I want every one to do an exercise with me right now. Stand up, and count to 20.

I am serious. I have a point to prove. Stand up and count to 20.

Did you successfully count to 20? Good. You don’t need a personal trainer.

“Sorry man, I can’t hit happy hour with you. It’s Thursday which means I need to work my supraspinatus at the gym tonight.”

I am a firm believer that results can be very simple to achieve and the biggest thing that does not produce results is the lack of action. There are many trainers out there that are focused on trying to show you they know the human anatomy rather than showing you how to get results. I am sorry, but those exercises to work your rotators cuffs really are not going to get the results you need, unless you are an athlete or a bodybuilder. In the same manner, trying to work the 3 heads of the tri, or the 4 muscles of the quad, or the inner muscles of the abs, won’t really get you the results you need. Yeah, they will produce some results, but how many hours do you want to spend in the gym? Are you really going to dedicate a whole gym session to the quad? Unless you are body builder, the answer is no.

Most people don’t want to spend hours in the gym to get results. Let’s face it, if someone created a workout plan that got you in the best shape of your life in 5 minutes, you would buy that right now. Sadly, there are no plans that I know of that will do that (that work).

So what is the next best thing? Focus your weights on large muscles. These include calf, quad, hamstring, back, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. That is really all you need to get a good workout.

And when you work out big muscles, just workout the big muscles! You don’t need to do an Arnold Press, lateral raises, front raises and bent over lateral raises to feel the burn in your shoulder. That is honestly just overkill. Grab a weight, and lift it 12-15 times over your head, rest, do it two more times. Move on to the next muscles. Like I have said before, it isn’t rocket science.

Get in. Blow up. Get out. Stop focusing on the little details and you will produce bigger results.

Recently, I had the chance to chat with a group of people about their experience at big box gyms. Here are some of the opinions picked out of the conversation:

“Commercial” gyms, such as 24 hour fitness, can be an overwhelming place to try to get in shape. If you are just getting into working out, it can be intimidating. You have girls wearing too little of clothing while working out on a bike going 1 MPH while reading the latest version of Cosmo, or you have the meat head group of guys who think they are the next Mr. Universe, grunting and sweating their way through a workout that really is not making much of an impact. You walk in, see these situations, and get discourage. So you go take the farthest elliptical machine and start getting cardio, until you see a leg machine open up, then you jump on that doing light weights that don’t really benefit you. If this is you, don’t waste your time or money on your GYM PASS!

The commercial gym setting,  is not for everyone. There are some people that benefit from having people stare at them, but there are some that are truly throwing away 20, 30, 50+ dollars a month. I am here to tell you that you DO NOT NEED A GYM! You can get great workouts around your home doing simple things around your house. No big box gym needed!

There are more than enough ways to get great workouts at home. There are body weight workout plans you can do, tools such as the TRX and if you are savvy, you can find anything around your house to get a great workout in.

After talking with this small group, I realized that many people would be interested in a workout program they can do at their own home. If this is something that you would be interested in, email me at info@nintemanfitness.com and tell me

• why you prefer working out at home vs. the gym,
• how many times per week  you can dedicate to working out and the length of time and
• name, age, goals you want to achieve.

If I get enough emails (actually, if one person wants it I will do this!) I will create a newsletter that will delivered to your inbox that will have workouts you can do, at home, no (or little) equipment, and NO DISTRACTIONS! Of course, this newsletter would be free of charge, so  you really have nothing to lose. Drop me a line and let me know what you want!

To Your Health,

~Z

If you are like most Americans, you walk into your gym to get some good cardio work in and are met with too many choices of machines. Treadmills, elliptical, bikes, recumbent bikes row machines, it is hard to choose. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will have a better sense  of what the best machine for you is. Now, although choice is a good thing because it can vary your program, the more choice the more confusions.

Now, every exercise machine will build fitness, but not all exercise machines are created equal. Treadmill running burns plenty of calories, but may be unacceptable if you have knee problems. Stationary bikes and stair climbers are easier on the joints, but are too boring and take too much muscle power. The best cardio machine burns plenty of calories, but is also easy on the joints.

As far as burning calories and fat, running on treadmills is the best, stationary cycle are the next best, and walking n a treadmill is the next best. The reason treadmill running is the best cardio is that during running there is a period when both feet leave the ground. This takes a lot of energy and force to go airborne, even if you are running slowly. You maintain contact with the exercise machine at all times when walking or working on a cycle.

As far as joint health, good cardio machines promote a stress free environment on the joints. If you have kneecap pain or knee joint pain, you are going to want to avoid machines that cause high joint tension, such as cycling or stair climbing. Treadmill climbing may cause ankle, knee, hip or back pain. The elliptical machines in by far the bet in joint integrity as it uses a smooth motions and does not put stress on the joints.

So if you are free of joint pain, the best cardio you can do is running on the treadmill. If you have, or develop joint pain, give the elliptical machine a try.

No matter what cardio machine you use, the only way a good cardio routine will work is if YOU work hard. Don’t plague your workout by getting lost in your music or reading a magazine. Put in the work and time and the results will follow.

I am a huge fan of working out at home. I hate the gym. I think the gym is becoming more of a social gathering than a place to work out. To me, working out is meditation. And it is hard to meditate when people are yelling and grunt. But I understand that some people just do not have the space to work out at home. Here are some guidelines to follow while you are at the gym, to ensure that you get the most out of your work, and save the socializing for later. This list is courtesy of Jamie Nischan via LifeHack.org

1. Have a clear destination

If you’re going to venture into the forest it would seem smart to have a general idea of where you are going and why you are going there.  The first question you must ask yourself is “why”?  Why are you even working out?  It sounds simple but if you cannot come up with a good enough answer than you may be wasting your time.  You see, if you are working out based on other people’s values of what a healthy lifestyle is, then you may be setting yourself up for failure.  Once you understand why then you must figure out what you would like the end result to be.  You should choose something specific and you should write it down.  How many pounds would you like to lose?  What size clothes do you want to fit in?  How many points off your cholesterol would you like to drop?  Ask yourself specific questions and have answers for them.  Next you must decide when you would like to have reached these goals.  Create specific times and dates.  Mark them down on your calendar.

2. Have a plan

Once you know where you want to go you must now figure out the path you would like to take to get there.  In fitness there are many paths to choose from and it can be quite confusing.  While some paths may be quicker or more appropriate to take then others it is most important to just pick one and stay with it.  Every time you enter that gym have a clear idea of what is going to happen. Know what pieces of equipment you need to use, know how many sets and reps you must perform and have a good idea how long it should take you to complete the workout.

3. Stay the course

There will be times when it may seem hard to stay on track.  Whether you’re traveling, someone is using a piece of equipment you need to use, or work gets in the way.  It will be important for you to learn to improvise in these situations.  Plan ahead when traveling, have alternate exercises in mind, and learn to adapt when change occurs. But in the end, always trust in the course you have previously mapped out for yourself.  Come back to it and adhere to it as accurately as possible.

4. Record everything

Always keep a fitness journal. Otherwise you will find it very hard to keep track of where you have been and where you are going.  Write down all exercises performed, how much weight used, how you felt, and if you think you can do better the next time you workout.  This is one of the most overlooked and powerful tools when it comes to attaining your goals.

Fitness is all about getting from point A to point B.  Unless you have a clear and defined path to get from one to the other you will find yourself going in circles. Using the tips outlined above create yourself your own fitness map and stick to it until you reach your destination.