Mike Alexander, CPT, CNC

North Jersey/Hudson Valley-based NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach.

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#mikealexandertrainingsystems #mikealexandercpt #northjerseypersonaltrainer

[mikealexandercpt]

Yesterday's training could've been so much better. There were some complications, but not necessarily because I was so exhausted. It was from #bloat and #gastricdistress - and I even know why it happened!

But here's the moral of today's story: listen to your body. If you're in a situation where you feel bloated or worse, your ability to achieve proper #coreactivation will immediately disappear. Fatigue will build up, primarily in part to lack of #nutrients being converted into #cellularenergy.

That decently weighted #dumbbellbenchpress is going to be even harder to hit. That big pull you wanted to hit? Not happening if you cannot #keeptight.

Hold off, walk away and live to fight another day. Manage your #digestivehealth, regardless of what may be ailing you, and come back even better than before!

Mike

#mikealexandercpt #mikealexandertrainingsystems #betterlifestyleclubmonroeny #fiber #corestrength #corestability #muscleactivation #livetofightanotherday #northjerseypersonaltrainer

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Make sure to incorporate #legdrive into your #benchpress technique. Regardless of your #fitnessgoals, pushing back with your #feet will hel

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Legion's Pulse #preworkout is so powerful, thanks to its#sciencebacked profile it even enhances the grooviness of this here lava lamp. It's true - just look at the colors man...whoa... What's even more far out? @legion is holding a 25% off sale for their products Forge AND Phoenix right now. So make sure you click either the link in my bio or try using the link below and use to the discount code MikeA to either get 20% of #legionpulse or other Legion products or use it to add along with the 25% off Forge, Phoenix or both! DUDE!!! Click here for Legion's out of sight line: https://bit.ly/3XZagtx Mike #mikelaexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #legionathletics #legionforge #legionphoenix #northjerseypersonaltrainer #strawberryalarmclock #mikematthews #cliftonnj #nasmcpt #northernnj #northjerseylocalbusiness (at Clifton, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CphnEVOum8L/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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P-p-p-peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter is amazing, we all know this. We've been eating it since we were kids thanks largely to Mom packing in our lunchboxes. One small portion (two tablespoons) provides you with 7-8 grams of #protein. However, that same size serving can also provide nearly 200 #calories. So, I'd advise you be mindful of your consumption of #peanutbutter if #weightloss is the goal. However, you can also find #monounsaturatedfats on peanut butter. They will help shuttle #nutrients throughout the body and even help you improve your #cholesterol levels. So, go ahead: spread the peanut butter on your #appleslices, on #celery or even use them in #smoothies as so many of us do. You know you want to! Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #northjerseypersonaltrainer #northernnj #nutritioncoaching #nasmcpt #nasmcnc #macronutrients #peanutbutterjellywithabaseballbat (at Edison, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpXVMDqjMe2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Red Peppers are a little pricier than green peppers primarily because they stay on the #vine longer. That's also way they're so much more delicious...and healthier, of course! One medium sized red pepper actually contains 169% of the RDA for #vitmainc, making it that much packed with the nutrient than even oranges! It also contains a good amount of #vitamink, #vitaminb6 and #potassium. I eat these every day for a reason, ya know. Don't be afraid to shell out a few extra bucks because it's absolutely worth it! Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #redpeppers #micronutrients #northernnj #northjerseypersonaltrainer #cliftonnj #nutritioncoach #nasmcnc (at Clifton, N.J.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpVL1uwoCRP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Fruit: nature's candy. Ever heard that before? Well, you should have! Oranges especially can be considered this since one #orange contains 12 grams of #naturalsugar. It's true! But more than that, a single orange contains, #vitaminc, #calciuim and #potassium. In fact, one cup of #orangejuice provides 14% of one's daily requirement for Potassium, which could aid in maintaining adequate #bloodpressure (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019). So whether or not it's an orange, orange juice, or something else, don't miss out on the benefits of this amazing #superfood! Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #nasmcnc #nutritioncoach #njnutritioncoach #northjerseypersonaltrainer #citrus #cliftonnj #northernnj #oranges (at Clifton, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpUwX3vIBnF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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I left New York City for THIS. Not only am I far happier with my line of work, but I dare ANYONE to tell me with a straight face that the scenery in this pictures isn't peaceful. I'm five months into my time as a FULL TIME #personaltrainer and it's moments like this that make me say I made the right decision. Also, use the link in my bio and type on the code MikeA for 20% of your first purchase of all @legion products now! Mike #mikelaexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #woodburyjunction #hudsonvalleyny #orangecountyny #ilovemyjob #ilovemyclients #legionathletics #legionpulse #northjerseypersonaltrainer #northernnj (at Highpointe at Woodbury Junction) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIFl5LOHQx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Mike Alexander on LinkedIn: #preworkout #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #mikematthews…

I am privileged to announce that as of yesterday morning I am officially sponsored by Legion! What an honor! I've been a fan of Legio

When you use my discount code you'll get 20% off on your first purchase. Any purchase after that is DOUBLE off!

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Eating regularly (5-7 times) throughout the day maintains proper blood sugar and energy levels, while regular exercise consistently burns consumed calories (Alencar et al. 2015). With that in mind, is #nutrienttiming necessary? I'd say so. Nutrient Timing is more than "just" when and what to eat pre, peri, and post training. It's scheduling ALL of you meals and especially your #macronutrients. If you have ever gone off- schedule or have been one to eat at different times every day, then you might've noticed that you're far more sluggish, hungry, and you've probably even experienced some beautiful mood swings. One way I try to keep on schedule with my hectic work days, is to make sure I #mealprep weekly, sometimes biweekly. This'll keep me from looking for places to go to spend money on food I've no business ingesting. If I'm on the road and I am to train during a break from work, I'll also have my #preworkoutmeal in my cooler and I will eat it while on the go, a good hour before my training time, providing me MORE than enough time to digest my food before I even get near the gym. Someone once asked if I'd ever put together a Zoom presentation on Nutrient Timing for school age athletes. I think it's time for me to put something together...🤔🤔 Mike #mikelalexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #nutritioncoach #nutritioncoaching #cnc #nasmcnc #northernnj #northjerseypersonaltrainer #protein #carbohydrates #fats #cliftonnj (at Edison, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co3anuODtFN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The Keto Diet is one that's been around for over century and it's pretty popular. Look at this pyramid and I at least can see why, especially as someone who can't eat some of the foods that are crossed out, for starters. The Keto Diet is, as seen above, largely reliant on fat for energy via #ketosis. Long-term ketogenic diets are capable of leading to greater weight loss than traditional low-fat diets (Bueno et al., 2013) or other control diets (Hashimoto et al., 2016). However, when calories and protein are matched between diets, a ketogenic diet does not lead to more fat loss than a non-ketogenic or higher-carbohydrate diet (Johnston et al., 2006; Meckling et al., 2004). While it is entirely possible to increase muscle mass on a ketogenic diet, the increases in muscle may be inferior to a higher-carbohydrate diet (Vargas et al., 2018). This is why, along with seeing the negative effects of training while on a #ketodiet, I'm not a fan of relying on this kind of diet if you're either training for athletic purposes or just training intensely in general. As you progress, whether it be using a higher rep scheme or increasing weight, you'll need extra more of an intake of #carbohydrates for glycogen replenishment. Not having that capability can possibly lead to an unnecessary injury, which I saw first four years ago. So, do I approve of the Keto Diet? I'd say go ahead and try it out if you're either sedentary or are performing any kind of #lowimpactmovement. But for any intense training, you'll want the extra carbs for #recovery. Mike #mikelaexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #ketogenicdiet #ketones #fats #macronutrients #northjerseypersonaltrainer #northernnj #nutritioncoach #cnc #nasmcnc https://www.instagram.com/p/Co1lffTOXMv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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This is considered a classic go-to philosophy for most people looking to lose weight. Don't do this if you're an athlete, however. A few potential cons of taking part in a #lowcaloriediet are: 1.Increased risk of lean body mass loss, particularly in those who are already relatively lean 2.Decreased athletic performance 3.Reduced ability to recover from training 4.Inability to ingest key #micronutrients Honestly, I generally find most of these diets to be restricting in many ways. Just eat a balanced diet with the right amount of #protein, #fat, and #carbohydrates, tailor it to your needs and preferences based on your athletic goals and go from there. Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #nasmcnc #nutritioncoach #northernnj #northjerseypersonaltrainer #cliftonnj #macronutrients #recovery (at Clifton, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CowtPXzNDVj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Remember when I said not too long ago that there's more than one way to #squat if you don't wish to load your spine? That especially goes for #lankylifters. If you're like me, you have incredibly long arms and legs relative to your torso. And those usually aren't good bedfellows with proper #squatmechanics. Since the bar rests on your back in a traditional squat, your #centerofgravity is altered, especially if you're #lanky, because the lower you go in the #eccentric portion of the movement, the more you'll lean forward. And it's not as if you "can't" squat like that; it's just harder. With a variation such as the #frontsquat, however, the aforementioned Center of Gravity doesn't change at all. This is especially due to the fact that the #anteriorchain. See how relatively vertical my spine is in the picture? It wouldn't be looking like that with #spinalloading, that's for sure! Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #northjerseypersonaltrainer #longlegs #talllifters #nasmcpt #northernnj #edisonnj #centraljerseyexists, #apollongym (at Apollon Gym) https://www.instagram.com/p/CouIdqrNpCZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Poor posture and repet­itive overuse movements can create dysfunction within the connective tissues of the human movement system (HMS) (Iqbal & Alghadir, 2017), which is why #selfmyofascialrolling can be such a great tool, especially in the case of addressing an #overactivemuscle. But keep in mind that it's just that, a TOOL. Therefore, do you HAVE to use in your training routines? Not at all? In fact, I try my best to use in on my off days and then, on my training days, I'll just focus on my #mobility work. Rolling techniques are supposed to help increase your #rangeofmotion after all. Rolling can be great, but just pick your rolling times wisely. Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #foamroller #foamrolling #smr #cliftonnj #northjerseypersonaltrainer #rumbleroller #patternoverload #overuseinjuries #inhibitorytechniques #correctiveexercise #facebookfitness (at Clifton, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CopaU65Nt8l/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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This was taken in the summer of 2021. One of my big go-to exercises for a strong #upperback, for myself as well as my clients, is the #bandpullapart. Perform this with either a #pronatedgrip or with a #supinatedgrip (my preferred grip!), which will remove the #anteriordeltoids from the equation, allowing the focus to be directly on the #posteriordeltoids. This amazing exercise also plays a part in #trapezius development, giving you a look of power, and #muscularbalance, as the increase in #strength allows you to retract your #scapula with ease. Aim for up to 20 reps when warming up for any exercise or you can also hit this on your off days. Mike #mikealexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #northjerseypersonaltrainer #northjerseypersonaltraining #cliftonnj #resistancebands #lowimpacttraining #scapularretraction (at Clifton, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coo-4l-NpyI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Let's briefly discuss #hydration post-training! You should be drinking some kind of fluids before and during your training time as is. But fluid intake post-training is more crucial. Aside from drinking 8 glasses of water daily, try to drink anywhere between 16 to 24 oz of water for every pound lost during exercise. Please keep in mind that this is a general rule of thumb and therefore, might be unnecessary for some of you. But if your training is intense enough, this is what you'd want to shoot for. Tha ks for reading and please follow me for most tips like this! Mike #mikelaexandercpt #mikealexanderfitness #water #keephydrated #postexerciserecovery #recovery #drinkwater #nasmcpt #northjerseypersonaltrainer #northernnj #cliftonnj #passaiccounty #northjerseylocalbusiness #igfitness (at Clifton, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSaIihrlYR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=