All posts filed under: Strength Training

3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Lunge Form

One of the most basic movement patterns that you perform daily without even realizing it is lunging. The lunge requires core stability, single leg balance, and strength in your lower half to keep you upright, stable, and moving with ease. And, it just so happens to mimic the movements we make when we run, take the stairs, or simply walk. That’s why it’s critical to master your lunge form. “Lunges are one of those exercises that transfers to everyday life—whether you’re walking, going upstairs, or [going] downstairs,” says Michael Septh, an Aaptiv trainer and NYC-based personal trainer. “It might not be the same range of motion, but you’re stabilizing on one leg and maneuvering from hip to hip throughout your day,” just as you do in a lunge. While many of the exercises we do work both legs at once, it’s important to do these one-legged movements correctly so that you’re steadier on your feet. The Key to Proper Lunge Form The biggest mistake that Septh sees people make with their lunge form is distributing …

5 Ways to Get a Better Workout in Less Time

Written by McCall Minnor

You lead a busy life, whether that means going to class, working a demanding job, raising kids, or anything in between. But you don’t have to let your crammed schedule stall your fitness goals. Being busy and performing shorter workouts doesn’t always mean waiting longer for visible results, either. In fact, with a few minor adjustments, you can make a shorter workout just as (if not more) effective than longer ones. Learn how to turn any short sesh into a major sweat sesh. Add some resistance. By adding resistance to your routine, you’re automatically set up to work harder. Resistance training is based on the idea that your muscles will work to overcome a resisting force. Both strength training and aerobic exercise are key to a well-rounded fitness schedule. Resistance tackles them simultaneously. It not only builds up your muscle mass, but also your anaerobic endurance (aka the amount of time and intensity your body can perform without oxygen), skeletal muscles, and the number of calories burned throughout your workout. “Adding resistance helps you get a …

Does Bulking and Cutting Actually Work?

Written by Dan Roe

Bulking and cutting is a dietary strategy originally devised by bodybuilders in preparation for competition. But it sounds like what many of us subconsciously do on a seasonal basis. We eat big and train big to compensate throughout the wintertime. Then we attempt to shed the pounds by the time beach season arrives. If you put on muscle and fat simultaneously, the theory goes, that you can drop the fat to expose prodigious cuts and Instagram-worthy flexes (don’t act like you won’t). To find out whether bulking and cutting is realistic for non-bodybuilders, we enlisted the help of two people who have done it. Fred Duncan, a personal trainer in Williamsville, New York, who tried bulking and cutting while he was on the bodybuilding circuit. And Oskar Faarkrog, a Bangkok, Thailand-based personal trainer who found success with his own bulking and cutting program. The Case Against Bulking and Cutting Duncan, who got up to 255 pounds at the peak of his bulk, now weighs around 195-200 pounds. He prefers this to being 50 pounds heavier. Here are …

How to Strengthen Your Core With Rowing

Written by Laurel Leicht

Even if you’ve never rowed a single stroke, it’s pretty apparent from the motion—pushing off explosively with your legs and then pulling the handle toward your chest—that it’s an incredible workout for both your upper and lower body. It’s no wonder that this low-impact cardio machine has exploded in popularity in recent years. But even better: Rowing is an intense workout for your core, too. “You really don’t even have to concentrate on engaging your core on the rower. Your abs are automatically engaged,” says Garrett Roberts, owner and instructor of GoRow, an indoor-rowing studio in Hoboken, New Jersey. Learn how to strengthen your core with rowing the Roberts’ go-to workout. Work your complete core. Roberts is quick to point out that it’s not all about your abdominals. “Everyone thinks your core is just your front, but it wraps around your entire body and stabilizes your entire waist,” he says. The motion you repeat over and over on the rowing machine strengthens that whole center section of your body. “The end of each stroke, when you’re …

How Long Should I Rest Between Sets?

Written by Dan Roe

The time that you take between sets is a crucial variable of resistance training. Rest periods can be tweaked to complement changes to rep count and intensity. Too little rest between sets could mean submaximal muscle growth. Too much rest can take you out of the zone and waste precious gym time. Here to help you achieve the perfect breather is CPT and 2016 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year Nick Tumminello. Guidelines for Determining Your Rest Between Sets The ideal rest period between sets varies based on the individual and the strength workout being performed. It’s worth adjusting your rest until you find out how much time your body needs to recover. Also, note that we’re not talking about HIIT training here. The following guidelines are for resistance workouts designed to build strength and muscle mass. There are aerobic and metabolic merits to performing certain resistance exercises in rapid succession. But resistance performance falters when combined with HIIT training, according to an October 2016 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study. Therefore, we’ll leave …

What Is the VersaClimber and How Do I Use It?

Written by Kevin Gray

If you watched late-night TV infomercials in the ‘80s, you might remember the VersaClimber, that total-body cardio machine. More recently, you might have seen it pop up in your Facebook feed as a celebrity training secret, with converts including LeBron James and Jennifer Aniston. And now, the low-impact, high-intensity vertical climber continues its second act in studios, where a few gyms across the country are building entire workouts around it. One such gym is Rise Nation. Founded by LA-based trainer, Jason Walsh, Rise Nation opened in 2014 as the first VersaClimber-specific studio, and now sports locations in West Hollywood, Cleveland, Dallas, and Miami. “I wanted to come up with something that was superior to the other conditioning classes being offered,” says Walsh. “I wanted to create something that’s truly good for you, and VersaClimber workouts gave me that. They’re effective, efficient, and safe.” VersaClimber 101 With handles and pedals that utilize all four limbs, the VersaClimber engages the entire body in a cross-crawl motion—when your right arm goes up, so does your left leg, and …