Strength Training Archives

sumi · June 16, 2015

So, a few weeks ago, I put together a neat post about all the cool things that start to happen when you strength train regularly, including getting stronger (of course!), finding daily tasks easier to accomplish, better bloodwork/labs, performing better at your job, reducing stress, and so on.

And another thing, strength training improves self-esteem. How? By watching the numbers on the bar going UP, there’s a continual reinforcement that you ARE getting stronger.

Objectively stronger.

And that fills you with a sense of accomplishment and pride that lifts your mood, helps you power through the rest of your day, and keeps you coming back for more.

Things that you thought you could not do, or limiting beliefs that might have been holding you back, no longer do.

The short article above, from Shape magazine, points out the term “fitness self-esteem,” and how you can build it by making slight improvements in each workout (doing more reps, or lifting progressively more weight). Improving your fitness self-esteem enables you to achieve your goal (a “better body” in this case).

That’s Shape magazine. My take?

Feeling the weight on your back when you’ve settled in for squats, with a weight that could possibly crush YOU —and then actually “crushing” that set—is tremendously exhilarating.

And empowering.

When you know you’re physically capable of achieving a difficult feat (e.g., heavy squats, or deadlifts), other tasks that you once perceived as challenging no longer limit you.

Improving self-esteem generally happens via a “ripple effect” with strength training. One healthy habit (lifting weights) starts to have an effect on other things you begin to do to improve your health; like going to bed earlier, or eating to nourish your workouts. Things that you thought were out of your reach, like completing a half marathon, your first 5K, or engaging in a new recreational activity with the kids, becomes your new reality.

There’s something about strength training that makes you fills you with incredible self-esteem. The kind of feeling that makes you believe you are capable of anything.

See you in the gym 🙂

sumi · May 9, 2015

So, we all get caught up in weight loss, which is a perfectly awesome goal.

But in case you forgot, there are some fabulous reasons for strength training…that have nothing to do with the scale or weight loss.

Such as being stronger at your job:

Better bloodwork:

Doing something you couldn’t do before:

Staying healthy through a stressful year, or two. Or three:

Making everyday tasks easier:

Empowering our kids:

Strong Powerful Mommy and Daughter!

Prepares you for tough challenges:

You derive BIG pleasure from watching the numbers go UP:

You might need superhero powers one day:

Showing Parkinson’s disease who’s boss:

Because it makes you a badass (of course):

Your “best body,” at age 70:

What are YOUR reasons?

sumi · March 24, 2015

Many of my clients are strong moms who want simple, challenging strength training workouts outside the gym that require no equipment (no bands, no dumbbells, nothing). Here is a full body workout you can do outdoors, at the playground, while the kids are at play.

Before I break it down here’s a link to the full video:

[youtube width=”483″ height=”271″]http://youtu.be/x7QZDpLmb1w[/youtube]

Keep in mind that the exercises here are challenging; they’re meant to work bigger muscles (back, chest, glutes and quads) in ways that you might not otherwise consider. For instance, the chin up might not be possible….

But in the video I show you how to prop your feet up on the ladder of the playscape and do an assisted chin up.

Back is notoriously hard to train unless you own heavy weights or a pullup bar, so I also show you how you do inverted rows, which would be a fabulous substitute for the chins.

You can also use the picnic benches outdoors to perform several variations of the pushup (on knees, hands supported on bench, or decline pushups).

If you’re looking for some variety to the basic bodyweight squat for leg training, you could do the following exercises while at the playground (utilizing a sturdy bench anywhere is fine), such as the step up:

and Bulgarian split squat:

You could also hit the glutes, hamstrings, and core with hip bridges (see the video for variations):

and bodyweight Goodmornings:

Smaller muscles of the lower leg are super easy to train at the playground so check out the video for variations of the calf raise:

You don’t have to get dirty or on the ground for ab work either (I don’t seem to mind, and the kids will think you’re cool) like I do here:

You could use the picnic bench for a supported plank, and I have the core variations covered in the video as well.

The weather being absolutely perfect for this latest post I wanted to give you some ideas for taking your workouts outside. The video will walk you through several repetitions of each exercise as well as the suggested number of reps and sets you can shoot for while keeping your eye on junior.

So take it outside, maximize EVERYONE’s fun at the playground, show off all that hard earned muscle you’ve been working at all year round, and don’t be afraid to get a little dirty!

sumi · October 14, 2014

If you’re a new mom, a stay at home mom, or just trying to save some money by cutting out a gym membership, you might want to consider the following pieces of budget friendly tools for at-home strength training.

Resistance, or strength training will require you to work your body against an object that provides resistance.

You’re going to need light dumbbells and resistance bands in order to weight train at home. A bench, step + risers, or a strong supportive chair, coffee table, or sofa, are all great tools that you may already own and that can be used for at home strength training.

Bands and dumbbells come in a range of weights/tensions, from light to heavy. You might do fine with a set of 5 lb and 10 lb dumbbells, maybe more if you’re stronger. I’ve seen light dumbbells and bands at discount department stores and sporting good stores. Google and Craigslist are your friends, so use the Internet to scour for the best deals. Garage sales are usually good for finding the best deals on weights.

You could also fill up used 1/2 gallon and gallon milk containers with water and use them as “dumbbells,” or fill them with sand to make them heavier.

Light to Medium dumbbells are great for at-home exercisers.

Resistance bands: I’ve bought bands from Black Mountain Products and was very happy with their customer service. Here’s a link to their site; it’s not an affiliate link and I do not make any money off of their sales. http://www.blackmountainproducts.com/ Of course, other sites like Amazon.com (online) or Walmart, Target, etc. may sell them as well. You can also check out my video on training with resistance bands here.

Proper shoes. My favorite piece of overlooked fitness apparel is a pair of nice, flat-soled shoes for weight lifting. Check out the Converse I’m sporting in the photo below. Brand name really isn’t important, but overly clunky shoes with super thick, foamy, squishy/springy heels are not ideal for weight lifting. Although probably fine for walking (and do use your running shoes for running/jogging), thicker and heavier shoes often restrict movement at the ankle and make it harder for you to push evenly through your feet during exercises like the squat. Keds, Converse, or something similar will do just fine.

sumi · May 15, 2014

Meet Bob. I’ve been strength training with Bob Faber (who has Parkinson’s) for several years now. And here’s what he’s had to say about it:

“Since starting strength training, my flexibility, mobility and strength have greatly improved. It takes a personal commitment with a knowledgeable trainer like Sumi.”

And here’s what he looks like in action.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLlaJ8OHKTM[/youtube]

Because of the Parkinson’s we generally stick to machines and cable stacks, as balance is a big issue and some days are better than others.

I consider myself incredibly lucky, blessed with honor of working with two very hard-working men who both happen to have Parkinson’s. In addition to Bob, I also train another client Al, who I’ve written about here. And although two is hardly a large sample size, the progress in both Al and Bob that I’ve seen over the course of several years has been nothing short of impressive and inspirational.

sumi · May 3, 2013

Getting older doesn’t automatically preclude you from learning how to lift weights and resigning yourself to a loss of strength and functionality. Neither does having Parkinson’s.

The effects of age related muscle-wasting (sarcopenia) may be counteracted by resistance training (J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Feb;25(2):326-33.), and we’re not talking about the little pink dumbbells, either. Somewhere around 60% of a maximal effort weight and higher reps, and even using free weights (not JUST the machines).

Older trainees in the gym normally stick with familiar cardio machines, but if you’ve ever seen Al in action, you might want to clear some space. He’s been strength training with me for 2 years now, and in that time he’s seen some impressive gains in strength and coordination.

Working muscle coordination with battling rope.

He’s done all this despite being in his 70’s and having become involved with strength training with Parkinson’s disease.

Although Al’s determined personality makes our work outs fairly intense, trainees with Parkinson’s can use resistance training pretty much like everyone else. And just like anyone else, he got stronger with a basic program for resistance training.

My clients know how I harp on about maintaining a record (a training log) of your gym workouts. Al’s training logs showed the following improvements over the course of 7 months:

Hamstring Curl: Starting 60 lbs X 20 reps, Current 150 lbs X 15 reps

Leg Press: Starting 45 lbs X 20 reps, Current 135 lbs X 15 reps

Seated Cable Row: Starting 20 lbs X 20, Current: 60 lbs X 15 reps

Stability Ball Squat (a movement to be used with caution with Parkinson’s depending on the stage): Starting Bodyweight X 20 reps, Current: Bodyweight plus two 12 lb dumbbells in either hand X 20 reps

Glute Bridge: Starting Bodyweight X 20 reps, Current: Bodyweight plus Heavy Sandbag (45lbs) X 20 reps.

“I have been diagnosed as having Parkinson’s, scoliosis and rheumatoid arthritis which have caused loss of muscle strength. I believe a regime of regular exercise can significantly retard further muscle atrophy and help increase tone and strength. Sumi has been a great help to me in achieving my goals.” Al

I could go on and on with his improvements in a variety of exercises all across the board, but you get the basic idea. If a man diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1998, and now in his 70’s, is able to accomplish results like these (with a trainer like me, hey selfish plug here! ☺), ask yourself what’s stopping you?

Working the rear delts with resistance bands

sumi · August 8, 2011

I’m lucky enough to work with clients who enjoy weight training for more than just the superficial or cosmetic reasons. Not everyone heads to the gym for the sole purpose of losing weight. And although there’s nothing wrong with the goal of weight loss, the photoshopped and airbrushed images of “perfect bodies” on fitness magazines and ads portray a warped image of fitness and health. Getting stronger and gaining confidence, feeling less “old” (LOL that was an actual reason, perhaps one of mine…), feeling a sense of accomplishment, and getting mobility back were all some of the things clients have told me in the gym.

Why do I train hard? So that I can always keep up with the little one.

It made me think….I really gotta write this stuff down!

I recently polled some clients and asked them to give me the top reasons why they love to train with weights. The winner (the first to respond) received a bottle of Lemon Flavored fish oil from Biopharma Scientific.

Here’s what you said:

“Once I started lifting weights the asthma faded. I was so happy and decided then this was a life long commitment on my part. Also I love being strong and sculpted.” (The winner)
Continue Reading …

sumi · January 27, 2011

Rope is great for rope chinups! If you can remember to pack it.

Busy professionals like us have a laundry list of excuses of why we are justified in abandoning our fitness goals while on travel, and some of them are actually pretty good. But, for the most part, it really isn’t all that hard to make it work. I wrote a piece earlier on eating right on the road here: but I wanted to share some real life experiences from clients, fellow gym-enthusiasts, and professional competitors on tips they have used for staying fit when you travel.

1) Even if your hotel gym sucks, get to it, and put in your sets and reps. A strong male client of mine commented while he was on travel: “I’m jet lagged, the hotel gym sucks, and the heaviest DBs I can find weigh only 60 lbs, but I’m making it work.” Moral: Even with the lousiest tools, you can still “make it work.” Be creative: superset, bump up your reps, keep your heart rate up and keep your rest periods short, do challenging body weight exercises when possible.

2) Do your research and plan ahead. I know clients who look into what kind of gym their hotel has even before they look into the local weather. If you like what you see, great. If you don’t and you crave more, look beyond for a bigger gym. The internet is your friend. I know of a professional powerlifter who travels extensively and manages to keep up with his lifting program, 4 days a week, no matter where he travels.

Powerlifting watch has an excellent gym locator link. Some gyms will sell weekly passes or daily passes, so ask to speak to the manager and see what kind of deal you can get. Plan ahead if you’ve got some really big barbell needs, as most hotels won’t appreciate you deadlifting their treadmills and benching hotel guests.

2b) If you already belong to a corporate gym or franchise you may be able to use locations other than your home gym for free or at a reduced cost. I work in the DC/VA/MD area, and many of my fellow lifters are affiliated with the military. If that’s true for you too, take advantage of the military affiliation and lift on military installations for free. Free is good.

3) Commit to your plan. If you have a fairly flexible per diem that allows you to spend a certain amount of money on daily passes, you should absolutely use it. You know everyone else is blowing it on another happy hour or over the top meal. If you travel in a team, make sure they understand you are committed to getting in your workouts. The next time they travel with you, there won’t be any question as to where you are, and how you roll. And I know someone who rolls with several hard boiled egg whites.

4) Always have some extra gym gear ready and packed. Just like the cooler items I mentioned in part 1, Eating Right on The Road, don’t forget to pack your socks, sneakers, training log, iPod, supplements, whey protein, etc and whatever else you need to feel “at home” and ready for a workout. If you can, ship some items to be waiting for you in advance, or leave behind a happy hour outfit and the second pair of salsa dancing shoes.

5) Along the lines of spending, use your per diem wisely. I’ve worked at places that wouldn’t blink if I ordered a steak dinner every night, and that sort of thing is perfect if you’re picking up some metal and trying to bulk up. And if a lean steak is not your thing, any decent hotel will carry several lean protein options on the menu. Moral: use the per diem wisely, and towards your healthy goals. You can have the egg whites, chicken breast, and tuna when you get home.

6) Be flexible. Travel delays are inevitable. If you’re following a program that has you lifting 4 days a week, plan to get in the bigger muscle groups BEFORE you leave town, use your travel days as rest, and save the smaller muscle groups or cardio days for the hotel gym where you might have fewer heavier options. On rest days, make it a point to taper your cals if you anticipate getting in little activity, like when you spend 4 hours in a cramped chair waiting on the tarmac.

Bottom line: it’s all about research, planning, spending your time and money wisely, and maintaining the right attitude. Make exercise a lifelong commitment and part of your lifestyle. And don’t leave home without some clean socks. And those are some ways you can make sure that are able to stay fit when you travel.

sumi · January 12, 2011

My good friend Will Brink wrote a piece on Why Your Workouts Suck and I thought I’d go on a bit further because with all the other possible things that might suck in your life (traffic, frizzy hair, the electricity bill, your dog’s farts—and yes those are my problems), your workout ought not to suck.

Part of my mission in this blog is to help the newbie pave the trail from the couch to the squat rack, but the path can be confusing, and is littered with sucky advice. So, what are some of the things you can do to avoid a sucky workout, other than the things that Will has already pointed out?

Don’t let your weight sessions suck

1) Learn how to perform the basics, even if that means “just” the body weight exercises. Performing one perfect body weight squat to depth is a great example. So you say you can’t squat? How do you get on the potty, and get back up? Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of simply following whatever someone else is doing.

You may witness the following errors: squatting on the Smith Machine (whatever you do, DON’T teach yourself there!) or the half-rep heavy barbell ego squat. I’d rather teach a client to perform a squat with “no weight,” and progress with bands, dumbbells, barbells, or other objects that provide resistance (a sandbag, your toddler) rather than teaching a sucky squat.

And it’s not just squats on the Smith Machine. It’s improper or unnecessary use of machines when body weight or “at home” exercises will suffice. At the gym where I work, there’s an “ab coaster” machine. I witnessed a lady hop on the ab coaster and commence the act of horseback riding. It was fitness porn at its worst.

She certainly wasn’t working her abs through a proper range of motion, and would have served herself better by performing some actual floor crunches.
2) Copying whatever fad someone else is doing in the gym. I know someone who decided she was ready to get back in the gym and asked me if the latest 90-day muscle confusion DVD fad was a good choice for her. Part of me wanted to instantly launch into a discussion about the things Will mentioned in his article (lack of planned progression and periodization, program not aligned with goals) but I thought about my reply for a minute.

I wanted to encourage her to do something (anything!) other than sit on the couch and maybe this would motivate her to start moving again. So I broke it down into a simpler discussion: could she afford it, and what would she do after the 90 days was over?

In the back of my mind, I knew this was the kind of program that was really best suited for a more advanced lifter, and her potential for losing motivation and risking injury could be high on the program. If her upper body strength was minimal, how would she understand what her options were when instructed to perform pull-ups?

The problem with fads is that they are short lived by nature. After a less technical discussion with her, she realized the better choice for her would be to start smaller; take the baby steps to cleaning up her diet, start by taking brisk walks, look into some good home-based equipment like used dumbbells and bands, and look into membership fees at her local recreation center. Will also has some suggestions for some kick-ass home based resistance training exercises here: http://www.brinkzone.com/strength-training/effective-training-at-home/ He uses the TRX straps, and I have the blast straps sold on elitefts.com <http://elitefts.com/> .

3) Find a training partner who’s gym savvy. Your training partner could even be a virtual one! I found myself a like-minded athlete and “Star” and I are almost done with a 10-week program that we’ve followed to the letter. Now, this isn’t exactly the kind of program I’d endorse following, but the point is we are doing it together, motivating each other, keeping one another accountable, sharing our struggles, etc.

It also goes back to my point about not sucking at your workouts and ties in to the things Will brings up in his article: matching your training to your goals, and tracking your progress. Star and I were both intent on adding some muscle to our frames, and both of us are self-confessed data lovers.

We trade journals, track our progress, and make sure we’re beating our own records. Point is, if you claim you can’t find a gym partner to work out with, you may be able to find a like minded partner on the internet. Join a forum like the one on www.fatlossrevealed.com and find your ally!

Training partners that you actually meet with at the gym and that share mutual goals with you are a great option, especially if walking into the gym for the first time is intimidating. If they know their way around, they might be able to safely show you how to perform an exercise safely.

The last thing you really want to have happen is to have a sucky workout. Sucky workouts can translate into injury, demotivation, and lack of progress (results!). We’ve all seen that person in the gym, who shows up day after day, slogging it out on the treadmill, or pumping out some wasted reps on the hip ab/adduction machine while reading a magazine.

Or the guy hanging out by the bench press rack munching on a power bar, or the lady other riding the ab coaster like a cowgirl, or the dude with the puffy pad wrapped around the Smith Machine bar squatting with a spotter (and grunting!). There are enough examples of people doing things the wrong way and I don’t want you to be one of them.

So make sure that your workouts don’t suck.

sumi · December 28, 2010

I have to admit I had a couple of doubts about writing this piece, but I figure my 3 year old is too young to read this just yet, and by the time she is able to do so, I would have done at least a million things far more embarrassing. Because today I want to talk about why I strongly believe that strength training is sexy.

Girls need muscle too.

Among the many, many positive side effects of picking up some heavy metal and pounding the weights is that it can boost your libido, and tremendously. Feeling strong and looking strong is sexy.

Everyone, man or woman, wants to look and FEEL great naked; strong, powerful and sexy. If you’ve never thought that picking up a barbell or stroking the steel in the power cage could be fiercely sexy and empowering, maybe you should give it a try.

So, why the post about sex and strength training? I was joking around with a good friend about how few women rarely talk about the other, lesser known side effect of strength training (improved sex drive and appetite) and she turned me on to this article on low libido, reduced sex-drive in women, and the use and need for “female Viagra” in women as young as 18 and as old as 98.

The article makes no mention of why strength training is sexy or how it can function as a means to boost libido. In actuality it’s probably not that simple because of the possible multitude of factors that might be influencing sex drive.

After all, it’s not like you’re going to wander in a gym, do a set of deadlifts, and POOF, you’re a sex goddess. Strength training can’t make you sexy like that. However studies have shown that regular exercisers report a higher sex drive, possibly related to surges of testosterone that can occur immediately after resistance training like lifting heavy weights. I’ve heard time and time again that complex, compound movements (e.g., squats and deadlifts, another reason why we love squats and deadlifts!) are great libido boosters. So clearly strength training can make you more sexy 🙂

I considered the fun I might have, interviewing my fellow gym rats about their sex drive after a 5X5 leg day workout, but I really don’t HAVE to do that. All my close friends who regularly strength train ALL know what I’m talking about here- resistance exercise boosts your own libido – your body image improves, you feel and look better naked, you’re more confident in yourself and your body; you know you look good; and best of all, you get to spend time around sweaty, fit bodies (pheromones!)

For many of us, popping a pill should be the last resort, especially if you’ve never gotten a boost through a good, hard sweat session surrounded by hard bodies. 🙂 Instead try strength training and see if the strength, muscle tone and improve body image doesn’t make you feel sexy. It did for me and I think it can for you too.

Strength Training Self-Esteem

Strength Training Inspiration

Such as being stronger at your job:

Better bloodwork:

Doing something you couldn’t do before:

Staying healthy through a stressful year, or two. Or three:

Making everyday tasks easier:

Empowering our kids:

Prepares you for tough challenges:

You derive BIG pleasure from watching the numbers go UP:

You might need superhero powers one day:

Showing Parkinson’s disease who’s boss:

Because it makes you a badass (of course):

Your “best body,” at age 70:

The Playground Workout

Budget Friendly Tools for At-Home Strength Training

Strength Training with Parkinson’s (Again!)

Strength Training with Parkinson’s

Why do you Love to Train?

Staying Fit When You Travel Part 2

Why Your Workouts Suck

Strength Training is Sexy