Don’t know why i just thought of this question. NBA summer league is up on tv, and there are some guys with some muscle on those courts! Playing basketball, I can appreciate the athleticism some of these guys have. And some of them are just chiseled. I also saw the other night on VH1 I think it was, the T.O. Show. Or something like that. Terrell Owens is trying to find a wife or something. Pointless really, but they do have a little clip of him working out. That dude is jacked. And he plays basketball in his free time as well. The reason I am writing this, is because I am wondering, which sport has the athletes who possess the most fitness? Is it football, with their fast receivers, powerful lineman, and agile running backs? Is it basketball, with their ultra quick point guards, their lean, long athletic forwards, and centers with their footwork? Maybe it’s baseball, with their… umm….their…. pitchers, and tobacco, and stuff. Wait, NO! definitely not baseball. There are some healthy, fit guys, but for the most part, come on. Hockey? possibly. I don’t know a ton about hockey, but i know these guys are skating non stop for a couple hours. So I ask you guys? What sport do you think has the overall fittest athletes? I know a lot of people are going to say rugby, or soccer. Give me your argument, and why.
Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
What Sport Has The Fittest Athletes?
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
Fitness Isn’t Just a Body Thing
Sunday, May 16th, 2010I went on a bike ride today. I think it did me more good than just burning a few calories. I didn’t take an ipod. Ididn’t have a heart rate monitor on. I definitely didn’t have my cell phone on me. I just decided to ride through some of Las Vegas. Just me and my bike. Just me and my bike y’all. If you know that Biggie song, the previous sentence is funny. But here’s the deal. I was riding my bike, for the fitness aspect of it, yes. I do need to up my cardio a bit. But what I found, wasn’t that it was the fitness aspect of it I needed most. It was the mind clearing aspect of it. See, without my ipod, or cell phone or technology, I was able to actually think. I was able to enjoy my surroundings, and just ride. A few minutes into the bike ride, I didn’t care how many calories i was burning or how intense this workout was going to be. I just decided, that I wanted to ride my bike. So the lesson to be learned in this whole thing, is sometimes, you have to just do some things, that aren’t for fitness benefits. Just get out there and move. It reminded me that certain activities help you stay sane. Certain exercises free your mind. This is just as important as getting your six pack, or losing those last few pounds of body fat. So go back to your childhood, and do something fun. Not just for fitness or exercise, but because you want to. You’ll notice that you’ll get some great benefits physically, and you’ll be more apt to stick with it, if it’s some kind of release for you.
Personal Training-Working Out Your Mind
Monday, April 19th, 2010When you work out, do you think about anything in particular? If you get personal training, are you thinking about the exercises you are doing, or is your mind wandering? Do you feel the muscles that are called upon for each exercises, or do you just go through the motions, until the desired number of repetitions are completed. A lot of your gains in fitness have to do with your mind, connecting to your muscles. If you don’t think about your six pack working, how do you know it is? If you don’t feel your hamstrings tighten in a curl, are you really getting the most out of that workout. You have to know the feeling of using muscles. So what i suggest to you is this. Do a yoga class, or start doing more balance exercises. It’s amazing how you might feel when everything you do is on one leg. All of a sudden, muscles throughout your foot, around your knee, and hip, are activated. Muscles you didn’t know could get tired, get tired. In yoga, you have to learn balance as well. Learning how to contract the right muscles, will give you bigger gains in the weight room, and will also keep you away from injuries. So, go meditate already.
Working Out, and Working Out for Results.
Friday, January 8th, 2010Your local Las Vegas Personal Trainer at your service here. Ever wonder why you go to the gym, work out, drink your protein shake, go out to the club for 7 hours, sleep, drunk for 5, then go to work hung over and not get that six pack you want before summer? Well, I don’t. Because I know why you aren’t getting that six pack. You think you are eating right, doing the right things, but most likely, you aren’t. Think about it. Are you leaving the gym, drenched in sweat from your weight workout? Are you getting a variety of whole, nutritious, colorful foods? Do you get enough sleep? Are you limiting your alcohol intake? Most likely, if you aren’t seeing results, most of these questions will be answered with a word you tell little kids when they are trying to eat crayons. NO. Let’s talk about that first question. Do your weight training sessions leave you tired, sweaty and dunzo? If not, you probably aren’t doing all that much to get those precious muscles you want, or that pretty tone that all the ladies are looking for. I see tons of people go into the gym, spend an hour or two in there, and come out looking like they just got done watching a movie. The gym is where it all happens. You work on your fitness, and try to do better each and every time out. If you do the same old thing, that isn’t challenging, why do you think you’d get results from that? If I ran into a brick wall, 100 times in a row, and didn’t run through it, what would make me think that the 101st time, I would actually make it through? The answer is not genius. Anyway. My point is, you have to actively challenge yourself in the gym, or you aren’t going anywhere. You won’t be in any better shape, you won’t see a six pack, if you do the same old exercises, the same old way, with the same old weight. You have to do things that you think you might not be able to do. It’s the only way to get better. Practice your deficiencies, and reap the results.
Why Do YOU Work Out?
Monday, December 21st, 2009As a personal trainer, I hear everything. Living in Las Vegas, bascially multiplies that statement. People come to me, wanting to work out for various reasons. And here are a few.
Maybe you work out to feel better. For most people, this isn’t the reason. I usually get this from people who lack energy, or are losing their once amazing shape. They realize that working out gives them a sense of dedication, and that alone may raise some peoples spirits. Personally, when I don’t get in my exercise, I am not in the best mood. I also feel like I’m not doing what i should be, which in turn, puts me in a bad mood. Also, some people are stuck at desks all day long, and working out, even just walking on a treadmill, can do wonders for how your day goes.
Maybe you work out, because everyone else you know does. You may not like to work out, but since your mom, your boyfriend and your cousin too, works out, you feel the need to join them at the gym. Might not be one of your favorite things to do, but if all your close relationships are there, then why wouldn’t you. I see people in Las Vegas who are the epitome of this. They go to the gym with their friends, because they won’t go without them. No harm done in that.
You work out because you love your body. I’ll admit, I think this one comes into play for me. I love making my body look a certain way. I don’t think this is negative at all. If you didn’t have this feeling yourself, i would assume you own no mirrors. Physical appearance is definitely a concern for our society. Just watch tv, and you will see commercials for everything from gym equipment, to reducing your cellulite, to hair spray to blemish cream. If physical appearance didn’t matter, this would not exist.
You work out to get girls….. or boys. Another reason people work out is to look good to the opposite sex. Also, I have no problem with this. More eye candy for everyone:)
You are working out for medical reasons. I think, if I was going to die if I didn’t work out, pretty sure I would do it. But what about these people who are going to die if they don’t quit smoking. And they keep smoking. Baffling I must say.
There are plenty more reasons to work out, I just decided to rattle off a few. I think no matter what your reason is, it’s a good one. If you are getting to the gym on a regular basis, I say good job to you. If your reason keeps you fit, keep with that reason, no matter what it is. Time to go practice my MC Hammer dance moves. Night.
Las Vegas Personal Trainer asks, Do You All have Six Packs?
Friday, October 23rd, 2009In my travels as a PERSONAL TRAINER, I’ve come across many things that catch my eye, whether it’s something cool, or something that should be left in the privacy of your own home. Right now, I am going to talk about the latter. I was in the LAS VEGAS ATHLETIC CLUB, the other day, and it wasn’t unlike any other day. Dudes were WORKING OUT, girls were doing cardio, and both sexes were socializing. That happens alot at this gym. But the thing i did see that really caught my eye, was not any of these things. i saw multiple guys, in between sets, lifting up their shirts, and looking in the mirror. Seriously? WHAT are they looking at? Ok. If you have abs, you know they are there. Right? If you don’t, they aren’t going to magically appear in between sets. The funnier thing is, it’s not like they just got done doing a set of crunches, or bicycles, or knee raises. They were doing random things like lat pulldown and bench, or, heaven forbid, bicep curls. Ok. I’m going to be honest. I stopped my workout, for the most part, and kinda just watched. So these guys, they don’t just do it one time. They go to their next exercise, and do it again. Can someone help me out with this. What is the point exactly? Is it they want other people to see their development? If that’s the case, just post some pics on myspace or facebook. That kinda fills my need! lol. Anyway, much appreciated if i could get some feedback on this issue.
Spaghetti For Breakfast?
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
So, here i am, at two in the morning, writing a blog. Wow. I should be sleeping, but i gotta get this outta my head! So the other day, Josh, a friend of mine, asked me this question. “What can I eat for breakfast besides eggs and oatmeal?” or something like that. I have to, by the way, thank him for the title of this blog. Thanks Josh. So anyway, my answer for this was kinda simple, but we’ll get into it in some more detail instead.
If you read any fitness, health or bodybuilding magazine for that matter, they’ll tell you that for breakfast you should have egg white omelets, and oatmeal, and turkey bacon, and sausage mcmuffins, and…….. wait. No, not sausage mcmuffins. My bad on that one guys. Which is a GREAT breakfast. Throw in a few veggies in that omelet, and it’s pretty complete. But what about the people who hate eggs, like myself? I know they have reasons for saying that is the ideal breakfast. You get some protein from the eggs, some carbs from the oatmeal, and some fat from the turkey bacon, all your macronutrients right there. That, to me, is a good enough reason i suppose. But I don’t really like that food. But i think the main reason they say those foods all the time is because they are ”breakfast” foods. They also say cottage cheese, whole wheat toast, yogurt and fruit. ”Breakfast” foods again. But what if you don’t like those foods? Should you just skip breakfast? Ummm… no. These aren’t wonder foods that have amazing powers, only if you eat them in the morning, and they aren’t the only foods you can eat in the morning either. This whole thing has been based on tradition. Who’s to say you can’t eat a lean burger at breakfast? Your mom? No. Hopefully she stopped telling you what to eat years ago. If she didn’t, you should either have a talk with her, or you could just move out of her house already.
Moving on. There is no magic “breakfast” in terms of specific foods. Lean protein is lean protein. And complex carbs, are pretty much complex carbs. Whether it’s oatmeal or brown rice, they are pretty much doing the same thing. Whether is turkey breast or egg whites, they both are protein rich. Getting into specific types of protein and to a certain extent complex and simple carbs, really don’t have much to do with the general public. When you are at 10% bodyfat and want to get down to 8%, that is when you start worrying about that. But basically, you can eat whatever combination of meat and grain you want for breakfast. Spaghetti and Meatballs? Why not? just make sure the spaghetti is whole wheat, and the meatballs are made from the finest, umm…. what do they make meatballs out of? Meat? yeah, the finest meat.
P.S. I apologize if this blog is jumbled, as i am half asleep as i’m writing every sentence. so if you don’t get any of this, read it while you are sleeping, because, it makes sense to me!
The Big Debate…. Cardio or Weights First?
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009i have gotten a few questions over the years about A LOT of different things. Some of which come up over and over, so from time to time I will be writing about them in my blog. One question asked frequently is should cardio be done BEFORE lifting weights, or should it be done AFTER lifting weights? I have another option, which i will get into in a minute.
So, the answer to this question is simple, but complex. Yeah, I know, that doesn’t make any sense. But the answer does. There are, in my opinion, THREE different answers to this question. And the following will tell you why.
You Should do Cardio BEFORE your weights when:
You are low on energy. I feel if you get a few good minutes, say 5-10 jumping rope, or riding a bike, etc. it will give you a spike in your energy level. Now that’s not to say do a full-on 45 minute workout before your weights, because then, what energy will you have for your resistance training workout?
Your main goal is fat loss. This way, you can focus on the intensity of your cardio workout, without having your muscles be tired or run down from your weight workout. But still, I would limit the cardio portion to 45 minutes to an hour if you are lifting weights after it.
You hate cardio. I hate cardio. So i know if i HAVE to do it, I’ll get it over with and weights can be my “reward”.
You should do cardio AFTER weights when:
Your main goal is to gain muscle. How are you going to gain muscle if your strength has decreased from the amount of energy you put forth in cardio? Your muscles will not be working optimally to get great gains, if they are already run down somewhat from your cardio session.
Your main goal is to get stronger. Pretty much the same reasons as above.
You are trying to gain weight. If this is the case, i would limit the amount of cardio you are doing in the first place.
I have a third option to this question as well. What if you did your cardio DURING your weight training session.. It’s kind of an overlooked aspect of working out, but I think this is more effective than either of the above answers for any of the above reasons as well. Doing this, you can maximize the effect of both weight training and cardio. For example, let’s say you are doing bench presses. Do your set, with your working weight, but then right after that set is done, bust out 50 mountain climbers. So now you have your strength and your cardio working together, and it doesn’t take nearly as long. Try this for a few resistance exercises a week, see what happens. You’ll find that you are obviously tired, but you’ll feel a lot stronger in the long run as well. You save time, and the fat comes right off.
Ok. I’m tired. And that’s the beauty of these blogs. I can just stop when i’m done:) no wrap up, nothing. I would like input from you guys. Maybe topics you would like me to write about, etc. Guys, have a good day. and check out my site for more info. Tonycress.com
Your Life in Motion
HERE WE GO!
Thursday, June 18th, 2009i will be adding content to this new blog thing frequently. I have no idea how to use it, but I think this could be the start of a good thing. I am also trying to add a forum for my site, so look out for that as well. Talk to you guys soon!
Tony
