Workout Tips To Help You Achieve The Best You

Tips To Remember When You Workout:
1. Try not to rest between your exercises sets. Try to be the best conditioned athlete you can be in the gym. I believe you can increase your strength along with your endurance through this method of training. Believe in it and follow it!

2. Always go hard! Challenge yourself each and every day! Intensity is the key to overall success. Be intense and don't settle for nothing less!

3. Always pick challenging weight for each of your exercises. Try to increase your weight if at possible...challenge your body and make it work. An increase in weight will help you get stronger and make your body work harder during your workout. Try to pyramid your weight for each set that you do.

4. One important rule to remember is that even though you want to challenge yourself on your weight, it is not how much you lift but how you lift. One goal is to build a strong foundation that will help you perform better and longer. Your foundation supports all movements, motions, activities, and most importantly it helps prevent injuries. Always make sure you have good form and that you perform each exercise with full range of motion.

5. One way to stay motivated is to set daily goals. This concept not only helps with motivation but it helps you get mentally prepared and strong for anything you attempt. The thought of pushing yourself is one thing, but the most important thought is believing that by pushing yourself you will be successful. Try to challenge yourself with your daily goals and workouts~this will also help you create mental toughness. I believe that with mental toughness~NOTHING can stand in your way. The mind and the body should work as one unit~supporting one another through intense bouts of exercises and/or life.

6. Try to feel the burn and some after that initial burn. Try to challenge yourself physically but also mentally. I believe that both these components work together to create an overall YOU! If you do an exercise and you begin to feel an intense muscle burn~mentally take yourself to the next level and don't stop. Push through and get it done at all costs. Try to incorporate a few challenge rounds in your workout routine. This will help you improve on pushing through.

7. Think of each workout as a practice. It is getting you ready for your big event. Preparing you to be the best you can be. Even if you are not participating in a competitive event, I believe that creating an overall foundation will support you in any activity you do. For example, you want to do yard work (pulling weeds) without any problems or soreness. With a strong foundation, you can pull weeds without any pain and soreness.

8. You must think of yourself as an athlete~this is the bottom line. Be an all-round versatile athlete~strong physically and mentally, conditioned to the extreme, and unstoppable. Remember, the word athlete is what you make it for yourself.

9. Nutrition! I can not stress this enough. You are what you eat and if you are going to perform and be intense, you will need the proper fuel to support this. You must be eating right in order to have the strength and endurance to get through each and every workout with intensity. Always eat breakfast! Eat every 2 to 3 hours. Each meal must consist of a protein, carb, and a fruit/vegetable. Think well-balanced for each meal. If you are not taking care of your eating you will not have the energy to perform at the best of your potential. This in turn will lead to discouragement, fatigue, and a decrease in motivation.

10. Nutrients you get from food sources help with injuries. It also helps injured areas to rebuild and become healthy and strong. Fruits and veggies are filled with lots of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that will help support you and your injuries.

11. Always make sure you eat something after a workout. You have 30 to 45 minutes to get something in your system. This is one of the most important tips you must remember in health and fitness. Think more fast-digesting carbs along with whey protein. Protein smoothie with fruit is a good choice. Your post-workout meal helps you replenish and restore nutrients you lost during your workout. It helps with recovery and helps preserve your lean muscle. Don’t ever skip your post-workout meal. This is one of the most important meals of your day.

12. Have fun! Think of what you are doing, what it takes to get there, and where you will go. Now, think of how fun this journey will be for you. All the things you will learn about yourself along the way and what you will endure with each workout. Smile and have fun with your training! Fitness is fun~it is truly what you make of it.

The Quest for Today and Tomorrow

"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it." 

~William Durant

I believe that in order to succeed in fitness, one must stop dwelling on the past or the mistakes they have made. It is heartbreaking to me when I hear a client say, "I didn't do my cardio at all last week and I am so bummed about it, so I have lost that drive to continue working hard. And I just don't think that I will ever achieve my fitness goals." This just breaks my heart because this becomes a sense of failure for that person and they automatically want to give up. We can be our worst enemy! Rather than feeling bad about the choices made~Let It Go and Go For It! Push Yourself Today, Tomorrow, and the Next Day. Push your body to an extreme that is right for you and understand that this is a quest to find what works for you. Today is your Day One. Don't backtrack and allow yourself to get caught up in what you did last week, 1 year ago or 10 years ago.

Take control of your fitness NOW and light it up like a Christmas Tree!

Today's Dofitness Training Tip

Today's Dofitness Training Tip:

There are a couple of things you can do that will benefit you in so many ways~ just by adding 5 minutes to your workout. Here are a couple of suggestions that you may want to choose from.
The first on the list is to firm your belly. There's no rule that says you should work your abs only when you lift weights. I advise my clients to change things up sometimes. Hit abs as soon as you get done with your cardio or even in between your cardio session. Next on the list is burn an extra 50 calories. Try running, rowing, doing the elliptical or biking. Next, think about getting stronger all over. Do a one minute round of squats, push-ups, seated or bent-over rows, crunches and jumping jacks~without resting. Another option is to calm your mind. Breathe deeply and imagine inhaling energy and exhaling negativity. Try to banish any thoughts about work, family and your to-do list. Finally, get limber. I can not stress this enough! Take time to stretch the muscles you worked. Hold each stretch for no more than 30 seconds. Stretching gives your body time to slow down and bounce back from exercise.

Remember, it is the little things that make the difference. BE THE DIFFERENCE!

Dofitness 2019 Holiday Specials

It is that time of the year AGAIN! How do you want to end 2019? How do you want to begin 2020? Sign up today, if you have what it takes to do the impossible! To do the things you never thought you could do! Most importantly ~To bring out the BEST YOU!

*There are so many specials for this month~there are too many to list. There is something for everyone. So don't hesitate, sign up today! **Look out for the Dofitness "NO EXCUSES" Daily Specials. There will be a special offered each day during this Holiday month. Dofitness Hint~ A VERY HUGE special on 12~3...

***Sign up today for the Dofitness Tough Bodies Package, the In~Home Training Program or the Take Your Workouts On The Road Training!

****Give the gift of Dofitness to someone you Love, Like, or Just Because this Holiday season. Great deals on all Dofitness gift certificates and gift cards. This will also include a Special Dofitness "Naughty or Nice" present for those who are giving the Dofitness Love this month!

~~~For more information, contact me at dofitness@gmail.com. Don't miss out on all these Dofitness Holidays Specials, Programs, and Packages! These are limited time offers that will expire on December 31, 2019. I look forward to hearing from you! 

The Will To Do

The Will To Do~ "My will to do springs from the knowledge that I CAN DO. I'm only being natural, for there is no fear or doubt inside my mind." Extraordinary effort, highly emotionalized conditions, or a true determination to win at all costs will release this extra energy. An athlete can actually be so tired, but since the athlete has that will and determination to win, they can keep on almost indefinitely in order to achieve their objective.

Dofitness Training Highlights

In moments like this, your mind and muscles connect. Your body ignites. From start to finish, you own this place, driven by explosive and undefeatable energy, strength, focus, power, and performance. Always work hard and never look back! Great job to my clients for working hard and making things happen. 

"I Want To Be The Best Swimmer I Can Possibly Be"

This month's Dofitness Training Spotlight shines on Sarah Ashlyn Pope. A young girl that has and does everything it takes to be the best she can be day in and day out. 

She is the sum of all her training, which has made her one of the best competitive swimmers in the State of Arkansas. It is what lives deep inside of her heart along with complete passion and true determination that drives her to be the best athlete she can be.

Sarah has what it takes to take her swimming to the next level and beyond. She works hard each and every day and will not allow herself to settle for anything less. Through all the pain & tears she knows what it takes and what she must do in and out of the pool. This is what truly makes her unique at such a young age. This isn't taught...it lives inside of her. It is what makes her absolutely amazing.

Sarah- I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to train you. You are a true example of what a true all-round competitive athlete is and should be. You have accomplished so much in a short amount of time through your hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Never stop reaching and never stop fighting for your dreams. You have what it takes to make all your dreams come true. Always stay strong no matter what challenges you may face. Be true to you and never let anything come between you and your dreams. Sooooo GO FOR IT SARAH!! : )

I am so proud of you Sarah Ashlyn! Congratulations on being Dofitness Training Spotlight Of The Month! This is a tribute video that shows why you are in the Dofitness Spotlight!

A New Year To Make Your Change

What an exciting time for everyone, a brand new year...the BIG 2015, the time to bring new changes to your life! To begin to LIVE DIFFERENTLY, which brings me to my next point. You must embrace life and find ways to better yourself each and every day.  

Remember it is never too late to find your place and know where you belong. Now I know that after the holidays most people set New Years Resolutions, and this is mostly done because of  the frustrations of the different changes they made during the holiday season. Resolutions are good but usually do not last...instead of resolutions think of YOUR CHANGE (a lifestyle change). The key word in the last sentence is YOUR...this is YOUR life, YOUR time to shine, YOUR opportunity to discover what you can do to LIVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHIER LIFE.

For those of you that are in a frustrated frame of mind, you must LET IT GO!  What you did over the holidays was a time to remember and was a time to share with your family. Everyone splurges and everyone tends to splurge more than usual during the holidays. Again...it was a time that has passed and even though what we do in the past affects our present moments...try to visualize yourself starting a brand new year with a brand new passion....MAKE YOUR CHANGE. 

The most important point I can make is that IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO TAKE YOURSELF TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL. FIND YOUR PLACE AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR PLACE.

Always, 
DoFitness

BLAST IT AND BRING THE NOISE

Workout Highlights At Dofitness Training Studio On Saturday, March 15, 2014.

Resistance Band Training During Squats Boosts Force And Power Output

SO HERE YOU HAVE IT! :) 

Movements become ballistic at the end of the range of motion during large, multiple-joint exercises, such as the bench press, squats, and deadlift. In other words, there's less load on the muscles as you get closer to lockout and little motor unit activity in the prime mover muscles (the muscles doing the work). Lifting with resistance bands or chains attached to the bar increases the load at the end of the range of motion.

Australian scientists found that force and power output was greater during back squats performed on a Smith Machine when using resistance bands than during traditional weight training. Also, resistance bands are effective when doing traveling lunges and side shuffles...keeping the tension and force continuously while performing these movements.

They used a force platform to determine the forces created during the exercise. Muscles tend to get larger and stronger when subjected to more tension, so we may infer from this study that training with resistance bands (or chains) is beneficial. It can also be stated that training with resistance bands or chains does increase strength and lean muscle mass more than traditional training methods. SO GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF THE CLIENTS THAT TRAIN WITH ME...JUDY IS HERE TO STAY!!! LONG LIVE JUDY!!!

Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 20: 268-272, 2006.

Post-Exercise Protein Intake Speeds Tissue Repair

After a hard workout in the gym or on the track, your body must repair damaged tissues using amino acids from protein. Exercise speeds the use of amino acids as fuels, which puts them in short supply during recovery...the time the body repairs and restores itself.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers did a sophisticated study showing that feeding protein (10- 15 grams) and carbs after a endurance exercise increased WHOLE BODY protein synthesis after exercise compared to a placebo. All athletes should eat a high-protein energy bar, protein shake, or a high-protein meal within 30-40 minutes of an intense workout.

So remember, it is SO IMPORTANT to include a post-exercise protein source after each and every one of your workout. It will not only speed up your recovery process, but it will build muscle faster. This is something that definitely works...SO DO IT!!! :)

Medical Science Sports, 34:828-837, 2002.

Repeated Cardio Exercise Bouts Boost Fat Use

Exercise is important for weight control because it burns calories during the activity and raises metabolic rate for hours after the exercise is over. Most people trying to control their weight run on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or work on an elliptical trainer continuously for 30-60 minutes. There may be a better way.

Japanese scientists found that two 30-minute moderate-intensity aerobics programs with a 20-minute break between sessions burned more fat than one 60-minute exercise session. The researchers compared fat use and hormone levels in people riding a stationary bicycle for 60 minutes continuously, or doing two bouts of 30 minutes separated by 20 minutes of rest between sessions. Two 30-minute bouts of exercise increased fat metabolism, stress hormone levels (i.e., catecholamines) and blood ketone levels (a marker of increased fat use) while lowering insulin and blood sugar more than the continuous 60-minute workout. Burn more fat by splitting your cardio routine.

Applied Physiology, in press; Online Published Feb. 22, 2007.

BEYOND THE INTENSITY

Life Is An Echo...What You Send Out Comes Back. Winners Don't Different Things, They Do Things Different. They Send Out An Intense Echo That Returns To Them The Rewards They Have Worked So Hard For.

TAKING IT WAY BACK....

Going Back In Time!!! How Time Flies!!! In The Beginning...WAY BACK...FLASHBACK!!!!

Heart Rate Reserve Formula

The Karvonen Formula

This is a heart rate reserve formula and it’s one of the most effective methods used to calculate training heart rate. The formula factors in your resting heart rate, so you will need to determine your resting heart rate by doing the following:

• Prior to getting out of bed in the morning, take your pulse on your wrist (radial pulse) or on the side of your neck (carotid pulse).
• Count the number of beats, starting with zero, for one minute. If you don’t have a stop watch or a second hand in your bedroom, you can measure the time by watching for the number to change on a digital alarm clock. Find your pulse and start counting when the minute number changes the first time, stop counting when it changes again.
• To help assure accuracy, take your resting heart rate three mornings in a row and average the 3 heart rates together.

The next important element in finding your training heart rate zone is determining the intensity level at which you should exercise. As a general rule, you should exercise at an intensity between 50% - 85% of your heart rate reserve. Your individual level of fitness will ultimately determine where you fall within this range. Use the following table as a guide for determining your intensity level:
   Beginner or low fitness level . . . 50% - 60% Average fitness level . . . . . . . . 60% - 70%
High fitness level . . . . . . . . . . . 75% - 85%

The Karvonen Formula: 220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum Heart Rate - Rest. Heart Rate x Intensity + Rest. Heart Rate = Training Heart Rate

For example, Sally is 33 yrs old, has a resting heart rate of 75 and she’s just beginning her exercise program (her intensity level will be 50% - 60%.) Sally’s training heart rate zone will be 131-142 beats per minute:


Sally's Minimum Training Heart Rate:
220 - 33 (Age) = 187
187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
112 x .50 (Min. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 131 Beats/Minute


Sally's Maximum Training Heart Rate:
220 - 33 (Age) = 187
187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
112 x .60 (Max. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 142 Beats/Minute

Try to take your pulse, periodically, during your exercise session to gauge your intensity level. Typically, the easiest location for taking a pulse is on the side of your neck, the carotid pulse. Be sure not to press too hard on the carotid artery or you’ll get an inaccurate reading. Count the number of beats, always beginning with zero, for 6 seconds (then multiply by 10), or for 10 seconds (then multiply by 6) to get the number of times your heart is beating per minute. If your pulse is within your training heart rate zone, you’re right on track! If not, adjust your exercise workload until you get into your zone.

PUMP UP Those Legs

A Great Exercise Round To PUMP UP Your Legs

My client is on one of my favorite exercise machines...Vertical Leg Press. She had just completed a round of lower body boxing drills...I then made her stop and get on the leg press machine. She has a soft ball that goes between her legs, which makes her have to stimulate those inner thighs as she is pressing. Her round consists of a ladder drill.

BEGINNING WITH:
2 mini press (starting from the bottom you will come up a little below half way and then go back down to your starting position) + 2 full presses
* 4 mini presses + 4 full presses
* 6 minis + 6 fulls
* 8 minis + 8 fulls
* 10 minis + 10 fulls
She then took a 45 second break went back to her lower body power boxing drills...now remember what goes up must go down...so after her boxing drills she went back to leg press and began at 10/10 and worked all the way down to 2/2.
Be creative when you train....your muscles won't know what's coming and you will definitely see the results you have been working so hard for.
~ Dofitness

BURN CALORIES BY DRINKING WATER

Many diet books recommend drinking plenty of water to cut hunger and create a feeling of fullness. But did you know that , drinking water also increases metabolic rate slightly and burns more calories. German researchers found that drinking 500 milliliters of water (about 1 pint) increased resting metabolism by 25 percent- so about 20 extra calories for 60 minutes. Drinking 50 milliliters of water or 500 milliliters of saline (mildly salty water) had no effect on metabolism.

Water increases calorie burning by diluting the blood going to the liver (portal circulation) and by turning on the sympathetic nervous system (the body's fight-or-flight system). The cells have very sensitive methods for regulating fluids in blood, cells and the space between cells. Water intake activates this system, which increases caloric expenditure. Drinking extra water has little effect on weight control and could be dangerous...just like anything. You must find the right balance that works for you and how water plays into your everyday activities. The 20 calories you expend processing the water is equivalent to jogging for two minutes. But again...don't forget, excessive water intake can cause hyponatremia (water intoxication), which can be deadly.

So remember to stay hydrated each and every day...do not go overboard on your water intake especially if you are not active. Water has and will always be vital to your survival. It participates in almost all the chemical reactions in your body, it helps cool you, and moves vital fuels and hormones to your muscles and tissues. Just be aware that just like anything else...there have been known cases of people drinking too much water and dying from these decisions. BALANCE IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING IN THIS LIFE! So be ACTIVE and DRINK YOUR WATER!!

Journal Clinical Endocrinolgy Metabolism, 92: 3334-3337, 2007)

AMAZING Jumping POWER

This video shows a series of different box jump challenges at the end of each round of legs. There were single jumps on the high box, then on to two-motion jumps (start at the lowest point come up from your squat less than half-way up, go back down to your starting position and then jump on the box from the bottom of your squat...very tricky jumping style). Then a plate was added to the high box...then two plates to the high box...and finally ending with three plates on the high box. This was an amazing accomplishment and a huge challenge that was mastered. Mainly, because she is about 5'1 and she was ending each round with a variety of Intense Challenging Box Jumps. AMAZING JOB!!!!

A Passion For The Process

FITNESS is a way of life rooted in the deeply held conviction that physical, psychological, and spiritual health are inextricably related. *When you wake up at dawn and EXERCISE it is like an act of devotion. It CENTERS THE MIND for the day to come.*

"Beauty is superficial and fleeting, but health is profound and lasting."

The pursuit of FITNESS is the pursuit of WHOLENESS that can empower each of us to cope with the overwhelming pressures of our day-to-day existence.

Fitness is a lifelong pilgrimage and you must commit yourself to the journey. And those who do will find long-lasting results. Athletes fall into two groups: the believers and the nonbelievers. The nonbelievers just want to win the race, but never seem to enjoy training for it. And the sad thing is that nonbelievers seldom last in the world of fitness. The glory of winning is short-lived. 

You must have STAYING POWER and that is exactly what separates the believer from the non-believer. The believer has A PASSION FOR THE PROCESS. They enjoy winning, but they CHERISH THE LIFESTYLE even more.

**The irony: To achieve physical beauty you must LOOK BEYOND IT. If we keep our eyes focused on a particular short-term goal we may achieve it, BUT the victory will only be temporary. YOU MUST BE TRANSFORMED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

You must have faith and when it comes to fitness, you must make the leap of faith. Trust and recognize that THERE IS NO GROWTH WITHOUT COMMITMENT, and NO COMMITMENT WITHOUT BELIEF. You must keep the FAITH. 

"There are no shortcuts."

One morning a young man in his twenties came in and enrolled at a local gym. Looking around, he saw an older man across the room, working out. His face and physique didn't seem to go together. His gray head was that of a well-kept septuagenarian, but his body seemed grafted on-impossibly young looking. In his sweatpants and tank shirts he exposed arms and shoulders that revealed full, deeply defined muscles covered with smooth, tight skin. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. Awestruck, the young man walked over to him and said, "You look great, how long have you been working out?" The old man gave him a fierce look and replied, "All my damned life- you are looking at a LIFETIME of working out!"

With the long-term pursuit of fitness, however, weight loss, or fat loss, takes care of itself-automatically. Again, to achieve it you must not pursue it! The object is not to lose weight but to BECOME FIT. You must commit yourself to the journey of fitness, which will bring you rewarding results for a lifetime. You must stop wanting immediate results or a quick turnaround.

"We seldom make the connections between our physical health and our spiritual well-being."

You must BELIEVE that if you are on the journey toward fitness, your own lifelong pilgrimage, you will lose fat and gain muscle.

"Our bodies are, to most of us, an inconvenient appendage to our head."

***Always keep in touch with everything that surrounds you...The journey to fitness keeps us in contact with nature. The sights, smells, and sounds of land and water-reminds us of our true relationship to the material world.

"A sensory delight-the sound of your heart beating, the feel of muscles working, and the smell of nature around you confirm your existence as a living, breathing, physical being."

Three Words- IMPROVE, INCREASE, CONSISTENT
You have the power to have: improved body chemistry, increased strength and lean muscle mass, consistent weight control, improved cardiovascular health, improved psychological health, improved quality of life.

One problem many face is having an ingrained, deep-seated discomfort with their bodies. We make our living by reading, writing, speaking, and thinking, but seldom by physical labor. The nature of our work is written on our physiques, and the imprint of our sedentary lifestyles can be read in our posture, gait, and carriage. Unfortunately our neglected bodies often serve only as a repository for stress, depression, and illness. 

We must seek to restore a sense of INNER PEACE through the pursuit of health and wholeness. Fitness has all the necessary tools to help improve a person's sense of well-being, reduce their stress levels, and make them more productive.

It is important that you have the right mindset in order to achieve and live a healthy life. You can know all the theories in the world, but if you do not have the right mindset, it will do you no good. You need to have FAITH and you must BELIEVE in the intrinsic value of health if you hope to achieve it. If you haven't seen the light, if you're not a convert, you will fail. I BELIEVE IN YOU AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO. Never give up and don't give in. You are stronger and nothing should stand in your way. And when you face challenges and obstacles you have a hidden power rooted in your inner self to overcome. 

Like I have said before, YOU are the one, YOU are the captain of your ship, YOU lead the way, but most importantly, YOU ARE THE FOOTPRINTS THAT LEAD YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY. 

Kybartas, Ray. Fitness Is Religion. Pgs. 19-34.

Preventive Solutions

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." 

We all know about intensity and we all know what comes with that intensity...muscles that are tight, tired, and sore.  It is important that you are aware of the things your body is facing and do the little things to prevent yourself from getting injured. 

One of the best preventive solutions is gradual stretching. Stretching involves the entire muscle/tendon complex, lengthening it so that the chance of an exercise movement's suddenly stretching these structures past their limits and causing damage is reduced.  Another preventive solution is warming up before you workout. Warming up pumps blood and oxygen to the area and literally raises the temperature of the muscles involved, allowing them to contract with greater force.