Personal Trainer

Everyone wants great looking arms; therefore, personal trainers are always looking for the best exercises for themselves and their clients. Click on the image below to watch our video on bicep exercises. Or keep reading to learn more about working out your biceps.

Standing Barbell Curls

One of the most popular exercises used by personal trainers is the barbell curl. Barbell curls are used for overall conditioning of your upper arms. The most important thing is to use proper form so you won't get too much help from your swinging hips. If you have a PFTA personal trainer, then your trainer will show you how to get a few more cheat curls.

Dumbbell Curls

One of the most under-rated personal training tools are the dumbbells. I like using dumbbells for bicep curls because you will get a better range of motion than using barbell curls. The key to a better range of motion is making sure you are turning your dumbbells as you lift them. Contact a PFTA personal trainer or instructor if you have more questions on dumbbell curls.

Inclined Dumbbell Curls

But the best bicep exercise has to be inclined dumbbell curls. Once again, the key is the best range of motion possible on your bicep exercises. Since the bicep is also responsible for shoulder flexion, using inclined dumbbell curls will ensure your biceps are performing shoulder flexion, elbow flexion, and forearm supination. This means your biceps is going through all the joint actions and a complete range of motion with each rep.

Summary

There is a lot to learn when you are obtaining your personal trainer certification. Bicep exercises are an example of how you use your training to make sure you are hitting all the muscles, all the joint actions, and utilizing a broad range of motion. I would definitely recommend at least these 3 exercises to start getting your arms in better shape! For more exercise tips, check out our other helpful class videos. And if you have more questions on how to become a personal trainer or on obtaining a personal trainer certification, please CONTACT US. Happy health and happy training!!

Need to change up your workout routine? We recommend utilizing the Bosu Ball in your next workout. Click the image below to watch our favorite Bosu Ball exercises:

Exercises

In the video, we go over 7 of our favorite exercises. For you benefit, we have also listed them below:

• Push-ups
• Squats
• Crunches
• Burpees
• Lunges
• Mountain climbers
• Planks

Let us know which ones are your favorites. And if you have questions on Bosu exercises, contact a PFTA Certified Personal Trainer. We'd be happy to help you out!

The trap muscle is a large, diamond shaped muscle on your upper back. The trap muscle, also known as the trapezius, performs several different joint actions. Since this large muscle performs several joint actions, we are going to cover several exercises to make sure you hit the entire diamond. Click on the image below to watch the video. Or keep reading to learn more about working out your big trap muscle.

Upper Traps

The upper traps are responsible to two joint action movements: scapular elevation and scapular upward rotation. One of the exercises you can do for scapular elevation is shrugs. You can use barbells, dumbbells, or even a specialty item called a trap bar. The second movement is scapular upward rotation. There are several exercises you can perform to accomplish this movement. The exercise with the greatest range of motion is shoulder press. You can perform shoulder presses with barbells or dumbbells. Another exercise for upper traps is upright row.

Middle Traps

The next section of the trap we'll be discussing is the mid traps. Since those muscle fiber run horizontally, then the movements should be horizontal. For example, reverse pec deck is a great exercise to work your mid traps. Having your upper arms perpendicular to your torso and squeezing your shoulder blades together by moving your arms back is perfect! Another exercise that squeezes your shoulder blades together is dumbbell bent laterals. And a third alternative is TRX high rows. All these movements are great exercises for your real delts and your mid traps.

Lower Traps

The last section we will be talking about is the lower traps. The lower traps get a lot of work when you do pulldown exercises. Alternatively, you an also push down on a triceps machine or a assisted pull up machine. We show you these exercises in the video above. With just a few exercises, you will be able to exercise every single fiber of one of the largest muscles in your body, the trapezius muscle.

Summary

The trapezius muscle is one of the biggest muscles and one of the most important muscles in your body. The traps can really help you maintain or improve your posture. A strong trapezius muscle may also prevent low back pain. Along with working out all three sections of the trapezius muscle, make sure you also stretch and maybe get a back massage every once in a while too. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

Getting your first pull up is a great exercise goal! In this article, we help you (or your clients) get your first pull up. Getting a strong back and losing a few pounds also makes it much easier to get your first pull up. We are going to go over 3 exercises that will get you a strong back and get you one step closer to your first pull up. Click the image below to watch our video version:

Exercises in the Video:

In order to get your first pull up, first you need to get a strong back. In the video we show you 3 big time exercises you can do to get a strong back and get your ready for your first pull up. The first exercise we are going to talk about, and probably the most effective, is the...

Negative Pull Ups

If you're able to jump up to a pull up bar, then this exercise is the best option to get you ready for your first pull up. You can also get some help from a personal trainer or a friend. Basically, you need help starting from the top. Then, without help, you need to lower yourself. This exercise will make your back stronger and get your arms ready to support your body weight. If you can't perform negative pull ups, then the next best thing is the assisted pull up machine.

Assisted Pull Up Machine

If you have a gym membership, then you've probably seen the assisted pull up machine somewhere on the gym floor. It's pretty easy to get started. Put your knees on the pad and pick a weight that helps you complete 5 pull ups. In order to get stronger, you should keep the reps below 10; I like 5 pull ups for a stronger back. And remember, those 5 pull ups should be challenging. If #5 is pretty easy, then you're not doing your back much good. And if you don't have access to an assisted pull up machine, then surely your gym has a lat pulldown machine.

Lat Pulldowns

Most gyms, if not all gyms, have the cable lat pulldown machine. Lean your torso slightly back to activate more lats and less chest. Pull your elbows straight down. Try to avoid internally rotating your shoulders. Like the assisted pull ups above, it's best to pick a weight that will challenge your muscles for 5 reps. If you need help with this exercise, or any others, it's best to contact a PFTA certified personal trainer.

Summary

If you've never done a pull up, or if it's been too long since you completed a pull up, then training for a pull up is a great exercise goal. Losing a few pounds plus executing the exercises above to get a stronger back will help you achieve your one pull up goal. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

Many athletes love the seated row; BUT, do you know how to set up the exercise(s) to activate 5 or more muscles? Watch the video to watch how our personal trainers use the seated row to recruit 5 major muscles and many assistor muscles. Click the image or keep reading to learn more:

Low Rows

This is where you show off your power. Most athletes can go heavy on this exercise because you are working your big lat muscles plus your teres major. Keep your torso practically motionless while you pull your elbows down and back. The joint action for the seated row is shoulder flexion. For big, strong muscles, your goal should be 3 sets of 10 reps. Remember, it is important that rep #10 is challenging. If rep #10 is too easy, it's time to increase the resistance. If you don't have a seated row machine, there are several options. Substitutions could be the 1-arm dumbbell row, bent barbell row, TRX rows, and many others.

High Rows

You may not be able to pull as much weight with the high rows as you do with the low rows but it's still as important as the low rows. The muscles recruited during the high row include the mid traps, the rhomboids, and the posterior deltoid. These 3 muscles are important in maintaining good posture and preventing a rounded back. For more information on correcting a rounded back, see the class example below. Your form is important to make sure you are recruiting the mid back muscles and not the lats and teres major again. Keep your elbows high while you try to pull your elbows back. You should feel a squeeze between your shoulder blades. If you need help with this exercise, contact a PFTA Certified Personal Trainer for assistance. Just like the exercise above, your goal here should also be 3 sets of 10 reps for a strong back and a good posture.

Your Routine

It's easy to see why you need a strong, healthy back. Most people like working chest muscles but forget to work their back muscles properly. A strong chest is important but more importantly is a strong, balanced body. You can attain muscular balance by working opposing muscles like your chest muscles and your back muscles. Therefore, including these two exercises only makes sense in achieving perfect muscular balance. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

Rounded shoulders, also known as upper cross syndrome, is normally caused by sitting at a computer desk all day. Rounded shoulders can also be caused by working out your chest muscles but neglecting your back muscles. But with these 3 easy steps, you can start correcting rounded shoulders today. Click the image to watch the video on correcting rounded shoulders. Or keep reading to learn more about stretching, exercise, and muscular balance.

Step 1

As your mom told you many times, the first thing you need to do is sit up straight. Practicing good posture will ensure you are keeping your muscles strong and flexible. Don't slouch. Slouching will start to tighten your pec muscles and weaken your back muscles. Slouching will also give you another problem called forward head. Therefore, sit up straight and get up from your desk every hour for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 2

The next step to correcting rounded shoulders involves strengthening your back, more specifically, your mid back. The muscles in your mid back include the mid traps and your rhomboids. These two muscles, and a few others, are responsible for keeping your shoulders back in a perfect posture. The seated row video above will show you how to strengthen your mid back with a high row. Two other great exercises for strengthening your mid back are dumbbell bent laterals and reverse pec deck. Strengthening your mid back will pull your shoulders back which will start to correct your rounded shoulders. If you have questions on these exercises, make sure you contact a PFTA certified personal trainer.

Step 3

The third step, but just as important, is stretching your chest muscles. Sitting in a slouched position trains your chest muscles to become short and tight. Therefore, you need to perform chest stretches as much as possible. The best chest stretch begins with placing your arm on a stationary object and twisting your torso so you feel a good stretch along your pectoralis major and anterior deltoid. The image above shows a good example of a good pec stretch.

Summary

Following these three steps will assure that your rounded back will slowly but surely turn into a perfect posture sooner rather than later. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

Muscular balance is important. You don't want to cause any injuries by creating bad habits at the gym. That's why it is very important when picking out your exercises at the gym. When you think about about planning your shoulder exercises, there are three muscles and several exercises that you should include every week. Click the image below to watch video on shoulder exercises for all 3 deltoids, or, keep reading to learn more about picking out the correct exercises for muscular balance.

Anterior Deltoid

The first muscle we'll discuss is the anterior deltoid. The anterior deltoid is the front part of your shoulder muscle. You usually exercise the anterior deltoid when you exercise your chest muscles; for example, the anterior deltoid is an assistor to your chest muscles during bench press. But, if you really want to target your anterior deltoids, try using dumbbell front raises. This exercise is a great way to isolate the anterior deltoid from the other deltoid muscles. In fact, dumbbell front raises right after a good set of bench press would be a great workout routine. For more information on setting up workout routines, contact a PFTA certified personal trainer or sign up and earn your own personal trainer certification

Middle Deltoid

The next deltoid muscle we'll talk about is the middle deltoid. As the name signifies, this shoulder muscle is between the other two deltoid muscles. The best exercise for the middle deltoid is dumbbell lateral raise. You also perform upright rows with a barbell or use dumbbells again. The middle deltoid is the muscle that makes your shoulders look wider and more defined. The middle deltoid is not a big assistor with many other exercises so it's definitely a requirement to target this muscle with specific exercises at least 2 to 3 times per week.

Posterior Deltoid

The last shoulder muscle we'll exercise today is the posterior deltoid. As the name indicates, this shoulder muscle is in the back. Using dumbbells, a great exercise for the posterior deltoids would be bent laterals. If you have access to a reverse pec deck machine, that is a really great tool to move as much weight as possible. Another alternative is using TRX bands or some type of suspension training. You'll want to perform high rows by keeping your elbows up, forming a 90 degree angle with your torso.

Summary

In order to create perfect muscular balance, you need to target all 3 deltoid muscles of your shoulders. Hopefully, you can work out all three deltoid muscles this week! If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

A strong back is important. A strong back will help create a perfect posture plus it helps with many everyday activities. In this class example, we break down the best pulldown exercises for your lats. Click the image below to watch the video or keep reading to learn more about the science of the pulldown exercises.

Anterior Wide Grip Pulldowns

This exercise is the king of the lat pulldown exercises. Probably the most common exercise you'll see in the gym and definitely the most effective, this exercise ranks as #1. No other exercise will target your lats and your teres major more than this exercise. Good technique is important to make sure you recruit your lats and not your arms. Concentrate and pulling your elbows down during this exercise. Just remember not to return the bar too high or you may recruit more arms than you would like. For assistance with this and many other exercises, please contact a PFTA certified personal trainer.

Close Grip Pulldowns

Fast becoming a gym favorite, this exercise ranks #2 on our top pulldown exercises. The close grip pulldown targets the lats and the teres major but not quite at the same intensity as #1 above. This exercise is also a great transition to the seated row and to any of the chest exercises. When done correctly, this exercise recruits part of your pectoralis major thus becoming a great transition exercise if you happen to work back followed by chest on the same days.

Supinated Grip Pulldowns

This exercise, which we will call #3, is also known as underhand pulldowns. This exercise is another great exercise for your back muscles and rounds out the top 3. One advantage to performing the exercise with an underhand grip is that you may recruit more biceps than the other two exercises. Earlier we talked about transition exercises, this exercise would be a perfect transition exercise between your back and your biceps.

Posterior Pulldowns

This 4th exercise is very controversial and we never recommend our students use it with their clients. The risk for injury far outweigh the possible benefits. But, we mention this exercise because many students have questions on this exercise and a recent study also listed it. It turns out, it does NOT have the same benefits as #1, so it's really not necessary to include it with your workouts. BUT, if you are flexible enough, and your want more variety in your back workouts, then feel free to experiment with this technique.

Summary

Your latissimus dorsi and other back muscles are important for a well balanced, strong, muscular back. I would definitely recommend the first three exercises be in your weekly back routine. If you want variety but don't have time to perform all three exercises on the same day, just alternate them on different days. The most important part is that you're exercising and creating the body you want. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

Too late or too wet to cook outside? In this video, your personal trainer shows you how to cook a perfect steak indoors. We all need protein and a good steak is perfect for those hard working muscles. Click the image below to watch me cook my perfect, indoor steak. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

Sometimes we eat too much junk food because we don't have time to make a healthy breakfast. But in the video below, I'll show you how to prepare a healthy breakfast in less than 3 minutes. Spoiler alert: it involves whole wheat toast and 1 egg. Click the image below to watch how I make a healthy, nutritious breakfast in less than 3 minutes. If you want more exercise and nutrition tips, check out my other videos. If you are looking for a personal trainer for more specific workouts or nutrition advice, please CONTACT ME. Happy health and happy training!!

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 2 to 3 days of resistance training and 3 to 5 days of cardiovascular training each week. If you are a beginner, two days of weight training and 3 days of cardio is a great start! A popular breakdown is weights on Tue Thu, and cardio on Mon Wed Fri. But I can definitely fine tune a plan that fits best for your schedule.

Many people believe doing ab crunches all day will burn belly fat. The truth is, there is not such thing as spot reduction. If you want to burn belly fat, you need to adhere to a total body workout plan and you also need to stick to a sound nutritional diet. I will design a workout and a nutrition plan to help you burn that stubborn belly fat without having to do 1000s of crunches or sit-ups.

There isn't a quick, healthy weight loss solution. Eating a balanced diet with fats, carbs, and protein is always the best plan for almost everybody. Once you sign up, we can discuss your goals and your metabolism. Then based on the foods you like, we can set up a plan with the appropriate amount of fats, carbs, and protein. Yes you will have a cheat meal on occasion, but if you follow the plan most of the time, you will definitely see results!

Yes I can help you with meal planning upon request. First we need to discuss your weight goals. Then I will estimate metabolism and we can calculate a good plan for you. The plan will consist of an appropriate number of fats, carbs, protein, and fiber.

It's important to include an appropriate diet with your workouts. But, it doesn't have to be crazy foods like cauliflower all day long. As you can see from the videos above, I occasionally enjoy steaks, fries, eggs, and whole wheat toast. Dessert and wine videos coming soon!

Pre-workout meals are very important. A small snack is always a good idea. If you want to get scientific, a perfect pre-workout meals has 30 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of protein. Studies have shown this will give you the energy to work out and you will also get enough protein to stop muscle breakdown. But everyone is different. Eat a meal that gives you a great workout!

Believe it or not, the post-workout carb to protein ratio is very similar to the pre-workout ratio. If you've had a hard workout, maybe increase the total amounts. For example, maybe 45 grams of carbs with 15 grams of protein. You need carbs to restore your glycogen losses and you need protein to start rebuilding muscles. Let me know if you need additional info on post-workout meals.

Cardio is great for burning calories and ultimately burning fat; but, you also need strong muscles, strong bones, and strong tendons. Weight training strengthens all of the above plus lifting weights will also boost your metabolism. A perfect posture is also much easier when you incorporate strength training. The best plan includes both strength training and cardiovascular training.

Normally, I meet my clients for weight training only. You don't need a trainer to watch you walk on the treadmill, you need a trainer to help you with weight training. I will choose the exercises, resistance, sets, reps, and rest time. Plus, I'll also help you with your cardio workouts when you're not with me. I will work with a schedule that works perfectly for you.

Everyone wants to see results right away. And honestly, you will feel better right away. But, it does take time to see the results in the mirror. I always tell clients, you didn't add that extra weight overnight so you won't see it go away overnight either. Stick to a good workout and nutrition plan and you will see gradual changes to go along with that extra energy you can feel almost instantly. Get started working out today!

Yes the workouts eventually get easier for you; but, if the workouts get too easy, it's time to push yourself even harder. Our bodies get accustomed to the same workouts so after a while, the workouts will feel easier for you. I will always try to challenge your body but introducing new exercises, different sets, more or less reps, etc. It's only a few hours per week. You can do it!

Exercise isn't always fun so you need to pick something that will make it somewhat enjoyable. You an do both on the same day or you an split them up. You can even do 15 min of cardio, 30 min of weights, and 15 more minutes of cardio. You are only limited by your imagination. Also, if you have cardio goals like running a 10k, then you'll want to do the cardio first; when you have the most energy. I can help you with a specific plan for your health and fitness goals.

I started training at the Q Sports club in 1999. I also graduated from the University of Texas - Austin with a Kinesiology degree. I am going to try my hardest to make sure you accomplish all your health and fitness goals. I do need you to give your best effort though. If getting fit was easy, everyone would be in great shape! You will need to work hard but it will be worth it.

That's a great question. Your personal trainer should have an exercise science degree and/or a personal trainer certification. I'm currently certified with PFTA Personal Trainer Certification School. I also have or have had certifications from various other organizations such as ACE, NASM, and NSCA. And finally, I also teach personal trainer classes to help student who want to become personal trainers.