Summer may be bikini and beach season, but it’s also a good time for us to hit our body’s restart button.

Celebrity trainer and author of The Body Reset Diet, Harley Pasternak, says we don’t have to wait for New Year’s to make a fresh start.

“Reset your metabolism, your appetite, your palette, your digestion and learn how to make simple quick meals,” he tells The Huffington Post Canada.

Yes, warmer weather often calls for indulgent barbecues and “refreshing” desserts, but summer also offers plenty of healthy seasonal foods like peaches, cherries, green beans and raspberries.

Pasternak’s book focuses on a 15-day weight loss regime that includes a diet of smoothies and eating high-fibre foods. He notes that people tend to go overboard with “beating the bulge” and rely on fad diets too often.

“We’re desperate for something that will work. We want results and we want them now. Many mainstream diets work for a short while…but most set you up for rapid weight gain shortly after,” he says.

Instead, stick with the basics: combine healthy eating with exercise and go at a pace comfortable for you. And yes, don’t be afraid to sneak in an ice cream cone every once in a while.

Do you change your diet and fitness routine in the summer? Let us know in the comments below:

LOOK — Harley Pasternak’s celebrity workout secrets:

Also on HuffPost:

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• Lady Gaga’s Abs

  Pasternak: The key is training her abs is from all four directions. We train the front of her abs by doing a strongdouble crunch/strong, where we have her lie on her back and have her do a regular crunch, but we also bring her knees into her chest and bring her chest into her knees (see slide #2 for video). The next exercise is a strongdumbbell side bend/strong. That works the sides, the obliques and the love handles (see slide #3). We also do a strongtrunk twist/strong. That works the torso muscle that wraps all the way around the mid-section (see slide #4). And we also do strongan exercise called ‘superman’/strong, and that’s tightening the back of her mid-section, which is also important so she can look good from every angle (see slide #5).briLady Gaga performs during the charity concert MTV Video Music Aid Japan at Chiba City in Tokyo on June 25, 2011. (TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)/i

• Double Crunch

• Dumbbell Side Bend

• Trunk Twist

• Superman Back Exercise

• Rihanna’s Legs

  Pasternak: We focus on her legs from every angle as well, so we’ll do a simple movement like an alternating forward lunge for the front of her thighs (see slide #7). We’ll also do a stiff leg dead lift for the back of her thighs (see slide #8) and we’ll also do a cable abduction for her inner thighs (see slide #9). And we try not to do too much outer thighs, as the outer thigh is already a pretty strong muscle in most women.briRihanna performs on stage at the Palacio de los Deportes stadium on December 15, 2011 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)/i

• Alternating Forward Lunges

• Stiff Leg Dead Lifts

• Cable Adduction

• Megan Fox’s Butt

  Pasternak: We do a skater lunge for her, which is like a lunge, but you step back and across your body. I love that because it tones and tightens your butt (see slide #11). We do bench step-ups, because that’s another great one where you really access your butt (see slide #12). And we’ll also do a single leg dead lift, which works the hamstrings straight into the butt (see slide #13).briBrian Austin Green and Megan Fox attend the celebration of Jaguar Design and the 50th Anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type at The IAC Building on April 20, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Jaguar)/i

• Skater Lunge

• Bench Step-Ups

• Single Leg Dead Lift

• Amanda Seyfried’s Arms

  Pasternak: The key for her is we do an exercise called a curl press, and we use a Harley bar, but you can use a bottle of water or cans of soup. It’s a bicep curl, straight into a shoulder press. It gives you great shoulders and arms, because they’re kind of one thing (see slide #15). As well, we’ll do an overhead dumbbell tricep extension for the back of her arms, which covers her shoulders, her biceps and her triceps all together (see slide #16).briAmanda Seyfried attends ‘In Time’ photocall at Villamagna Hotel on November 3, 2011 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)/i

• Curl Press

• Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

• Katy Perry’s Chest

  Pasternak: Believe it or not, the key to a great women’s chest is actually leaving the chest alone. You don’t want to do any push-ups, any bench presses that will pull your shoulders forward more and actually make your boobs sag. So the key to having a great chest is to strengthen the upper back. And we do that by strengthening a muscle called the rhomboid by doing a dumbbell row into a seated dumbbell row, and that pulls the shoulders back all the way (see slide #18). Also, we focus on the triceps — we focus on strengthening the muscles in the back of her arm, which helps roll the shoulders back a bit. And for that we’ll do a lying dumbbell traction extension (see slide #19).briKaty Perry arrives at the 2011 American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on November 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)/i

• Dumbbell Row

• Lying Tricep Extension

• Hilary Duff Post-Pregnancy

  Pasternak: We just recently met about her plan of attack of what she’s going to do as soon as she gives birth. Once she gets medical clearance, we’re going to make sure she starts off walking with her baby, spending as much time as possible. We’re going to show her lots of exercise she can do with her baby, a little baby circuit. And then from there we’re going to have her right on to the 5 Factor full blown program: the workouts, the diet and the exercise and eveything all together.

• Exercising With Baby

Article source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05/22/harley-pasternaks-fitness-tips-_n_3321202.html

While we’re not about to use the stuff to fix our furniture or cars, we’re going to start digging duct tape out of the junk drawer a little more often. Turns out, the do-it-all adhesive is clutch when it comes to keeping healthy and fit.

Our partners at Greatist recently compiled a list of 15 sneaky duct tape hacks for better health and fitness. Some examples:

• Prevent Blisters: When you feel the first signs of blister (burning, friction), apply duct tape as smoothly as possible over the irritated area.
• Improve Punching Accuracy: If you train with a punching bag, challenge your accuracy by placing little squares of duct tape on the bag to use as targets during a workout.
• Make a DIY Sandbag: All you need to create your own sandbag is a canvas laundry bag, a few heavy-duty garbage bags, some zip ties, some pea gravel, and (of course) duct tape.

For 12 more duct tape hacks, click on over to Greatist.com, and if you’re feeling inspired by all this do-it-yourself talk, try The DIY Workout.
 

Article source: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/15-duct-tape-hacks-for-better-health-and-fitness

Sarasota Fitness, Studio South Fitness

“I could not believe the improvement in balance and flexibility I gained from the recommendations corrective exercises. I lost 5% body fat in 8 weeks, as well improved the drive of my golf game,” says client Steve Appelbaum.

Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) May 21, 2013

Five million Americans will buy a personal training session this year. For those who do, Tiffany Liashek, owner of Studio South Fitness in Sarasota, FL, has some advice. “Take a long look at credentials and experience. The variation in education and qualifications among personal trainers is huge,” she says. “A trainer can pay $69.50 and get certified online in just 40 minutes. That scares me.”

Good trainers invest in themselves

A serious, professional trainer spends close to $9,000 and seven months of study on anatomy and technical body movement. Prevent injury and maximize workouts by picking a trainer who is certified by a reputable organization (such as NSCA, NASM or ACSM) and is required to take continuing education classes.

Top tips for choosing a trainer gym

A recent University of Arkansas study cites a 35% rise in workout injuries at gyms, so it’s especially important to work out at a quality gym with a conscientious trainer.

1. Pick a trainer with top-notch credentials – Studio South doesn’t leave it to chance – Tiffany conducts background checks and requires her gym’s trainers to evaluate each other. She says, “I’ve seen some personal trainers lie about their background and experience. And a few years ago, I sustained an eight-month-long back injury while working with a supposedly experienced personal trainer at a big box gym.”

2. Look for happy clients rather than sheer numbers – Instead of a judging by a packed gym, measure quality by effectiveness and client results. Consider the number of options for getting fit, the personal attention to make it happen, and above all, the return on the investment.

3. Get a Functional Movement Screen™ assessment – A baseline evaluation is a smart way to start a new fitness program. Before Studio South trainers design a custom workout program, they assess their clients’ strengths, weaknesses, balance and mobility with an FMS screening. Used in the NFL and other professional sports leagues, FMS also provides data on how to set up a safe strength training plan.

“I could not believe the improvement in balance and flexibility I gained from the corrective exercises,” says Studio South client Steve Appelbaum. I lost 18 pounds with the recommendations they gave me and 5% body fat in 8 weeks, as well improved the drive of my golf game.”

Whether the motivation for starting a fitness program is to boost strength, tone up or just for fun, Tiffany offers a nudge. “I’m inviting Sarasota folks to Studio South for a complementary one-week trial in May 2013.”

About Studio South Fitness

In December 2012, the modern 6,000 sq.-ft. Studio South Fitness opened its doors to help Sarasota residents get healthy without injuries. Lauren Sonnen, a former Olympic weightlifter with a Master’s in exercise physiology, directs the programs. The staff, which includes a celebrity trainer/nutritional consultant from ABC’s “The Revolution,” a professional ballerina and an internationally known yoga instructor, holds 85 top-level certifications and has 100+ years of experience. Studio South Fitness sponsors the Corporate Fitness Challenge that benefits United Cerebral Palsy Sarasota Manatee.

More information at 941.365.4584 or http://www.StudioSouthFitness.com.

711 S. Osprey Ave, Suite 1, Sarasota, FL

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Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/StudioSouthFitness/Sarasota/prweb10736209.htm

By now most readers will have completed several months of training and preparation for their key summer sportives. 

With the last few weeks and months approaching, the foundations are laid. You’ve built the endurance and skills necessary to complete your goal event and only the final layers of icing need to be applied to the cake before you are fully ready.

These last few weeks can be crucial in your goal of achieving a gold standard time, so make sure you get the final preparations spot on and can stand on the start line ready and confident of a great ride.

Riders contemplating the three-day Tour of Wessex will need to have prepared thoroughly. Pic: ©Tour of Wessex

Now is the time to look at two things: firstly, specificity of training to get as familiar with the type of efforts you will be making and often the type of terrain you will be riding on; secondly, squeezing that last bit of fitness out to get on the line in the best possible shape.

As I have mentioned in earlier articles, aiming to train for the type of efforts you will be making, whether they are long climbs in the Alps or Pyrenees for l’Etape du Tour; shorter, steeper efforts in the Chilterns or the mountains of Wales in UK sportives or the challenge of riding hard and recovering daily in a multi-day event, is a vital part of your preparation.

Now is the time to take this one step further, can you recce some or all of the course? Can you take a few days off work or extend a bank holiday weekend to get a mini multi-day event in preparation? Have you honed a nutrition strategy to use on the day (more on this next time)?

Taking the time and effort to do these things now, with time before the ride to sort out any problems, will pay dividends in a few weeks time when you’re relaxed, confident and fit. Where it’s not possible to train on the course, think of ways around this. Can you ride a ‘virtual reality’ version of the course on a turbo trainer to see what to expect? Can you find climbs of similar length and gradient near you if travelling abroad, or at the other end of the country if overseas travel is impractical?

The second thing to look at is dialling in your top end fitness to improve speed.  You’ve built a strong base now so are ready to add some…. interval training! These words might sound daunting for many riders, but a short four to six-week block of high intensity training can make a huge difference in your fitness.

Short intervals can help to add a layer of speed to the fitness foundation laid by long miles

In the previous article, I discussed training for hills and, once again, trying to make these intervals as specific as possible is best. Short intervals at almost full gas for the shorter climbs, or accumulating a longer period of work such as 3×10-minute intervals at just over your comfortable climbing pace for a long ‘Col’, are a good start. These can be done on a turbo trainer to allow greater control over the workload and keep a consistent effort; or on climbs, increasing specificity and often motivation (especially with a training partner) to push yourself to the limit! As with most aspects of training, intervals should be introduced gradually.

The hard efforts will require proper recovery between efforts and between sessions to get the most benefit from them.  Working in a block of several weeks training by increasing the training load over three to four weeks before backing off for a week to fully recover, repair and adapt so that you come back stronger is a good strategy.

If, for example, you have eight weeks from now until your goal event, a good strategy would be to increase the number of intervals from, say, 5×2-minute efforts with equal rest periods in the first week by one per week for three weeks before backing off to three efforts in week four.

In weeks five and six, try to complete two interval sessions per week, maybe at the expense of a hill climbing session, and reduce your recovery time to just one minute, before starting your taper midway through week seven so that you’re fit and fresh for week eight. These sessions will be very hard, so making sure you’re well fuelled for them and remaining hydrated (especially indoors or in the heat) can make a big difference to your ability to complete the session. If you’re using the turbo trainer, try to ride in a well-ventilated area and have a fan blowing on you to help you cool down. Aim to drink at least one bottle in an hour long session and a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink will help too.

Hydration is important to everyone’s performance, from world road race champions downwards

Such an emphasis on high intensity training will mean something has to ‘give’, and this is usually your training volume. While this is inevitable, and often a good thing, adding a little more rest, increasing recovery and quality of training during these high intensity sessions, do try to keep one longer ride in every week. If you haven’t managed a full-length ride for your chosen sportive try to get one in – it will be great for confidence as well as the legs. This may mean cutting out some other sessions so you are maybe training less frequently, but every session is made to count and ultimately you will be in better shape when it counts.

Discuss in the forum

Article source: http://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/cycling-fitness-tips-sportive-fine-tuning-form.html

By now most readers will have completed several months of training and preparation for their key summer sportives. 

With the last few weeks and months approaching, the foundations are laid. You’ve built the endurance and skills necessary to complete your goal event and only the final layers of icing need to be applied to the cake before you are fully ready.

These last few weeks can be crucial in your goal of achieving a gold standard time, so make sure you get the final preparations spot on and can stand on the start line ready and confident of a great ride.

Riders contemplating the three-day Tour of Wessex will need to have prepared thoroughly. Pic: ©Tour of Wessex

Now is the time to look at two things: firstly, specificity of training to get as familiar with the type of efforts you will be making and often the type of terrain you will be riding on; secondly, squeezing that last bit of fitness out to get on the line in the best possible shape.

As I have mentioned in earlier articles, aiming to train for the type of efforts you will be making, whether they are long climbs in the Alps or Pyrenees for l’Etape du Tour; shorter, steeper efforts in the Chilterns or the mountains of Wales in UK sportives or the challenge of riding hard and recovering daily in a multi-day event, is a vital part of your preparation.

Now is the time to take this one step further, can you recce some or all of the course? Can you take a few days off work or extend a bank holiday weekend to get a mini multi-day event in preparation? Have you honed a nutrition strategy to use on the day (more on this next time)?

Taking the time and effort to do these things now, with time before the ride to sort out any problems, will pay dividends in a few weeks time when you’re relaxed, confident and fit. Where it’s not possible to train on the course, think of ways around this. Can you ride a ‘virtual reality’ version of the course on a turbo trainer to see what to expect? Can you find climbs of similar length and gradient near you if travelling abroad, or at the other end of the country if overseas travel is impractical?

The second thing to look at is dialling in your top end fitness to improve speed.  You’ve built a strong base now so are ready to add some…. interval training! These words might sound daunting for many riders, but a short four to six-week block of high intensity training can make a huge difference in your fitness.

Short intervals can help to add a layer of speed to the fitness foundation laid by long miles

In the previous article, I discussed training for hills and, once again, trying to make these intervals as specific as possible is best. Short intervals at almost full gas for the shorter climbs, or accumulating a longer period of work such as 3×10-minute intervals at just over your comfortable climbing pace for a long ‘Col’, are a good start. These can be done on a turbo trainer to allow greater control over the workload and keep a consistent effort; or on climbs, increasing specificity and often motivation (especially with a training partner) to push yourself to the limit! As with most aspects of training, intervals should be introduced gradually.

The hard efforts will require proper recovery between efforts and between sessions to get the most benefit from them.  Working in a block of several weeks training by increasing the training load over three to four weeks before backing off for a week to fully recover, repair and adapt so that you come back stronger is a good strategy.

If, for example, you have eight weeks from now until your goal event, a good strategy would be to increase the number of intervals from, say, 5×2-minute efforts with equal rest periods in the first week by one per week for three weeks before backing off to three efforts in week four.

In weeks five and six, try to complete two interval sessions per week, maybe at the expense of a hill climbing session, and reduce your recovery time to just one minute, before starting your taper midway through week seven so that you’re fit and fresh for week eight. These sessions will be very hard, so making sure you’re well fuelled for them and remaining hydrated (especially indoors or in the heat) can make a big difference to your ability to complete the session. If you’re using the turbo trainer, try to ride in a well-ventilated area and have a fan blowing on you to help you cool down. Aim to drink at least one bottle in an hour long session and a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink will help too.

Hydration is important to everyone’s performance, from world road race champions downwards

Such an emphasis on high intensity training will mean something has to ‘give’, and this is usually your training volume. While this is inevitable, and often a good thing, adding a little more rest, increasing recovery and quality of training during these high intensity sessions, do try to keep one longer ride in every week. If you haven’t managed a full-length ride for your chosen sportive try to get one in – it will be great for confidence as well as the legs. This may mean cutting out some other sessions so you are maybe training less frequently, but every session is made to count and ultimately you will be in better shape when it counts.

Discuss in the forum

Article source: http://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/fitness-from-bronze-to-gold-in-2013-fine-tuning.html

22 May 2013

It’s one of life’s most loathed jobs, but it seems that housework could hold the secret to keeping fit and helping the nation to lose weight, according to new research published today.

A survey by fitted furniture retailer Betta Living revealed that the average UK adult spends 8 hours per week Cleaning and tidying and has the potential to wipe away 1lb in weight per week without forking out extortionate gym costs.

We clock up 30.5 ‘mop miles’ a year when mopping and vacuuming, and scale the equivalent of a small mountain climbing the stairs and ladders during a 12-month period of being house-proud. 

But according to the research, which questioned 2,000 UK adults, the majority of us aren’t stretching ourselves to our full fat burning potential and are missing out on crucial calorie cutting as we dust, sweep and polish our homes because we’re doing it in short bursts and also not really ‘going for it’.

Betta Living has therefore employed the expertise of personal trainer Faye Tomlinson to help the nation make the most of the 416 hours per year we spend Cleaning by converting those wasted hours into fat-burning exercises that could see you ditching costly gyms and faddy diets for good!

Faye said: “Eight hours per week sounds like a lot of time to be doing activity. In theory this should be enough exercise to keep the average person fit and slim.  However, it’s not how long we spend doing an activity, it’s the effort involved and how long we are keeping the muscle under tension that counts.  It’s not enough to do little bits throughout the week – it’s vital to incorporate high intense bursts so we can feel the burn!

“By applying the general rules of exercise to housework you can get lean while you clean and could lose an extra one pound in weight a week – just think how trim you could be over a year of doing cleaning aerobics!

“For example, mix in 10 minute cardio sessions (mopping, hovering) with body weight sessions (squatting, lunging, calf raises) to get your blood pumping which will raise your heart rate and get a light sweat on; maximising fat burning results!”

Apply these tips and you could lose a potential 52 pounds which adds up to over three stone!!

Power lunge hoover and mop 

Perform walking lunges as you hoover, stretching out your arms in a smooth motion, keeping your back straight and ensuring your front knee is at a 90 degree angle and the back knee is an inch off the floor – do this for 10 minutes to get lean thighs (quadriceps) and a tight butt (glutes)!

Follow your vaccuming session with another aerobic activity such as vigorous mopping/sweeping or scrubbing the floors to elevate your heart rate and keep you working at a higher intensity, which helps to burn fat.

Window and laundry squats

Perform squats while cleaning windows, lifting the washing basket or when cleaning inside your kitchen cupboards. Squat low to the ground (feet shoulder width apart, back straight, sitting down into your bottom) to get water on your cloth, and then stretch up high moving arms in a circular motion to sculpt your shoulders! 

This will give your arms and legs the perfect dual workout.

Scrub up and press up 

While you’re on your hands and knees, take the opportunity to do at least 10 reps of press-ups.

Stretch, twist and burn 

Even when doing light forms of cleaning and dusting, tensing your abdominals and sucking them in (even for just 30 seconds at a time) works your core for that flat stomach you want!  You can also clench your buttocks (glutes) – this will burn calories as well as helping to tone up problem areas. Try standing on one leg for 30 seconds, then the other, to work on balance and try 30 calf raises (getting up and down on tip toes) for toned calf muscles. Repeat 5 times.

And work your oblique muscles on the side of your stomach as you twist to transfer wet washing from the basket to the line or tumble dryer. Keep your head facing forward and twist at your torso.

Clean and Lift

Use bottles of cleaning products to tone arms and start and end your cleaning session with gentle activity like running on the spot or jumping jacks – to warm up the body and then cool it down with stretches.

Two More Top Tips

If you need to get up high, use stepladders and ensure you do 15 repetitions up and down the steps for lean legs. Wear a pedometer during your cleaning session and aim to do at least 1,000 steps. We should aim to walk 10,000 steps per day, so every bit helps.

The Kitchen Is Where We Burn Most Calories

So which rooms are the best for calorie combat?
Faye says “The kitchen is the ultimate fat buster, with the most pounds to be lost through mopping, window cleaning and scrubbing the floor. Bathrooms, bedrooms and the lounge respectively came in as the next best rooms in the house to carry out your ‘lean-cleaning’ activity in, from cleaning the bath or shower through to hovering and dusting.

by Taryn Davies
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