Exercising Muscles

Everybody moves throughout the day, and to move, we use muscles. Dancing, snapping your fingers, waving to your neighbor outside washing your car all of these activities use muscles. However, to build strength in specific muscles, you must be sure to give them appropriate exercise. You can exercise muscles to build strength in three ways:

With isometric exercises
With isotonic or dynamic resistance exercises
With isokinetic exercises

Muscle Movement

Every time a nerve impulse stimulate a muscle, the muscle contracts. However, a contracting muscle isn't necessarily getting shorter along its whole length. A concentric contraction, also called a positive contraction, shortens the muscle and develops tension. An eccentric contraction or negative contraction develops tension while actually lengthening the muscle. In either case, the muscles are moving against external resistance. If the force of the contraction is greater than the external resistance, it's a concentric contraction. If the force of the contraction is less than the external resistance, it's an eccentric contraction.

Intensity

Exercise intensity measures the workload or how hard the heart is working.

The Low Carbohydrate Trend

The trend in the nutrition industry in recent years has been toward low carbohydrate dieting. With such a diet a person eats no or very few calories from bread, pasta,potatoes, fruits, and dairy while eating more meat, eggs, and other high protein foods. Despite their current popularity, these diets are problematic in several ways, especially for those participating in a regular exercise program.

Without carbohydrates that can be used as an energy source, the body shifts into a state called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body burns fat and fat like compounds called Ketones as an energy source. Ketosis increases fluid loss, resulting in an initial weight loss of five or more pounds during the first few days of the diet. Dieters encouraged by this initial weight loss often continue dieting without realizing that their weight loss can be attributed to water loss.

Reducing Fat Mass

When a person's fitness goal is fat loss it often is necessary for her to make changes in her diet to achieve her goal most efficiently. Calorie reduction, when doing incorrectly, can result in nutrient deficiencies and fatigue, making it essential that the client is educated regarding healthy weight loss practices. Think back to Jessie's statement to Carrie about how low carbohydrate diets left her feeling tired. Jessie's body simply wasn't getting what it needed  to give her energy.

The Interaction of Proteins and Carbohydrates

Whether at rest or during exercise, the body relies on protein, fat, and carbohydrates to function at its best. These three components must interact in various ways to provide the body with energy and to ensure proper maintenance and repair of tissue. When the body is at rest, it takes about 70 percent of its energy needs from fats and the remaining 30 percent from carbohydrates. During activity, the body shifts to carbohydrates as its main energy source. In fact, carbohydrates almost exclusively fuel exercise done at a high intensity.






The body turns to protein as its energy source when workouts last longer than 90 minutes.             

The Low Carbohydrate Trend

The trend in the nutrition industry in recent years has been toward low carbohydrate dieting . With such a diet a person eats no or very few calories from bread, pasta, potatoes, fruits, and dairy while eating more meat, eggs, and other high protein foods. Despite their current popularity, these diets are problematic in several way, especially for those participating in a regular exercise program.      




Without carbohydrates that can be used as an energy source, the body shifts into a state called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body burns fat and fat like compounds called Ketones as an energy source . Ketosis increases fluid loss, resulting in an initial weight loss of five or more pounds during the first few days of the diet. Dieters encouraged by this initial weight loss often continue dieting without realizing that their weight loss can be attributed to water loss






Low carb diets can have adverse effects on the body.




When a person is not eating enough carbohydrates, the brain also is forced to find an alternate energy source. Unlike the body, the brain cannot fuel itself on fat and instead must break down muscle tissue into its amino acid components. The amino acids are then converted to glucose and used to fuel the brain. Muscle breakdown depletes a person's muscle mass, resulting in a slow metabolism. The decreased muscle mass and slowed metabolism that result from low carbohydrate dieting explain why people tend to gain weight quickly when they quit this diet.

How Much is Right for You ?

The body ensures that its energy requirements are fulfilled before using protein to build and repair tissue. So when the body lacks the energy calories it needs from carbohydrates and fats, it uses protein instead. This means that when a person's overall caloric intake is low, the protein requirements increase to ensure that enough is available for tissue maintenance.

Fitness News

Lmhfitness is moving to Vero Beach in a year will keep you up to date thank you very much and have a powerful 2015year !

What Controls Our Health Habits ?

Also contributing to the difficulty in changing our health habits is the fact that these habits often are unstable over time. For example, some people go on crash diets for special occasions such as weddings and reunions. In doing so, they restrict their caloric intake for a short time3 losing large amounts of weight only to return to their old eating habits following the special occasion. Other people might adopt a healthier lifestyle only to slip back into their old pattems  during a time of high stress. The job a personal fitness trainer and nutritional specialist is to help clients establish and maintain healthy behaviors that they can sustain for a lifetime.

When Bad Feels Good

Another obstacle people face when trying to change their bad health habits is the pleasure they get from these unhealthy practices. For example, junk food and sweets are fun to eat. A person may crave her favorite foods and derive great pleasure from eating them . Many unhealthy behaviors are automatic, such as planting oneself in front of the television for several hours each night. Any habit that is pleasurable is difficult to break. and in our society eating junk food and watching hours of TV are two of the strongest.

Don't Just Sit There !

Our bodies are meant to move. You don't have to be an expert in human anatomy to see that the muscles and joints of the human body are put together so that it can bend, stretch, jump, and run. So why is it so hard for most of us to get on that treadmill or bike and exercise each day? When it comes to our bodies and muscles, the saying , Use it or lose it really applies. By failing to use our bodies, we allow our muscles to weaken and our joints to become stiff. Then, when we try to start an exercise routine, our bodies resist  the sudden extra force . And this isn't just physically discouraging. Mentally, someone who tries to exercise and finds it too difficult or painful will be quick to pick up a defeated attitude.

Mental Health

Mental health refers to the health of the mind. Sometimes referred to as psychological health, this includes what a person thinks and feels and the behaviors resulting from his thought processes. Psychologically healthy people tend to possess a positive attitude toward their abilities and life in general. As a result, they are more likely to possess the motivation needed to start and continue a fitness program than those who feel negatively about themselves and their abilities. This in no way means that someone who suffers from a psychological disease, such as depression, cannot become physically fit. While these people may require more encouragement and motivation from their fitness trainers, oftentimes the improvement in their physical health is followed by an improvement in their mental health. The feelings of accomplishment and newfound physical abilities can help a person to develop a better self image.

You Are What You Eat

Nutrition refers to the food that a person takes into his body and the way that food influences his health. What we eat plays an important role in determining how we feel. Our diet can help or hinder our daily physical and mental functioning and affect our long term health. You probably have heard the saying , You are what you eat. Modern medical studies have concluded that this is true! Just as your car runs best when maintained properly and given the best gasoline, our bodies function best when we eat healthy and nutritious foods and beverages. Not only does good nutrition help us to be at our mental and physical best on a day to day basis, but it also plays a large role in keeping our bodies healthy and disease free over a lifetime. As a personal fitness trainer and nutritional specialist, you'll be able to help your clients eat a more healthy diet.

To day Exercises

Sets                                                                            Sets
                                                                                   4----12 Russian Twist
4 -  - -12 Hack Squats                                                4----12 Incline Reverse Crunch
4- ---- 12 Side lunges                                                 4----12 Side Bends

4------12 Squats
4------12 Leg Extensions
2------15 Leg Curls
                                             Have a good workout

Crunches

Lying on the floor with your legs draped over a bench ,curl your head toward your knees, so that your abs pull your trunk upward. Don't try to raise your lower back up off the floor. Instead, simply crunch your trunk by pulling your ribs toward your hips. Use a weight plate behind your head, or on your chest , if this movement is too easy for you .

The Fitness Industry

You listen to your coworkers talk about the gym they belong to , you hear about the latest nutritional studies on the evening news, and you try all the latest diet and exercise programs. But do you really know how all of this fits into the fitness and nutrition industry? Or for that matter, what that industry incorporates?  Most people think of gyms when they hear the word fitness. But the fitness industry includes much more than just gyms. It includes every who works to help people get and stay in shape . So let's take a look at the different components of the fitness and nutrition industry.

Health and Fitness Clubs

In 2004 nearly 40 million people in the United States belonged to health clubs, and this number only is expected to grow as we continue through the decade. Most people belong to commercial health club, YMCA/YWCA, and company fitness programs . The baby boomers, ages 44 to 64, make up the largest percentage of those who belong to health clubs , followed closely by adults ages 18 to 43 .


Not only is the total number of individuals attending health clubs increasing but so is the frequency with which these members attend. So what do health clubs offer  people that keep them coming back ? Nearly all health club offer personal training ,making it one the number one programs offered. Additionally, many clubs offer several types of aerobic classes, access to free weights, stationery bikes, and climbers /steppers, and the opportunity to have a fitness evaluation performed. To attract mothers of young children, more clubs offer childcare facilities.

A trend we see more and in the industry is specialty clubs. Look in the yellow pages of your phone book under health clubs or gyms. Listed ? You  might find yoga clubs, Pilate  clubs, and women only clubs , just to name a few. So you see, the industry truly offers something for everyone! This rapid expansion of health clubs membership will lead to an increased demand for personal fitness trainers and nutritional specialists like my self ! 

Exercise Duration and Intensity

Remember that exercise duration refers to the amount of time in an exercise session that aerobic conditioning is occurring. Exercise intensity measures the workload or how hard the heart is working. The most common way of increasing aerobic exercise intensity is to increase the speed at which the activity is performed. For instance, walking faster or jogging can increase a walker's exercise intensity. Another way to increase intensity is to increase the number of muscles you're using. For example, playing basketball uses both upper and lower body muscles.

The client looking to improve her level of physical fitness will benefit most from a high-intensity workout. High-intensity aerobic workouts and low-impact aerobic classes improve both cardiovascular and respiratory function as well as increase muscle fiber use. Clients focusing more on the health benefits they can receive from exercise gain the most from moderate-intensity workouts done for a longer duration.

Moderate- intensity workouts, such as brisk walking, provide health benefits including lowered blood pressure, reduced body fat, improved psychological health , and a reduced risk of heart disease and other diseases.

There are many methods of preparing a competitive athlete for his or her sport. One such method is called tapering.Tapering reduces training intensity and duration as the competition day approaches while focusing on competitive technique and nutritional therapy that allow for peak performance. Tapering allows glycogen stores to be replenished and tissue repair to occur, and it keeps the athlete focused on the upcoming competition.

Exercise Frequency

You already know that exercise frequency refers to how many time each week the client performs the aerobic activity . Training too frequently can increase a client's chance of injury, while training too infrequently can hinder the client's fitness progress. Most effective cardiorespiratory programs require the client to exercise at least three days a week with no more than two days between exercise sessions.


There are several  factors the personal fitness trainer must consider when deciding what a client's exercise frequency should be . Clients who are new to exercise generally require more recovery time between exercise sessions than more experienced exercisers from 36 to 48 hours between workouts is sufficient.

Exercise done at a high intensity and for longer durations also calls for a longer recovery period than those exercises performed at a lower intensity for less time.


When a client is a competitive athlete, training frequency must be varied depending on the sport season and competition times. During the off season, an athlete may exercise frequently in a different manner or choose to train infrequently to give his body a rest. The preseason often calls for the athlete to train daily or even multiple times per day, while training should be scaled back on days prior to competition once the sport's season begins. As a beginning personal fitness trainer, you probably won't work much with competitive athletes, as working with such clients often requires specialized training.