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Different Types of Squats for 2018

By Marcisco Morrison 

In the earlier days, we knew of only two types of squats: ‘bad’ and ‘good’, depending on your orientation. Today, as we endeavor to stay fit and healthy, many more kinds of squats are being practiced. In fact, they are now so many that it’s possible to literally do squats daily for a whole month and never have to repeat the same type twice.

Body Weight Squats

This is the basic squat involving no exercise equipment such as barbells, dumbbells, or kettle-bells. Simply get into the classic squat posture with your feet set apart, slightly pointed out and squat down to a position where both your knees attain a 90-degree angle. In that state try to maintain your weight on your heels as you begin to push yourself back upright. During the entire process, try not to lean forward in order to maintain a flat back.

Squat Pulses

Perform a basic squat, dropping your body down with the butt pushed back. The knees should never go over your toes. Pretend you are sitting on a chair. However, instead of straight away coming back to the upright starting position, maintain that squat position when you are down as you pulse a couple of inches down and up. You may try as many pulses as possible, then take a mini-break when up before returning down for additional pulses.

Single Leg Squats

Also known as Pistol squat, it is done on a single leg. Begin this squat by getting yourself into a seated-like position. From there, elevate one leg, setting your footing so that you stand up using a single leg. Then change the legs and follow the same pattern. This exercise offers you training balance between limbs. It calls for both stability and mobility of the knee and ankle.

Chair Squat

Begin by standing with your leg and feet together. Proceed to sit backward, going down and at the same time pushing the hips out to project behind you. Lift the arms as high as possible, ensuring your chest doesn’t drop. Return to the standing position and repeat the procedure and if you want more of a challenge, trying holding the squat position.

Eagle Squat

Begin this challenge standing with the feet knit close together, arms stretched out in a T. Then lift the right leg over the left leg one, wrapping the right foot around your left calf back. From there, bring the right elbow below the left elbow with your right hand wrapped around the left forearm until you have the palms together. When you have found your balance, begin to squat as low as you possibly can. Then return to the upright position.

Front Squat

This squat is gaining great popularity among a broad range of athletes. This is partially due to its status in the CrossFit protocols as well as being a crucial element of the Olympic lifts. Because it locates the barbell across the shoulders in front of your body, this type of squat places more emphasis on the upper back and quadriceps than what the standard back squat does, yet still training your hamstrings and glutes.

Squats are popular exercises for professional bodybuilders and athletes because they not only contribute to building amazingly strong lower bodies but also because they provide several other health benefits like increased hormone release and improved body flexibility.

Call us to make an appointment at 551-208-4775 or visit FourFitness

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How To Squat Without Knee Pain

By Marcisco Morrison 

The truth is that it’s not squatting that is hurting your knees but what and how you are doing it. There is, therefore, a proper way of squatting that won’t cause you pain—and the opposite is true also. The simple fact is that if squatting is causing you pain in the knees—and you don’t have any previous injuries—it’s simply because you are forcing your knees to work more than your hips.

Learning the proper use of the hips when doing your squats is important if you wish to avoid unnecessary pain in the knees.

Do The Squats Gradually

The first thing to remember is that a well-executed squat has everything to do with balance. Don’t attempt going parallel all the way on the first rep. Rather, take it slowly, only adding a couple of inches with each rep. Remember it takes time for your muscles to master this complicated exercise.

Positioning Your Knees

Much of the pain in the knee happens when your weight is allowed to rest on your toes and then the knees sort of come forward, causing them to come under extra strain. Keeping the toes directly pointing forward exerts an abnormal amount of pressure on the inner side of your knee, eventually leading to injuries. It becomes critical to keep the toes pointing outwards at an angle of 45 degrees. This posture allows joint two of your knees to open in the proper way as you go down on the squat.

Use A Box

Many athletes are quadriceps-dominant with plenty of muscle on the front side of the legs, although relatively deficient in hamstrings and glutes muscle. This kind of imbalance exerts much stress on the knees, effectively leading to squats that are “toe-heavy”. These make your kneecaps feel like they could bust out.

To address this type of imbalance during your squats, use a 12-14 inches high box. Place this behind you on the rack in a way that as you squat, you are capable of reaching for the box, touching it with your butt when at the bottom. Instantly, this makes your squat more hip-dominant, placing more of the stress towards your backside.

Mobilize Your Calves And Quadriceps

During squatting, too much tension in the calves and quads places your knees in a vulnerable position. It’s therefore important that you devote a couple of mobility specific drills to your calves and quads. Consider incorporating these two drills into your warm-up before you start the squats.

• Toes-Up Hip Hinge 

• Reverse Lunge (Overhead Reach)

These two drills will not just target the calves and quads but they are also good at strengthening the hamstrings and glutes, effectively reducing potential knee pain.

Conclusion

Balance during squats is not easy and it takes a couple of weeks to master the proper way of squatting. It’s sad, though, that while squats have so much to contribute towards your athletic performance, badly executed they can cause great pain. Truth is that much of that pain can be prevented easily.

Although it’s possible to experience legitimate cases of knee pain that may demand professional medical care, I can assure you that with the strategies described above, you will not experience knee pain when you squat.

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10 Tips For Successful Meal Planning

By Marcisco Morrison

Meal planning saves not only money but time. In addition, it will save you from lots of stress. Planning saves your kitchen budget as you can plan ahead how much you want to spend weekly on food without having to go with whatever is available at the closest store or buying food on impulse

There Is No Perfect Plan

You will never find that perfect meal plan that meets every need. Once you have known what you want or work, you can easily tweak your plan as you go along or as needed.

Write Down Goals

This is a vital aspect of planning as it answers questions like how many meals per day are you planning for, what type of meals, are you planning for low-carbs or low-calorie diet? Are you or members of the family on a special diet? After all, it about meal planning, right?

Make A Budget

Decide at the beginning of your week how much goes to groceries. If that is not planned ahead, you will never know exactly how much is consumed in a week or you could end up spending too much on items that are not necessary. This is particularly important if you are operating on a tight budget. It makes no sense to plan for meals if you are to get broke by doing it.

Start A Calendar

The calendar can be on the lines of a Google Calendar that has accompanying notes for each day's menu. Alternatively, just jot simple notes on your laptop or sticky notes on your fridge door. The most important thing is to have it written down. Writing helps in sticking with your chart or menu.

Plan Meals Based On The Season

You will always get the best fresh produce prices during the harvest season. So plan your weekly menu according to the season and what is available on the market. Another tip, the majority of grocery stores tend to have weekly sales on Sundays.

Involve The Family

Involve every family member by asking them for their favorite meals. You can organize the list by different categories such as chicken, beef, fish, vegetarian, crock-pot dishes, side dishes, salads, and soups.

Always Stock The Staples

Staples to always have in the kitchen may include rice, pasta, tofu, frozen veggies, lentils, frozen garlic, olive oil, grated cheese, eggs, lemons, yogurt, and mixed greens/spinach. Spices are very important and must always be available in your kitchen such as curry, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and of course, salt.

Plan Each Day’s Meals Tighter

Personally, when I forget or unable to plan for family breakfast, lunch together with dinner, I find one meal getting skipped and more likely taking a visit to the drive-thru for a quick fix.

Avoid Overstuffing The Fridge

When your fridge is overstuffed, it's very easy to become overwhelmed. Things tend to get hidden at the bottom or in the back, others get lost when you need them for today’s recipe. Keep your fridge light and airy, with food items arranged realistically.

Supplement Your Plan

Occasionally, you may find it hard to keep the entire plan running smoothly all week. Consider supplementing your meal plan with a reputable meal delivery service. Look for one that fits with your broad health requirements, flavor preferences, and budget. Meal planning ensures your family has balanced, healthy meals every day and that everybody is getting all the essential ingredients. Similar to all things, the more you practice meal planning, the better you become.

Call us to make an appointment at 551-208-4775 or Visit us at FourFitness

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How To Prevent Age-Related Muscle Loss

By Marcisco Morrison

From birth until around 30 years of age, your muscles continue to experience growth in size and strength. Somewhere between 30 and 40 years, the body begins to experience a gradual degeneration of muscle strength and function. Without appropriate intervention, on average, your body loses almost three kilos (7 pounds) of muscle every 10 years. The medical term for this condition is Sarcopenia.

Muscle loss has a big effect on your metabolic function, partly explaining why it's much easier to add on weight as you grow older and much easier for a younger person to lose weight. Loss of muscle mass and strength may lead to reduced endurance, impaired balance and poor walking ability. Combined, these physical factors can lead to more falls, bones that break easily, physical disability and a general lack of independence.

Although Sarcopenia is a natural aging effect, when you take appropriate steps, it is not inevitable as you can strengthen your muscles.

Exercise Your Body

Both strength (resistance) and aerobic (endurance) exercises help adults who are older to improve the health of muscles plus their overall health. While aerobic exercises are most helpful when you want to improve and maintain respiratory/cardiovascular function, strength exercises are good at boosting muscle function, strength, and power. The best results are attained when you combine the two. Exercises become more effective when you couple them with proper nutrition. In particular, resistance exercise is best when combined with higher doses of protein.

Get Enough Protein & Vitamin D

Consuming more protein helps in treating and preventing muscle loss that is age-related. And it is not just the amount of protein eaten, but also the type of protein you are consuming. The fact is that not all protein is equally created, and the type plays a vital role in treating and preventing muscle loss.

Consuming adequate amounts of this vital food ingredient is necessary if you are to build and maintain a healthy and strong muscle mass. It also contributes towards supporting ligaments, tendons, and other body tissue. Muscle atrophy also takes place when your diet is lacking in amino acids required to break down the fibers that support the energy requirements of your body from the consumed proteins.

Deficiency in Vitamin D is associated with Sarcopenia, muscle atrophy, weakness, and low handgrip strength. Vitamin D supplementation alone significantly improves muscle mass, strength, and function in older adults suffering from Sarcopenia even without any exercise intervention.

Omega-3 Fats

These essential Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to boost everything in your body from mood to heart health. Now a growing body of researchers is also linking these fatty acids with muscle maintenance. How does Omega-3 help? Any inflammation in your body causes muscles break down and Omega-3s are known anti-inflammatory powerhouses. When you eat foods such as walnuts, salmon, as well as omega-3-enriched eggs it gives your body a double nutritional boost: muscle-building amino acids and Omega-3s.

Conclusion

Any level of muscle loss can lead to common annoyances that can range from simply being unable to open a pickles jar to premature aging with more pronounced wrinkling and sunken cheeks. Left unchecked, it potentially can lead to a broad range of health issues later in your life, such as disability and higher mortality risk because of physical frailty.

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Ways To Stay Active During Winter

By Marcisco Morrison

When the cold winter season blows in, you can either choose to pull the blankets closer and cover yourself or dress up for an active outdoor adventure! Staying active over the long winter period is good for your health as it boosts overall immunity, keeping your lymphatic system active. For many, without a convenient gym membership, when it comes to staying indoors over winter, they feel lost on how they can stay active.

Of course, you can take to ice hockey and skiing but these generally require lots of training, planning and possibly some traveling. With just a little creativity plus a bit of planning, it's not really hard, even fun, to stay active all winter long.

Get Walking

If you have never done winter outdoor activities before, walking is an excellent way to start. This cardio workout is very effective and is suitable for a variety of fitness levels. When going out, you can first warm up the body through several simple stretches and by simply taking it at a slower walking pace for the initial 10 minutes. It is also important to dress appropriately.

Try Indoor Sports

Consider joining an individual or team or sports program. Competition levels options are many for you can join at the recreational all the way to expert level. Usually, the most cost-effective indoor sports programs are run by local authorities where some gym space at a community center or local school is secured for that purpose. Here you can drop in for a variety of indoor games such as floor hockey, table tennis, basketball, etc. You may also consider signing up for dance or aerobics classes, or other types of group fitness sessions.

Home Indoor Workouts

Prepare yourself with a suitable indoor workout program in case the weather conditions don’t allow you to venture out. If that is your predicament, why not put on a DVD that's appropriate to your level of fitness. If you don’t have a ready fitness DVD, check out the several fitness channels available on local, satellite or cable TV. Alternatively, go online where you will get workout programs to meet your needs. If all these don’t suffice, just put on your dancing shoes!

Although personal trainers are quite expensive to engage, consider investing in one for those short winter months.

Get Out & Play!

If the energy for a full workout is lacking, why not try "playing"? The best aspect of playing is that it will not feel like you are actually working out although it’s capable of achieving a lot. This winter have a blast outside by having snowball fights, making snow angels, or even building snowmen. Perhaps some ice skating, something suitable for both outdoors and indoors.

As you keep active, remember to stay safe and healthy. For example, a little preparation keeps away the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. When out there in the cold, don’t forget about drinking water because when you are exercising in the cold, thirst may not always be the best pointer that your body needs water.

Stay active but don’t compromise your body’s health by depleting it of vital nutrients.

Call us to make an appointment at 551-208-4775 or Visit us at FourFitness

YELP RATED US #1 Since 2015. Come train with trainers who train! 

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How To Wash Your Workout Clothes

By Marcisco Morrison 

How To Wash Your Workout Clothes 

You probably spend as much cash on fun keep-fit styles and cute new workout tights just like you do on new office or weekend clothes. But in all likelihood, you are not directing the same amount of money and time into caring for those pricey workout clothes as you are doing for the rest of the wardrobe.

For the majority of us, the ultimate goal of an exercise routine or a workout is to break into a nice sweat. However, once we are done with the workout, we don’t want anything to do with the dirty and sweaty smelly clothes. Remember you have invested in some expensive workout gear and it also needs care and cleaning.

Here are several tips and strategies when washing your workout gear: 

Wash Them ASAP 

Wash your athletic gear after every workout. Allowing your sweat soaked and dirty clothes to dry and even using them again only contributes to a buildup of several dirt layers and bacteria. If, for any reason, you are unable to have them washed on the same day, at least allow the air to dry them before tossing them into the hamper. This prevents mildew growth that only complicates the cleaning problem. 

Remember to also clean or wash your gym bag regularly, at least once each month. Your gym bag is capable of harboring fungus and bacteria that can bring skin irritations or incidences of athlete's foot. 

Soak Before Washing 

The culprit behind the odor in your workout clothes is the bacteria getting trapped in your body soil. Your body soil is salty and oily, loved by stinky bacteria. The vital ingredient you need to break the bond that exists between the fabric and body soil is very simple: white distilled vinegar. 

As you soak your gym attire, throw in some of this inexpensive stuff that has low levels of acid. It will cut through your body oil in the clothes and release the trapped bacteria. After a good soaking, rinse and allow your clothes to drip dry.

Wash Them Inside Out 

The bacterium that is responsible for the stink in your workout gear tends to build up on the inside and not outside of your fabric. Therefore, prior to washing, turn them inside out, allowing the detergent and water to make more contact with the smell source. 

Avoid Fabric Softeners 

foruFabric softeners are not designed for use on moisture-wicking and stretchy fabrics. They leave behind a layer of coating, making it difficult for detergent and water to penetrate fully into the fibers.

Skip The Dryer 

High temperatures have the potential of damaging your fabrics – they can even melt - causing shrinkage. It is best if you allow your high-performance workout clothes to air dry. If using an automatic dryer is a must, then opt for air-only or the lowest heat cycle. The fact is that heat tends to amplify odors. The majority of workout fabrics are designed for quick-drying, and when not exposed to excessive heat, they will serve you longer. 

Taking good care of your workout clothes will make the investment last longer. Remember, these are certainly not your typical sweat pants and cotton T-shirts. With the above couple of tips, you can maintain your workout gear not only looking good but smelling fresh all the time.

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3 Moves to Increase Muscle Mobility

By Marcisco Morrison

Mobility refers the ability to move easily and freely while stretching forms a key part of achieving this. Muscle mobility and stretching are two of the most skipped elements of fitness, and perhaps also some of the most misunderstood. As the body ages, it’s common to experience general tightness making standing up or walking without assistance a challenge. The good thing is that mobility can not only be reclaimed but sustained to your old age.

The following 3 moves increase your mobility as they focus on dynamic stretches.

1.   Hip Mobility Flexion

The hip joint is important as it supports your body weight in both dynamic and static positions. Your hips are involved in nearly all athletic actions—pushing, jumping, sprinting, and changing directions. The hips are, unfortunately, one of the most undertrained areas in terms of flexibility and mobility. The hip mobility flexion begins with you standing in front of a flat surface, ideally not taller than your knee such as a bed, coffee table, or couch. Place the left foot on the selected prop and externally begin rotating your knee going down in a manner that the outside of your shin and calf is flat against the flat surface. Slowly work the other leg (right) and gently bend forward over your externally rotated leg so that you create space in the hip, loosening the glutes. In that position, hold for about 2 minutes and then switch your legs

2. Thoracic Mobilization

The shoulder is similar to the hip as it also a ball-and-socket mechanism. It also moves in flexion, abduction, adduction, extension, and external & internal rotation. However, different from the hip, your shoulder joint is heavily influenced by the shoulder blade (scapula). It, therefore, becomes essential to have strong scapular stability.

Poor thoracic spine mobility can lead to serious injuries to your lumbar spine or the shoulder blade/scapula/ region. For this exercise, with your feet on the floor, lie down on your back with your knees up, like you were preparing for a sit-up. Place either two lacrosse balls or a small foam roller under your back, at a height equivalent to your pecks. Proceed to gently, smoothly roll up, and then down a couple of times.

3. Wall Extensions

In the long-run, it pays great dividends to spend dedicated time to stretching and mobility exercises. This allows you to train or work out more effectively while at the same time reducing the risk of injury. Wall extensions are an effective yet very simple method of improving the mobility and flexibility of your shoulders. Here is how to do it: • Stand with your heels and back leaning against a wall. • Extend both your arms stretching outwards to your sides, palms facing out. The backs of your hands should lean against the wall. • Bend your arms so that your forearms move into a position that is upright. Then move both your arms to an angle of 90-degrees. • Raise your arms carefully above your head while you keep them flat against your wall. Repeat the procedure several times. The flexibility you get will allow you to extend your arms fully and touch the hands together while at the same keeping arms, wrists, and elbows touching the wall during the entire session.

As you implement your mobility routines, it’s wise to always remember to keep them within your personal threshold so that you don’t overstretch your muscles. You can easily work the majority of these mobility exercises into your existing warm-up routine. The focus ought to be optimal muscle movement patterns.

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8 Reasons Why Women Should Strength Train

 By Marcisco Morrison 

Strength training that broadly covers body exercises such as deadlifts, squats, rows, and presses- is recommended by FourFitness Personal Trainers as one of the best activities that a woman can undertake for their body. Strength training is a great tool that allows a woman to become the best possible version of herself in lots of different and amazing ways. 

1. Exercise Enables Peak Performance at all Levels. 

Everybody is unique different shapes, heights, an indeed nearly every aspect. This is the main reason why you must never use another woman’s body as your measuring stick to gauge success. Used correctly and consistently, strength training allows you to bring out and highlight your individual unique strengths. 

2. Preserves Muscle Mass 

It is a biological fact that with age, muscle mass tends to diminish. You can, however, counteract this natural loss of muscle through strength training. As you get older, the percentage of fat in the body increases if nothing is done to replace the lost lean muscle. Strength training is a proven way of not only preserving but enhancing your muscle mass, no matter your age.

3. Burns More Calories

As your lean muscle increases with strength training, your resting metabolism also increases and you end up burning more calories. Higher metabolism translates to more calories getting burned after your training session. In general, for each pound of muscle gained, you will burn between 35 and 50 more calories daily.

4. It Prevents Diseases

Pumping iron can reduce your risk of heart disease. You are less likely to experience heart disease risk factors like elevated blood pressure, elevated glucose levels, high triglycerides, and a large waist circumference.

Women who are postmenopausal stand at a greater osteoporosis risk as their bodies no longer secrete estrogen. This leads to bone mass loss and resistance training is a good method of combating such loss and decreasing osteoporosis risk.

5. Reduces Injury Risk

Strength training helps in building stronger muscles, stronger connective tissues and boosts your joint stability. This joint reinforcement helps in preventing injury. Additionally, stronger bones and muscles make your body more agile and stable, reducing the risk of injury.

6. Reduces Stress

Strength training is excellent at alleviating stress. Research has consistently shown that people who regularly engage in strength training tend to have better stress management skills and experience fewer negative reactions to stressful circumstances. Because strength training greatly reduces stress, it also improves the quality of sleep and helps you fall asleep faster as the body needs the rest after an intense strength training session.

7. It Improves Your Sex Life

When you have better body image, you are likely to be more confident in the presence of your partner, more open to experimenting with new “things” in the bedroom and perhaps even going really wild. Exercise is proven to boost testosterone levels in women, an important libido lifter! Try strength training and see your sex life take on a whole new dimension.

8. Improves Self-Confidence

Every woman wants to feel strong and confident in everything she does: from playing with the kids, to moving heavy furniture, to fitting into jeans, and to dealing with a stressful and demanding career. Resistance or strength training can greatly benefit all these aspects of life. Once you have made strength training to be part of your routine, you will not only feel stronger and more confident but healthier. It doesn’t matter how we describe it but what the majority of women want is to lose excess fat, look and feel better in their clothes, and build some beautiful curves. Strength training forms the best route towards “sculpting” the body every woman wants.

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