with both legs extended alternate kicking each leg, think of kick your feet while swimming.

Seal Jacks – Like a jumping jack only extend your arms in front of you and cross your legs during the jump.

Russian Twists – In a sit up position lift your legs off the ground and alternate rotating from side to side while keeping your chest up and feet off the ground.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
Instagram: undertenfitness

And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Sleep and Weight Gain – How to sleep Better

Sleep and Weight Gain – How to Sleep Better.

Sleep is so important for a healthy happy life and I feel like sleep has been the middle child for a lot of people. It’s easy to forget to find time to rest and recharge the system. When I think of sleep I imagine it as the reset button on the super Nintendo, when things freeze up and stop working properly you try a few things including slapping the game system and blowing into as hard as you can until your start seeing stars and almost pass out. When all else fails you turn the system off for a few seconds and try again. Sleep is like a hard reset, shut everything down and start fresh.

Having trouble sleeping can be the most frustrating and painful situation to be in, feeling like you’ll never feel good again mixed with mood swings and a never ending hunger can make for a roller coaster ride of emotions and shameful eating habits. There are multiple studies that have found a connection between lack of sleep and weight gain and if you have some free time you can check those out here: SLEEP STUDY. Also lack of sleep just flat out SUCKS! Anyone can agree that not sleeping and trying to function normally are two conditions that cannot exist at the same time. But how do you sleep better? Can you really justify taking time out of your busy and uber important schedule to sleep?

First and foremost you must remember you are the single most important person in your life and you must take priority, especially if you’re an important part of other people’s lives. A parent should make sure to take care of themselves first before others to ensure they can give their best to their children. This should also apply to all of us and it’s ok to take some “me” time and that includes sleeping.

Staying up and working or being busy aren’t the only reasons people aren’t sleeping there is also a problem with actually falling asleep. How many times have you laid in bed trying to sleep but just couldn’t do it! Whether you can’t get comfortable or your brain won’t stop running a million miles per hour one way or another something was determined to keep you awake.

Here are a few tips for a better night’s sleep, these might seem simple but they are very effective:

Brain Dump – If you are the type of person whose brain just won’t turn off and no matter how exhausted you are you just can’t stop thinking. Take a couple of minutes before bed (or when your brain won’t stop) and write things down. This will allow you to free your mind of your thoughts and pick up where you left off in the morning.
Relax your body – Getting comfortable might just help you fall asleep faster. Take notice to how tight and rigid your body is when you’re going to bed and loosen up a little bit. Starting with your face relax your muscles, let go of the tension in your eyes and forehead. Relax your jaw and stop grinding your teeth. Work your way down your entire body and relax all of your muscles and let your body really sink into your bed. Take note of your breathing and inhale deeply and when you exhale really allow yourself to become more and more relaxed.

Listen to this episode of Under Ten Fitness where we discuss the importance of sleep.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
Instagram: undertenfitness

And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Increase Your Metabolism

What is your metabolism? Just until recently I believed the metabolism was a body function that was working magically inside my body. I had no clue what it was or what it did. It turns out that your metabolism is actually a number of things combined and the actual word “metabolism” is used to describe a process.

The textbook definition of metabolism is: “The chemical process occurring within a living cell or organism that are necessary for life.” In other words how much energy/calories your body needs to function. This process is very complex and for a deeper explanation of how it works and what’s involved please refer to the links at the end of this article.

Your metabolism is also known as your BMR (basal metabolic rate) this is the amount of calories your body uses just to exist. Even when you’re not working out or exercising your body is still using calories to perform basic functions. All of the organs in your body are using calories and every move you make no matter how small requires energy/calories to do so, from a blink of your eye to digestion of food which happens without any thought whatsoever. All day every day we as using calories and everyone is using energy a little different.

Your metabolism isn’t some random occurrence where people who were lucky enough to be blessed with a good metabolism are skinny and others who got a slow metabolism are fat. In reality your metabolism is also combined with your lifestyle and body composition. Generally speaking someone with a fast metabolism is a more active person, they exercise regularly or move more. A person with a slow metabolism doesn’t exercise regularly and is more sedentary. Also your body composition will change your metabolism. A person who is very tall and has more muscle mass will use more calories and someone who is shorter and has less muscle mass will use less calories.

Can you change your metabolism? Yes you can! You can’t change how tall you are or how fast your organs use calories but you can exercise and lift weights which will both increase your metabolism. Exercises like running and cycling will increase your metabolism right away as you are moving your body will use calories instantly. Lifting weights will help your metabolism over time, as you increase your muscle mass you will also increase your metabolism as muscles use more calories than fat. This doesn’t mean you have to turn into a huge body builder to have a fast metabolism, but building some extra muscle will help burn those extra calories.

Finally your lifestyle is a huge factor in your metabolism. If we know that people who are more active have a faster metabolism and that is something that we want to achieve ourselves then we need to incorporate those changes into our everyday lives. Having a higher metabolism means having a more active life and better overall health. If that’s your goal then finding active hobbies such as weightlifting, hiking, running, cycling, tennis, racquetball and many other sports and activities might be something to think about to include into your life. Also at Under Ten Fitness we love the gym and have put together a free strength workout for you to help you get started or continue with your fitness needs.

SUMMARY – INCREASE YOUR METABOLISM IN TWO BASIC STEPS

Have an active lifestyle.
Build some muscle.

For a FREE 4 week muscle building program sign up for our monthly email and get yours today!

Also try a two week free trial at Under Ten Fitness for circuit workouts under ten minutes that are perfect for the busy person who wants results fast!

References –

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Metabolism.aspx

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
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And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Split Squats and Arm Raises

Great workout for the legs.

Split Squats – Stand with your feet abut a stride length apart, staying on the same leg, squat for thirty seconds and switch legs. You can do this a few times and alternate with some standard squats or sumo squats as well. The main focus is controlling the movements with smooth squats.

Front Raises – Standing straight lift your arms straight out it front of you until your arms are perpendicular with your body. Again the goal is smooth movements always staying in control. You will not need a lot of weight, 5 pounds will be a great start.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
Instagram: undertenfitness

And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Plate Squats & Planks

Strength Workout EMOM – Every Minute on the Minute.

At the beginning of every minute you will do 10-15 Plate squats then finishe out the remainder of the minute doing planks.

Plate Squat – Hold the weight straight out in front of you and squat.

Plank – On your elbows create a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles and brace your core. Remember not to let your hips droop or raise too high.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
Instagram: undertenfitness

And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

Q & A with Personal Nutritionist Anita

Anita has her masters in personal nutrition and is the owner of Fact Vs Fitness.com she is a personal trainer and enjoys working out herself! She joins the show to talk about her site and how she is helping clear up some confusion with a few fitness myths out there.

Chances are good that you’ve heard something about health and fitness that might be exactly true. It might have been some diet tip or trend or maybe it was a new workout that promised to get you ripped fast. Whatever the case may be there is a lot of content out there but it’s not always the most accurate. Anita has noticed this and that’s why she came up with the idea for her website, everything that she publishes is based on science and studies built on facts that are measurable and can be proven.

On this episode Anita talks about nutrition and how we are not all the same and different diets are better suited for different people. Anita was recently inspired by another trainer who gave the advice to eat less and move more for weight loss. While this advice isn’t the craziest idea out there, eating less and exercising more doesn’t solve every problem. Sometimes food is a huge factor and Anita describes further why people have different dietary needs and why one diet that might work for you might not work for someone else.

Also Anita talks about protein and carbohydrate combinations and how a low carb diet might not always be the answer. We see a lot of fitness pros utilizing a low carb high protein approach but is that always the way to go? Anita goes on to explain how our bodies have different genetics and different gut bacteria which also have an effect on how foods break down and are used in our system.

Contact Anita on Twitter: @factvsfitness

Website: factvsfitness.com

The body is very complex and it’s always good to ask questions and pursue knowledge. If you would like to know more or have any questions feel free to reach out and connect with us on any social media platform or email us directly.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @undertenfitness
Facebook: undertenfitness
Instagram: undertenfitness

And as always remember – Stay Motivated!

Drew Smith

WHOLE BODY STRENGTH WORKOUT 2

For this workout you will need a few dumbbells or a resistance band however, if you don’t have any weights you can do this without any weight and still get a great workout!

Three movements done for 30 seconds 5 rounds of each movement.

1st – Single arm snatch – One side at a time for 30 seconds then switch to other side.

2nd – Spider-mans – Alternating sides for 30 seconds.

3rd – Hip Extensions – As many reps as possible for 30 seconds.