Beach Ready Routine!!

It is that time of the year again! Warm weather and the beach! Want to look your best and feel great at the same time? Add in some full body circuit training to increase muscle size, definition, and leanness. While it is nice to isolate certain muscle groups every now and again, completing full body workouts increases EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption), which means more calories burned! Pointing you in the right direction to a lean summer body! Here is a sample workout:

Jump Squats x 10

Stiff Leg Deadlift x 10

Chin Ups or Inverted Rows x 10

Push Ups x 10

Reverse Crunch x 10

Take the least amount of time possible between movements. Complete the circuit 3-4 times. This hits every major muscle group in the body and achieves the EPOC effect. Goodluck!

-Eric

FTNewtonville.com

Women-Bullet Proof Your Knees!!!

Women are susceptible to knee injuries because of the natural angle created from their hips to their knees. This is called the "Q" angle. What happens with women is their vastus lateralis (outer quad) over develops and puts pressure on the knee. This is the main reason women are more prone to ACL injuries. One way to help avoid these issues is to strengthen the vastus medialis (VMO or inner quad), and biceps femoris (hamstrings).

A few movements that can help strengthen the vastus medialis and hamstrings:

-Front Squat
-Plie Squat
-Conventional Deadlift
-Stiff Leg Deadlift
-Pull Throughs

Add these movements to your strength training routine and find solace in the fact that you are bullet proofing your knees AND getting them ready for activity!

-Eric
FTNewtonville

Benefits Of Fish Oil

A multi vitamin is commonplace amongst individuals who are trying to stay healthy. The latest supplement that is starting to garner extra attention (for good reason), is fish oil. Supplementing with fish oil has been shown to:

1. Improved insulin sensitivity

2. Improved blood circulation

3. Reduced inflammation

4. Improved brain function

5. Lower triglycerides (bad cholesterol)

Adding fish oil to your daily nutrition plan can have a huge impact on overall health. It can now be found in any grocery market, as well as supplement stores. Try taking in 2-5 grams per day of fish oil and reap the benefits!

-Eric

FTNewtonville.com

A Complex Situation

Complexes are a group of exercises that are performed back to back without ever setting the dumbbell/barbell down. When performed correctly, complexes can target every muscle group in the body, and really jack up resting metabolism (EPOC). In turn, this increases the amount of calories that your body will burn in a resting state FOR UP TO THE NEXT 48 HOURS! Talk about bang for your buck exercises.

Give this complex a try and see how you feel! Remember, each movement is performed right after the other without ever putting the bar down. After the last movement is completed, rest 90 seconds before starting again. Try for 3 full times through the complex.

Stiff Leg Deadlift x 10
Barbell Row x 10
Hang Clean x 10
Front Squat x 10
Push Press x 10

This complex targets all the major muscle groups in the body!

-Eric
FTNewtonville.com

Athletic Core

The "core" is the bodies foundation of strength. It is no wonder that all of the recent buzz in the fitness industry is on how to build a strong, athletic core. Not only will a flat, hard stomach look good, it will also prevent lower back issues and increase performance. Here is a sample of a core circuit that will help you in your quest for a more functional midsection.

V-Ups x 10

Sprinters x 10 (lying flat on your back, mimic a sprint movement. crunching upwards with the left leg and right arm. then crunching up the right leg and left arm)

Toe Touches x 10

Reverse Crunches x 10

Perform each movement one after the other with minimal rest. After completing the reverse crunch, rest 60 seconds before completing the circuit again. Perform the circuit 3-4 times total. Goodluck!

-Eric
FTNewtonville.com

Fat Loss Circuit

Circuit training is a great way to increase exercise intensity and training density. When used correctly, a circuit can help increase muscle strength and blast away stored fat. Here is a sample, full body workout, that will help in body re-composition.

Perform each movement one after the other until the reverse crunch is finished. Rest 60-90 seconds, and then perform the circuit again. Circuit should be completed 3-5 times.

Push Up (regular or modified) x 15 reps
Plyometric Lunge x 16 (8 each leg)
Chair Dips x 15 reps
Jump Squats x 15 reps
Reverse Crunch x 15 reps

That is a total of 76 reps in a short amount of time. Talk about a great fat loss buster!

-Eric
FTNewtonville.com

ABS-olutely

Beach season is approaching!! Time to flatten that stomach, not just for looks, but also for injury prevention. The core musculatures function is to RESIST rotation, flexion, and extension. Therefore, we need to train it that way! Here is a sample circuit you can try, it targets the midsection the "correct" way"

Plank (for as long as you can hold correct posture)

directly into

Right Side Plank (for as long you can hold correct posture)

directly into

Plank (for as long as you can hold correct posture)

directly into

Left Side Plank (for as long as you can hold correct posture)

Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits. Shoot to complete the full circuit 3-4 times! Good luck in your quest for a strong, beach ready core!

-Eric

FTNewtonville.com