Trainer's tip #1:
The smith machine should be used for targeting your muscles in a specific, more specialized way. Not to be used for building muscle or getting stronger.
Do this: lunges (hits the glutes and hamstrings more efficiently)
Instead of: smith machine squats
Do this: guillotine bench press (focuses more on upper chest if done right)
instead of: regular bench press (gives u false sense of strength)
The smith machine is perfect for targeting certain areas of the muscle but can hinder your progress if used to often.
Also, the smith machine does not follow the natural motion of the human body because of the rigid construction. I believe that people who are to dependent on the smith machine will develop bad lifting habits/technique and will work against you more than for you.
Trainer tip #2:
Often times we carry tension in our shoulders. Try relaxing your traps and shoulders by taking deep breaths through out the day and dropping your shoulders down.
Trainers tip #3:
To get the best workout possible, walk in the gym with a plan and a back up plan. That way you already know what you're doing and spend less time in the gym.
Trainers tip #4:
If you're trying to lose weight, the name of the game is to burn calories. The easiest way to burn calories? Become active in your everyday life. It could be as simple as walking around your neighborhood or taking the stairs any chance you get. Even if you are working with a personal trainer/coach, it will not only help them, but also help u reach your goal faster.
Here's another actionable tip:
As soon as you wake up, do push ups, jumping jacks, or ab crunches as part of your morning routine. This will wake up your metabolism and get it firing first thing in the morning. That's why military workout routines are always at the butt crack of dawn.
Trainer's tip #5:
T.U.T- time under tension. During your last set if you really want to push the envelope, perform the last few reps as slow as you can. 3 one one thousands up, 3 one one thousands down, with light weight and strict form. Your muscles will be screaming for mercy, but your summer body will be banging!
Bonus trainer tip: 5 ways to create a mind body connection for better results in the gym.
1.) Mentally rehearse all of the movements u r going to do for that day. Think about how it's going to feel and what muscle/muscle group ur trying to focus on.
2.) As u workout, imagine the muscle ur focusing on getting bigger or more toned as u go thru out the movement. A tip that Arnold Schwarzenegger used to perfection.
3.) With lighter weight, squeeze at the top (and sometimes the bottom) of the movement and hold for a count of 3 one one thousands. This teaches u what it feels like when ur muscle is operating or doing work.
4.) B4 each set, take a deep breath to calm and relax ur body b4 ur first rep. When u reach that moment of peace, clarity, and looseness is when ur ready to attack ur set with all out ferociousness.
5.) Pay attention to what u tell ur self as u complete each movement. An old proverb says "whatever you tell yourself, you're probably right." Instead of telling urself u can't do it, tell urself that u can and will no matter what. If u convince urself that u would rather die than to not hit ur prescribed number of reps, u'd be surprised by ur progress.
Another bonus tip:
Working out is more about how strong u are mentally than how strong u are physically. If u learn to challenge urself mentally and imagine the changes in ur mind, then the physical have no choice but to follow. Control the mind control the body. Something that pimps use all the time but has a lot of truth it. So imagine how u want to look and see it clearly as u workout.
The perfect squat. Babies are able to perform this better than adults because of how flexible they are. But don't lose hope! U can perform perfect squats to if u stretch everyday. Notice how she sits back on her hips and how she's not leaning forward on her toes. Besides her shoulders being hunched over its perfect without any coaching.
The thing about fitness and seeing real results, is that you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. It's the only way. Similar to chasing your dreams and achieving your goals, you will be uncomfortable during the process will get you the results you the results you seek.
"Don't pray for an easier life, pray for the strength to endure."
Motivation comes from having a goal. What is your goal? Why do you want to get into great shape?
Take a minute to really uncover the reason that you want to lose the weight. Don’t say something vague like you want to ‘Be thinner’ or ‘Look more attractive.’ Dig deeper – there is a very specific motivator in your life, you simply need to uncover it.
Here are some possible motivators…
I want to have more energy to keep up with the kids.
I want to improve my health through weight loss to extend and improve my life.
I want to lose 15 pounds before my vacation.
I want to restore my confidence to wear sleeveless shirts.
I want to regain my figure to impress and attract my significant other.
The following 3 habits will result in weight gain faster than you can say ‘anti-fitness habits.’ Break these habits quickly.
Drinking Calories. Soda pop, coffee drinks, smoothies and fruit juices are filled with calories. Since liquids won’t give you a ‘full’ feeling, these drinks slide by without notice of how many extra calories you’re getting. Stick with water to avoid extra calories.
Not Exercising. Skipping the gym day after day, week after week, and month after month will lead to muscle loss and a reduced metabolism. Exercise 3-5 days per week to keep your muscles strong and metabolism high.
Eating a Heavy Dinner. Eating a large heavy dinner sets you up for weight gain. Instead of eating the majority of your calories late in the day, spread it out over the entire day.
Here's 3 things you should do before you go to the gym for a great workout
1.) Watch what you eat before you go:
You don't want to eat a big meal but eat just enough to give you fuel for your workout
2.) Start preparing yourself mentally for your workout:
Listen to your workout playlist, think about all the movements you gonna do and rehearse it in your mind. Feel the contraction of your muscles and the sweat dripping from your body.
3.) Talk yourself up:
"I'm going to kill this workout!" "I will push myself harder than I did my last workout" Walk in like you're on a mission, all business and focused on a great workout.
Trainer tip #6:
If you're trying to lose weight, the name of the game is to burn calories. The easiest way to burn calories? Become active in your everyday life. It could be as simple as walking around your neighborhood or taking the stairs any chance you get. Even if you are working with a personal trainer/coach, it will not only help them, but also help u reach your goal faster.
Here's another actionable tip:
As soon as you wake up, do push ups, jumping jacks, or ab crunches as part of your morning routine. This will wake up your metabolism and get it firing first thing in the morning. That's why military workout routines are always at the butt crack of dawn.
Trainer's tip #7: mindset
Anytime you walk in the gym, walk in focused. Walk in like you have something to prove. Something to prove to everyone in the gym. Something to prove to friends and family. And most importantly, something to prove to yourself. Stop wondering if you can and just do.
Bonus mindset tip:
Imagine everything you wanted was in a house, your hopes, dreams, money, cars, clothes, whatever. And the only thing keeping you from it was a locked door. Most ppl will realize the door is locked and walk away. Don't be one of those ppl. Find a way to kick the door in and take all of YOUR BLESSINGS! On the other side of that door, which is a representation for the pain you feel while working out, is the perfect body you dreamed of. Prove it to everyone including yourself how bad you want it!
Trainers tip #8:
I saw some Sugar Honey Ice Tea at the Gym this morning; that I will like to prevent but probably wont. It's about HALF REPS, the reason why half reps dont really build much is because you're not fully using the whole muscle. Half Reps has its place which is towards the end of your set to squeeze out a few more reps, it is NOT supposed to be used for the full set.
Half Reps is like going for a swim but you're only dipping your toe in the water saying you swam lapse. Half Reps is like buying a bag of chips and expecting it to be full only to find air and a few chips in the bag. You have to work your whole muscle not just a part of it to see a full change in your physic.
Keep your workout regime simple, it don't have to be complex. Ppl have a tendency to take something that's suppose to be simple and add complex movements for no reason. Stick with the big 4. Bench press, dead lift, squat, and shoulder press. Your workout regime should have these 4 major movements focused on moving heavy weight with strict form. Everything else after these movements should be focused on lighter weight while holding the contraction. By setting your regime up in this manor, the heavy weight will add size to the major areas while the lighter weight will shape your muscles (add cuts).
Simple things that ppl sleep on:
1. Regular bicep curls can do a lot for ur arms especially if u do Lil things like squeezing at the top and bottom of the movement and keeping ur elbows pinned to ur side.
2. Dumbbell rows would be more effective if u don't do it like ur trying to start a lawnmower. Focus on keeping ur chest up and bring ur elbow back in a Simi arc vs just pulling it up. Try squeezing at the top (once again) so u know what it feels like when ur back is doing some work.
3. Shorten ur rest periods for a more cardio like workout while lifting. If u can't hit the reps ur shooting for, drop the weight.
4. Slower tempo. It's like being at the club and everyone slow dancing and ur the only idiot fist pumping and going hard lol. Slow it down and feel it more.
5. This is going to make some ppl feel awkward but it's a reason for it; POSE IN FRONT OF A MIRROR! U ever tried to shoot a target with ur eyes closed? U ever tried to play basketball in the dark (I did when I was drunk one time, not recommended tho)? Remember ur in the gym for u and u only so as far as I'm concerned, I'm the only one in the gym. On top of that, by u posing u learn ur body, how it works (contraction of muscles and such), and most importantly (I feel like I said this already but hopefully u noticed the pattern) learn how ur body feels when it's doing work. All of this will translate over to working out. Because u know what it feels like u have something to aim for every time ur in the gym.
It's ok to laugh at my pic fyi, it's to help get the point across lol.
Trainers tip #9:
Variety is one of the keys to growth. If ur stuck doing the same routine knowingly our unknowingly, u will stay where ur at. Last time I checked the goal is to grow or change ur body structure. So here's some actionable tips that u can implement today to break up the monotony.
1. Change the order of your workout and the reps and weight to. Exp arms: if you usually start with curls first, do tricep push downs first.
2. Pick 2 main movements that require allot of your energy and switch btw the two monthly. Exp. For back: bent over rows as ur 1st movement of the workout for 1 month and for month 2 switch to cable rows as ur 1st movement of the workout.
3. U can easily go heavier for less reps which is typical and always the choice, but I would suggest going lighter weight with a much slower tempo to re-fimilarize urself with the mind body connection and to focus on form. It's always good to take a step back to focus on form so when it's time to move up to heavier weight form won't be much of an issue.
4. Ur least favorite body part should be trained first. This technique I use daily to bring up lagging body parts but can also be used to pump new life into your workout routine. Me personally, my very first move b4 I get to the real workout is to hit my calves. As seen in pictures, my 6'5" frame puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to calves.
Bonus tip!
Popular gym culture believes that movements like squats should go ass to grass and bench press should go down to ur chest. DON'T FALL FOR STUPIDITY! With a trained eye (preferably a trainer but someone who spent years in the gym WITH THE RESULTS TO SHOW should work) 90 degrees should always be the goal. Ppl have different body structures which means going ass to grass or going down to ur chest during the bench press will do more harm than good.
Now go crush it at the gym!
