Fitness | Fitness Training Tips

Personal Trainer Fitness Secrets Biweekly Newsletter by Scott White Personal Power Training swhite@personalpowertraining.net                   480-628-1607 Personal Trainer Home   |    Fitness Articles  |  Training Blog  |  Fitness Forum Fitness Article of the Week Strength Training for Distance Running With the New York City Marathon only about 120 days away, this would be the ideal time for a first-timer to begin their training regimen. And whether it's New York, Boston, Dublin, or PF Chang's Rock 'n Roll Marathon, if you're going the distance, you want to make sure your training is as complete as possible. Distance running can be improved by actually running good distances, of course, but not everyone has time to run 15 miles a day to get in condition. So what else can a runner do to truly increase their odds of going the distance? To make running feel more effortless and to help you run longer and longer distances without fatiguing, it is vital to improve your running economy, that is, learn to use less oxygen when you run (no, I'm not telling you to hold your breath when you're doing your 8 miles every morning!). Why is improving your running economy a good idea for a distance runner? It enables you to run at a smaller percentage of your maximal oxygen utilization rate. As you begin to improve your economy, and thus use less oxygen, running at a particular speed will begin to feel easier. Improving your economy just one percent can improve the time on your 10K run by at least twenty seconds. How does it work? When your body strength increases, fewer muscle fibers have to engage during the act of running, meaning that you waste less energy and use less oxygen. Also, the movements you do make are more economical, keeping your oxygen use low as you run your course. This means you can run longer, faster, and harder without feeling any more exhausted. Study proves the effectiveness of strength training for women distance runners Effective strength training can increase your running economy by as much as four or five percent, shaving up to a minute off of your 10K time. Consider the results of this study: six experienced female distance runners performed a weight-training regimen for 10 weeks. At the same time, another six female runners, also experienced, shunned the weight training in favor of their regular training routines. The women who did the weight training improved their upper body strength by an average of 24 percent and lower body strength by about 34 percent. After completing the training program, their heartbeats were measured while running and were found to be slower than they had been at the onset of the training. In fact, their running economy improved enough for them to shave about 80 seconds off a 10-kilometer run, on average. The other six runners showed no improvement in strength or running time. The same workouts could work for you!      Get The Strength Training Program Today! Strength training 3 days a week The women strength-trained three days a week, working on a combination of parallel squats with free weights, knee flexions, straight-leg heel raises, seated presses with free weights, rear lat pull-downs, hammer curls with free weights, and weighted sit-ups with free weights for one workout. The second workout combined lunges with free weights, knee extensions, bent-leg heel raises with free weights, bench presses with free weights, seated rows, front lat pull-downs, and abdominal curls. The first and second workouts were alternated throughout the week so that the women never did the same two in a row. On days when they were also supposed to run, they rested at least five hours between working out and running. While the strength training improved their physical strength and running time, these women did not "bulk up," which runners typically avoid so they don't have to carry around extra weight.  Get The Strength Training Program Today! So what does this mean for you? If you're a distance runner who has always believed strength training was unnecessary, perhaps it is time to reconsider that perspective. Avoiding strength training workouts might not be as good an idea as you had thought. Strength training significantly improved the performance of the athletes cited in the above-mentioned study, and it can work for you, too. Sounds like it might be time to use that gym membership for more than just the treadmill. While the above-mentioned exercises worked for the women in the study, do not attempt to create your own similar regimen without first speaking to your doctor. For help creating a strength training program to enhance your current distance running regimen, contact Scott White at swhite@personalpowertraining.net. Whether you're training for your first marathon, or your twenty-first, strength training can give you the boost you need to finish more quickly. Why let others finish ahead of you? For more information on this or other health-related subjects, contact Scott White at swhite@personalpowertraining.net. Post a comment in our blog, here. Featured Exercise Squats, Squats, Squats! Your newsletter is going interactive! Click here for a video demonstration of how to do a perfect squat: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-301337968654826399   Order a Squat Rack Today Click Here: Ask Scott White | Personal Trainer Question I keep hearing about "proper form, proper form" from my trainer. Isn't it more important that I'm working out at all than to be so worried about proper form? Scott Responds Yes, it's a great thing that you are working out regularly – but it's very dangerous to believe that proper form doesn't matter. The reason your trainer keeps stressing it so much is because it's so important. Most exercise professionals won't even let clients begin an exercise routine without learning about the basic form for each particular exercise. This is a good thing, since incorrect form and posture can lead to aches, pains, and serious injuries!   Reasons Proper Form and Posture Are Important During Your Workout safety   1.      Good form and posture put your body in correct alignment. Believe it or not, your body has natural safety features built into it. Standing and sitting in the correct position utilize your body's natural safety features and the body's natural leverage.   2.      Good form and posture help you avoid injuries, pulls, and strains. (If you have experienced an injury in the past due to incorrect form, you know just how painful it can be!) Your body, from the time it is born, is built to avoid injury and works all the time not to hurt itself. However to work properly, correct form and posture must be maintained – especially during exercise. You work out to benefit your health and your body, not to injure it. time efficiency   1.      No one wants to waste time! You want to make the most of every moment you are working out, and using proper posture and form can help. Correct form is beneficial because it allows you to target the exact muscle groups you wish to work. When you use incorrect form and posture, you may end up working peripheral muscle groups you had no real desire or need to work, rather than those really wish to target. 2.      Since most personal trainers and exercise specialists won't allow their clients to do serious, regular workouts until the client has achieved correct form and posture, a great deal of time and money can be lost on getting it correct instead of actually doing the more beneficial exercising. confidence in your activities Think of every other aspect of your life: At work, when you know what you are doing, you are confident in your abilities and feel good about yourself.  At home, when you complete a chore or family project and you do it well, you are proud of yourself, which leads to more confidence in your abilities. The same thing can be said for a workout! When you have proper form and posture, you will know you are doing your exercise routine correctly! This will lead to confidence that you are doing just what your body needs. Not only that, but you will look great as you do it!   Common Form and Posture Mistakes During a Workout Slouching. Stand up straight when you are doing upright exercises. Your shoulders should be back and your tummy should be held in tight. Your head should be up straight, not thrown forward. Leaning on the rails of the exercise equipment. Never lean during a workout. This puts extra strain on your back, shoulders, and neck. Make sure you are standing correctly, even when there are railings. Trying to lift too much weight. Have someone check your form when doing any kind of weight training. Work with less weight at a slower pace until you can perform with correct form and posture every time. The benefits of using proper form and posture when working out will show after only a few work outs. You'll be standing taller, looking and feeling better, and confident that you are doing something great for your body. Got a Question? Got a question? Send it to us at Ask the Trainer. We personally answer as many questions as we can. Your question may be used anonymously in the newsletter unless you ask us not to. Issue 27 July 1, 2007   Happy Independence Day to everyone. So what does freedom mean to you? For me, it's an awesome opportunity to experience fun and excitement outside with fireworks and barbecuing organic free-range meat with family and friends. That's right - just because it's a holiday is not an excuse for anyone not to eat healthy. Live well and enjoy the day(s) off, but keep on being good to your body.   To stay in great shape, you have to stay committed!   CLICK TO BUY!     The Work Out CD Learn the basics! This CD offers the fundamentals of exercise and nutrition so you can tailor your fitness program to your needs. To learn more, click here. Fitness Boot camp! Starting August  6, 2007 Fitness Boot Camp is the premiere fitness training and healthy-living boot camp program in Scottsdale! 3 times a week - M/W/F - 5 a.m. 4-Week Camp Enroll now! Register today, class is filling up fast. To learn more, click here.   Click Here To Buy! Get your own fitness program Today so that you can lose inches, build muscle, shed fat super fast, and feel absolutely amazing?  By getting this package you get tons of free workouts and training guides to get an amazing body today!! To Learn More: Fitness Training program Training the Trainer DVD   Learn the secrets to earning tons of money as a Personal Trainer with this awesome presentation. All the details, from A to Z to teach trainers how to market and grow their businesses and make more money!! Order now and find out the Secrets today!! Order Today!! Click Here Fitness model? Want publicity? Click here if you want to be listed as a fitness model on the Personal Power Training site. or  you want your own website: www.alicialeombruni.com   Website Design Services   Click Here to Buy!   Have you been looking for the secrets that will help you break into the fitness modeling business? Learn how with Scott White's How to Become a Fitness Model eBook.   Top Selling Health Products OXY - Powder Cleanse Super Detox Program Liquid Vitamins Kettlebells Infrared Saunas Personal Trainer Success Secrets Quote "Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence." ~ George F. Will ~ Definition of Fitness: Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition. Success Stories! Share your fitness success stories with us and receive a free copy of Scott White's Personal Power Training Daily Log Pages. Send your success story by clicking here.   Have a Web site? Want to IMPROVE your rankings and get MORE TRAFFIC?   Click Here to Buy! If you want to learn to consistently generate stampedes of traffic to any Web site . . . no matter what you sell, how experienced you are, or the size of your budget  . . . then you want to purchase SEO Super Success Secrets, the amazing program that truly makes SEO easy.   It's a complete, step-by-step multimedia course that will teach you how to generate consistent and unstoppable visits from streams of qualified leads and prospects. With this program, you can see your site begin to get ranked on the major search engines within 24 to 48 hours of implementing it.   You are receiving this newsletter by request. To subscribe, click here. To unsubscribe, click here.

# posted by Scott White @ 5:59 AM