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Month: March 2021

Small Steps, Big Changes

March 29, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

One of the hardest things about falling off the health and fitness wagon is getting started again. Many people will be on a roll for a while and getting great results and then life kicks you in your junk and knocks you down. The truth is that this happens to even the most dedicated people from time to time. This post was written to help you get back up and get back at it. If you are having trouble getting motivated to start exercising and eating healthy, please keep reading.

It’s not if life gets in the way and derails your training and nutrition program but when. The trick is get going again. Fortunately, it is not as hard as you think. A common problem is once someone falls off for a while, they get frustrated and oftentimes depressed. Part of the reason for this is that people feel like if they are not able to do as well as they were doing before then it is not worth doing at all. The other reason is that people tend to look at the big picture of everything they have to do to get back to where they were and get intimidated and scared. The trick is to not even think about what you were doing before or all if the things you “should” or “have” to do but focus on one small action step towards your goal that you can do now. Less thinking, more doing.

Depending on how long you have been out of the training and nutrition game you may be very out of shape, feel weak, tight, aches and pains etc. The key is to keep your action step as simple as possible. Do not make it more overwhelming than it already seems to be. Do not try to go from zero to 100 in a week. Simply pick something small that you feel 100% confident that you can do.  For example, set out your gym clothes for the next day’s workout and then walk 10 minutes. Do 10 squats and 10 push-ups 2-3 times per week. If you want to start eating healthier and you have been eating ice cream every night, then starting by not eating ice cream for one night. Sure, you may be thinking “what is that little bit of exercise or dietary change going to do for me?” The answer is to build momentum and confidence. Contrary to what many believe motivation does not lead to action. Action leads to motivation. This approach works for everything in life. The key is that once you start getting some small wins you feel better. You feel accomplished you get into a flow. Then over time you begin to want to do more and more and before you know it you are back at it full swing and kicking ass.

If you have been stuck for awhile or unmotivated to exercise or eat healthy then pick something easy. Even if it is just a small step towards your goal and start by doing that step each day. Then build on it from there. Every great journey began with a first step. Make you first step small and easy and in a short time you will look back and say to yourself ‘Wow, look how far I have come?”

Yours in health,

Kevin

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Choose Your Identity

March 24, 2021
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| Health and Wellness, Uncategorized

Decisions, decisions. Everyday there are numerous important choices that we must make. Such as, what am I going to have for breakfast? Should I wear a button down or a polo? Should I wear deodorant or go au natural? Just kidding, I wear deodorant and just kidding, those are not important choices. One really important choice however, is am I going to take care of myself and be healthy, fit and feel great or am I going to let myself deteriorate, get out of shape, sick and fat?

Choose your identity?

Having trained hundreds of clients for over 25 years, one of the most important common denominators of my most successful clients comes down to this one simple question. Who am I?

The most successful clients choose working out, eating healthier and exercising as a lifestyle. This lifestyle is part of who they are. It is as important to them as brushing their teeth and applying deodorant! Not sure what my fascination with deodorant is today but let us continue, shall we?

People that are not successful being in shape, healthy, lean still have not decided. From time to time they may decide to join a gym, start an exercise program or a new diet. The problem with this approach is that they have not chosen to make that a part of who they are. They have one foot in and one foot out.  Sure, they decided to act which is great, and I applaud them for that first step. Unfortunately, once things get hard or life gets in the way they go right back to square one. Why? Because they did not take on the new identity of who they wanted to become. A fitter, healthier, better version of themselves.

There are many reasons we humans do this. Most of the time it is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of change etc. A great piece of advice I heard from Jaimie Foxx on  a Tim Ferris Podcast is “What’s on the other side of fear?” the answer is “nothing.” And he’s absolutely right. There is nothing on the other side of fear.

Many of us worry about what might happen, about the worst case scenarios and what can go wrong but rarely do they ever happen that way. And even if they do, it would still be a really good experience, a life lesson for you to learn and grow from.

What are your goals? Take a moment and write them down in detail. Then ask yourself is this who I want to become. If the answer is yes, then you must make this part of your being. It must be who you are. If you want to be fit, look, and feel your best then you must do the actions necessary to be that way. It must be a priority. No negotiations. Plan your meals, shop for your food, prep your meals, schedule your training sessions, take your supplements. Show up each day. I am not going to lie. It will be hard in the beginning. The trick is to stick with it. Day in and day out and in no time at all it will become a habit. A beautiful healthy habit. Just like brushing your teeth and putting deodorant on.

To your health.

Kevin

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How to Improve Sleep Part 1

March 22, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

One of the most common issues I see with clients is lack of sleep and/or poor quality sleep. What is good quality sleep? Sleeping from, the time your head hits the pillow until your alarm wakes you up in the morning. Not only is poor sleep annoying but it can have severe adverse effects on your health, fitness and fat loss goals. If you are interested in improving the quantity and quality of your sleep please keep reading.

Aside from making you a grumpy bastard here are some of the serious effects on your body form poor sleep quantity and quality:

  1. Depression
  2. Mood Disorders
  3. Stroke
  4. High Blood Pressure
  5. Diabetes
  6. Cancer
  7. Premature death
  8. Kidney disease
  9. Learning problems
  10. Memory problems
  11. Heart disease
  12. Metabolic Syndrome
  13. Hormone problems
  14. Obesity
  15. Danger while driving
  16. Low metabolism
  17. Weakened immune system

In the words of Dr. Rob Racowski : Without adequate sleep you get sick fat and stupid!

So, do you think sleep is important?

Let’s find out how to sleep better.

Shape the path. Simple changes to your environment can have significant effects on improving sleep. Here’s some of the best ways to do just that.

  1. Try to keep your room as quiet as possible. If you live in a noisy area you can also try a variety of apps that have peaceful sounds or white noise to help block out the noisy environment or just simply relax you into sleep. We all know how relaxing the sound of ocean waves, light rain, or a babbling brook can make it easy to doze off.
  2. Keep the room dark. The darker the room the better. Light from anything including electronic devices such as, clocks, or on t.v.’s etc. can impede sleep. Keep it pitch black. If you need to get room darkening curtains go for it. 
  3. Keep the room cool. Lower temperatures have been shown to induce deeper and more restful sleep. You all know how hard it is to sleep when it is hot and humid. Chill out.
  4. Get comfortable. One of the best thigs y wife and I ever did was to get a new mattress. I bought a really expensive mattress before we were married and it was great for years. However, over time it began to sag in places and I would wake up with back and neck pain each morning. After years of this stupidity we broke down and bought a new mattress and haven’t looked back since. Another way to look at this is, an average person will sleep for 229,961 hours in their lifetime or basically one third of their life. You might as well make it as comfortable as possible. On the same note, if you do have lower back pain keeping a pillow between your legs if you are a side sleeper or under your knees if you are a back sleeper will keep you spine in better alignment and this can dramatically reduce or eliminate back pain caused by uncomfortable sleeping positions. I started using the Contour Legacy Knee and Foam Support Pillow about a month ago and really like it. The pillow is small so it is not bulky if you turn side to side and it also contours very comfortably between your legs, Unlike a lot of memory foam products out there this one doesn’t get hot. A friend of mine turned me onto this awesome Novilla Mattress that is super affordable and is equally if not more comfortable than my higher end mattress I bought form a furniture store. 
  5. Keep electronic devices across the room from you or better yet in another room. The electronic radiation can not only negatively affect your sleep but may be harmful to your health. This is especially true of cell phones. Plus, if you have a phone near you the crack head in you will constantly want to check for likes, emails, texts, snap chats and all of the other annoying ways people can contact you. I like to put my phone on “Do not disturb” mode and it charges across the room from me.
  6. To piggy back off #4 above, it is recommended to not have a t.v. in your bedroom. Not only is watching tv. in bed not good for you for reasons I will discuss below but it will distract you from sleeping and/or keep you up later then you want because you must finish binge watching some show. The bedroom is for two things. SLEEP and SEX. If you keep your sacred sleeping space for those two things you will subconsciously know that when you go into the bedroom one (or two) of these will occur.
  7. Speaking of sex. Have more of it. Ever notice it is much easier to fall asleep after great sex? Not having great sex? Work on it. Practice makes perfect. 😉

Pre-bed Rituals: Other great ways to improve sleep are what I like to call pre-bed rituals. These are certain habits that you do each night within an hour of going to sleep.

  1. Gratitude log. A grateful log is simply a notebook or journal you keep at the bedside. Each night before you go to bed you reflex on the day and write down 3 or more things that you are grateful for that happened in that day. Write down 3 nice things you did for someone else. Write down 3 nice things others did for you. Lastly, write down 3 things that you are grateful for that you have not achieved/received yet. My mentor Charles Poliquin always said that “What you appreciate, appreciates”. My favorite gratitude journal is the 5-Minute Journal. It is a beautifully made journal and makes the process of journaling easy and fun. 
  2. Deep Breathing Exercises. Simply focusing on doing long slow inhales through the nose for 4 seconds. Pause for a 4 count and slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds can have a profound effect on relaxing you. Do this for 5-10 minutes and it can work wonders.
  3. Just like the deep breathing exercise above, one of the best ways to not only improve sleep but to improve your health is through meditation. I know meditation is hard for many (including myself) so that is why I like guided meditation. Apps such as, Headspace and Calm provide all types of guided meditation for sleep, stress relief, focus, performance etc. Many are short (10 minutes) and easy to do. My favorite meditation is the Primus Meditation. You can access it here FREE. It is a amazing guided meditation that can positively improve your life. 
  4. No TV, computer, iPad, phones, social media. Along with unwanted/unhealthy radiation of electronic devices is blue light. This is the light frequency emitted by these devices and has a direct negative effect on your hormones and sleep Try to stay off social media, the computer, watching t.v. iPad, etc. for about an hour before you go to bed. Avoiding this type of light allows melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleep) production and the natural cycle for your body to fall asleep. If you must use these devices then turn on “Night time mode” on the cell phone. This changes the light ways from blue to the red/orange spectrum associated with a setting sun and falling asleep. For your computer, there is a program called f.lux. It is free and does the same thing. For each to these apps. Set them to turn on just before sunset and return to normal at sunrise. These are simple tools to make using some electronic devices safer before bed.
  5. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants (energy drinks etc.) after 12-1 pm. The effects of caffeine can last up to 10 hours in some people and will not only make it harder to fall asleep but sleep soundly. I am sure you have all had caffeine too close to bedtime and slept like crap that night. Some people can drink coffee late and still sleep but to be safe just avoid it. Besides the other negative effect of coffee is it is a diuretic so you will most likely have to get up in the middle of the night to pee.
  6. The last “hack” for part one is to go to bed and wake up the same time each day. This can be hard for a lot of people. However, if you can do it or keep it within an hour difference earlier or later your body will develop a more stable sleep cycle.

That is all for part 1. Stay tuned for part-2 where I will discuss which natural supplements help to improve sleep quantity and quality. In the meantime, sleep, tight.

To your health,

Kevin

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Stretching for Those That Hate Stretching Series

March 19, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

An Amazing Yoga Flow

If you hate stretching and mobility work raise your hand? If you need stretching and mobility work raise your hand? If you love stretching and mobility work raise your hand? You weirdo. LOL Just kidding. The fact of the matter is a lot of people hate stretching and mobility work. These same people however typically need this type of work the most. So what’s the answer? Create short, fun and easy to do routines that people who hate stretching will be more willing to do. Don’t worry people who love stretching. This series has some great stuff for you too. 

Now more than ever with more and more people sitting for their jobs, binge watching hours of Netflix and sitting in traffic there is a huge rise in poor flexibility, mobility and aches and pains. That’s where this series comes in.

Since I am not a yoga instructor although I kinda play one on TV after our virtual boot camp classes. I wanted to seek the advice of a professional. So I asked my good friend and amazing yoga instructor Kristen from Iris Mind-Body http://irisstudiosnj.com on Instagram iris.mindandbody  to help me out by creating a short, fun, easy to perform yoga flow that works on improving flexibility for all the major muscle groups. These stretches/poses can also help reduce stress, decrease pain and help people feel great. This is a great addition to your morning or evening routine and before and/or after a workout.

Please give it a try and let us know what you think.

Namaste!

Kevin

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Should You Use Ice to Treat Injuries?

March 17, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

R.I.C.E. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation has long been the go-to treatment for acute injuries such as sprains, strains, and contusions (Bruises). Some recent studies have shown that using ice on an injury may not work or can even delay the healing process. So, should you use ice to treat an acute injury? That depends on how you use it and when you use it. Applying ice for a long period of time immediately after an injury can actually delay the healing process. The following post is my two cents about using ice to treat injuries.

The theory behind using ice on injuries is to reduce swelling and numb/decrease the pain. This sounds like a good thing doesn’t it? In theory, yes, but some recent studies have shown that the body needs swelling and pain to trigger the body’s natural response to heal the injured area. (Tell that to the person who just severely sprained their ankle, or blew out a knee writhing in agony.) From my experience and experimentation of various techniques in the trenches  I have found the following technique to work the best for treating acute injuries. This technique can be used up to 72 hours post-injury.

I first learned the R.I.C.E. technique explained below from one of my favorite professors of all time Doug Davis at Bergen Community College 24 years ago.

To perform this technique, you will alternate periods of icing with periods of non-icing using compression and elevation. Many people simply leave ice on for an extended period. This I have found can impede the healing process and I personally do not advise that method. Instead, perform the following.

  1. Get an ACE Bandage and saturate it under cold running water. Be sure to let it get saturated. It takes a bit of time. You want to use cold water and make sure that it is wet to maximally conduct the cold through the bandage while also protecting the skin. Ice directly on the skin can cause ice burn which is not pleasant or beneficial.
  2. Using half the ACE bandage snuggly (not too tightly) wrap the bandage around the injured area. Be sure that it is just barely overlapping each time you wrap the bandage around the area, so it is not too thick. You want it snug to help slightly compress the area to control the swelling and give the injured area support.
  3. Take the ice pack (real ice works better than the cold gel packs but you can use whatever you have) and lay it on the injured area. Use the remainder of the Ace Bandage to hold the Ice pack in place. These Ice Packs are great and can also be used for heat packs. They also come with a convenient elastic strap to hold the Ice Pack in pace. If an area is too large for one ace bandage to both cover the skin and holds the ice pack in place use two bandages.
  4. If possible, elevate the injured area to decrease blood pooling in the area and to encourage proper venous and lymphatic drainage.
  5. Keep the ice on smaller areas (ankle, wrist) for 15 minutes and large deeper injured areas (thigh, hips, back) for 20 minutes.
  6. After 20-minutes remove the ice and bandage and let the area naturally warm back up to body temperature for 30 minutes for smaller body parts and 40 minutes for larger body parts. Try to keep the injured body part elevated at this time as well. This will once again help decrease blood pooling in the area and encourage proper drainage.
  7. Try to repeat this sequence a minimum of 3 times in a row if possible and as many times as you can for up to 72 hours after the injury. At which time it may be advisable to switch to contrast treatment using cold and heat. (coming in another blog post)

The theory of how this works is 4-fold.

  1. Compression (from the bandage) helps control swelling and gives the injured area support.
  2. Elevation uses gravity to naturally help the injured are reduce swelling by decreasing blood pooling into the injured area and allowing venous and lymphatic return.
  3. ICE (temperature) causes vasoconstriction which decreases internal capillary leakage (bleeding) and swelling. Ice also numbs the area to reduce pain and spasms.
  4. Letting the injured body part warm back up to body temperature encourages increased blood flow to the injured area to warm the cold tissue which in turn brings in nutrients and important immune cells such as, macrophages that help clear away damaged cells due to injury, initiating the repair process that triggers inflammation, also producing insulin-like growth factor-one, enhancing muscle tissue reconstruction

To summarize, using Ice therapy in this way with compression and elevation triggers the body’s own mechanical responses causing a pumping effect from vasoconstriction and dilation to help “pump” out inflammatory chemicals and damaged tissue and to also “pump” in nutrients, important immune and healing cells to start the repair of the injured area.

In conclusion, if you do get injured it is important to first consult the proper health care practitioner to evaluate and diagnose the injury and recommend treatment. The information mentioned above is not to take the place of proper care by a physician. However, if you do decide to incorporate the use of Ice therapy then the method mentioned above has been highly effective from my experience.

If you give it a try please let me know how it works for you.

To your health,

Kevin

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Old School Water Jug Workouts

March 14, 2021
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Some of my favorite workouts are the most basic and true to life. Big basic movements using everyday heavy objects doing everyday things. This was the inspiration for this post and I hope it inspires you. 

My family has some property upstate in the Catskill Mountains. We use the house year-round but over the winter we have to shut off the water and drain all the pipes, so they don’t freeze and break. This means that when we go up to the house during the winter months, we must bring large jugs of water to wash up, flush the toilet, brush our teeth, etc. Although carrying 4+ 7-gallon containers of water 2 at a time back and forth or 40 yards down the driveway through snow sometimes can be rough, it is also a killer workout. The primal part of me loves this and hopefully, you will too.

 

For this workout you will need two 5- or 7-gallon water jugs, I like the Reliance brand Aquatainers. They are sturdy and have comfortable handles. You can also get the Jerry can version which is a little narrower making it a bit easier to deadlift and carry them. This also makes it a bit more difficult to do push-ups on the handles. A third option if you are looking for something lighter and a bit smaller you can get the 4-gallon containers. These work better for shorter and/or smaller frame individuals. 

The 7-gallon containers weigh 2 pounds each empty. Full they are 60 pounds apiece. The cool thing is that you can adjust the weight by adjusting how much you fill them. Another added benefit is that when they are not full the water movers around a lot more. This makes lifting and carrying them more challenging and can provide a different and perhaps harder stimulus to your muscles.

Below is the weight of water in relation to gallons.

1 gallon of water weighs 8.33 lbs.

2 gallons of water weigh 16.66 lbs.

3 gallons of water weigh 24.99 lbs.

4 gallons of water weigh 33.32 lbs.

5 gallons of water weigh 41.64 lbs.

6 gallons of water weigh 49.97 lbs.

7 gallons of water weigh 58.3 lbs.

Add the weight of the container you are using, and you will have the weight of each container for your workout.

Below are two awesome total body workouts that take less than 30 minutes using water containers. 

Before you begin working out be sure to do a dynamic warm-up to get your body ready for the workout and to help prevent injuries.

Workout 1:

10 Deadlifts.

25–40-yard farmers carry.

10 push-ups using the container handles.

Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat.

Perform 3-7 rounds depending on you your goals and fitness level.

Workout 2:

10 Bent over Rows.

10 Triceps Dips or Push-ups using container handles.

Farmers Carry the containers up and down a set of stairs 1-2 times OR do 8-10 step-ups for each leg.

Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat.

Perform 3-7 rounds depending on you your goals and fitness level.

So now you have two “fun” and challenging workouts that you can do outside with minimal equipment. Use your imagination for other exercises! You can also do a higher number of reps or additional sets as you get more advanced. One last added bonus is these containers are great to have for extra fresh water during emergencies.

Give this workout a go and let me know what you think.

To your health,

Kevin

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What Gets Measured Gets Improved

March 12, 2021
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| Health and Wellness, Uncategorized

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Although this quote from Bill Drucker originally relates to business, it can be applied to all areas of life. Especially, fat loss and body transformation.

For most people, the only way they measure their weight loss progress in using a scale.  Although a scale is a useful tool it does not always show a complete picture of what is going on. For instance, oftentimes when someone trains for weight loss they typically add some muscle (if they are training correctly) and lose fat. The scale, however, only shows a broad picture. If you gain 2 lbs. of muscle=GOOD and loss 2 lbs. of fat also GOOD, it will not show on the scale. It would look like nothing is happening and this can lead to frustration. However, you just made some great progress.

The second problem with only relying on a scale and focusing solely on weight, you may very well be losing weight each week. The issue is you do not know if you are losing muscle or fat. If you are losing muscle, you are setting yourself up for a rebound of fat gain and eminent setbacks.

So how do I do measurements you ask?

Let’s first discuss what needs to happen for measurements to be accurate.

  1. They should be done by the same person. There is typically a slight discrepancy between each person performing certain measurements. To avoid this, have the same person perform the measurements each time
  2. Use the same equipment/device each time. Different scales can vary by over 5 pounds. Different body fat measurement techniques are also only compatible with the same technique and are not accurate across different techniques. E.G. calipers will be different to dexa scan, and underwater weighing and electrical impedance and bod pod etc. so use the same method each time to compare for more accurate results.
  3. They should be done at the same time of day and time of the month. Weighing yourself at different times of the day can vary depending on many factors. To keep things consistent, it is best to weigh yourself on the same day each week at the same time wearing or not wearing the same clothes. Time of the month is important especially for women whose weight can fluctuate due to their menstrual cycles.
  4. They must be Performed using standard guidelines and procedures. It is important to perform the testing the exact same way each time to keep measurements accurate. If anyone variable changes the outcome can be drastically different.

The most accurate way to keep track of your, weight loss/body composition results is to have a competent and experienced professional measure you. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do consistently.  To simplify things what I have all my online clients use are the following 3 pieces of equipment. Although the body fat measurement may not be as accurate as more traditional methods, if it is done by the same person, (you) you will easily be able to keep track of progress from your initial starting measurement and that is all that matters. These pieces of equipment are super easy to use, affordable, and make taking measurements much more accurate.

Accumeasure Body Fat Caliper


This is an easy-to-use caliper that only requires taking one measurement at the waistline. It comes with easy-to-follow instructions. Simply pinch the area on your waist as described in the directions and gently squeeze the calipers until it clicks. Then look at the measurement and compare it to the chart(included) with you are age and it will give you a body fat percentage. Quick and easy! Although this will not be the most accurate method, it will easily allow you to take a baseline measurement to compare future measurements and that is the most important thing.

MyoTape Body Measure Tape

I like this tape measure because you simply wrap it loosely around the body part to be measured and then attach the end into the base to hold it in place. (Using a regular tape measure to measure yourself can be a big pain in the ass.) Then simply press the button and slowly let the tape wind until it is against your skin. Just be sure to keep the tape as level as possible and the body part as relaxed as possible. Follow the directions for the best results.

RENPHO Body Fat Scale

This scale comes with bioelectrical impedance for body fat, but this method has some of the greatest margins of error. I recommend using the scale part but use the Accu measure for more consistent measurement of body fat. This scale also links to your phone and smart apps to make it easy to keep accurate records.

When to measure.

Measure your weight every Monday morning at the same time. This also helps keep you accountable for the weekend debauchery.

Measure body fat every 2-4 weeks

Measure circumference measurements every 2-4 weeks.

By measuring these 3 areas you will get a better picture if you are gaining muscle and losing fat, losing muscle, not progressing, etc. The circumference measurements will also allow you to see exactly where on your body you are losing your fat from. This can be important down the road if you have trouble losing fat in certain areas. This can possibly associate with hormonal issues.

So, there it is. If you are serious about your fat loss and body composition changes then I recommend purchasing these inexpensive tools and begin keeping measurements and track them on your mobile device, computer, or notebook. This can be motivational when it doesn’t look like you are making changes on the scale and it is also a great way to figure out sooner rather than later if something is not working for you so that you can make the appropriate changes and save valuable time and frustration.

To your health

Kevin


References:


https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/body-fat-analyzers/faq-20057944

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/1/e008922

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/abdominal-obesity/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9403318/

https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/tools-calculators/percent-body-fat-calculator/

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Killing Two Birds With One Foam Roller

March 10, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

I hate birds. I mean really. All they do is make noise, fly around and crap on everything. Who needs that? LOL. Before P.E.T.A. loses it on me I am totally kidding. I love animals of all shapes and sizes. What this post is referring to is the  old saying “we can kill two birds with one stone” or we can accomplish two things at once. These two things are killing stress and anxiety and killing bad posture, back, shoulder and neck pain. There is a third benefit. If you do this before you work out it can increase your performance a small percentage. So, what do you have to do to receive these awesome benefits? Your gonna have to read on if you want to find out. 

Most people use foam rollers to painfully work on tight muscles and adhesions. I am not a big believer in this for most conditions, but that is for another post. One thing foam rollers are useful for however, is to decompress and align the spine a bit and to help improve posture. I learned this trick from my late great mentor Charles Poliquin many moons ago. He liked to use it with his athletes before a workout to improve strength during the workout. 

To do this this exercise simply lie on a foam roller lengthwise (Use a 36″ foam roller). Keep your feet flat on the floor and your arms next to your body relaxed with palms up and elbows slightly bent. Lie there for 10 to 15 minutes. You most likely will notice that when you first lie down your neck is hyperextended, and your lumber (lower back) will have a large arch. Over the course of the 10-15 minutes however your spine and the muscles in the anterior (front) of your upper body (pecs, deltoids, scalenes, pec minor, biceps, etc.) will relax and gently stretch due to gravity. This leads to decompression of the spine and allows your spine to align more naturally. This can help decrease pain, improve posture and performance. Today this is more important than ever with so many people working at a computer all day, sitting too much, and looking at their phones, and tablets. 

To make this awesome and easy exercise even better I decided to combine it with another beneficial activity. I thought “well I have to lay here for 10-15 minutes which can be kind of boring” So. I decided to “kill two birds with one stone” and add my daily guided meditation practice while I am lying on the foam roller. I love the apps Calm and Headspace. I like to switch back and forth from time to time but you can choose whatever works for you. Doing this not only gives me benefits to my physical body but also my mental capacity by decreasing stress, anxiety and improving focus, relaxation and performance. A super win-win. 

I love to do this either as part of my morning or bedtime routine. Feel free to experiment and find whatever works best for you. I cannot recommend this enough. Please give it a try and let me know what you think?

To your health,

Kevin

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Building an Awesome, Effective, and Inexpensive Home Gym Part 1

March 8, 2021
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Since the spread of Covid-19 our world and especially the workout world has been turned upside down. With gyms closing or only operating at limited capacity, and the fear of going back to a gym many have chosen to go the home gym route. This movement has led to the advent of cool but expensive home gym systems such as, Peloton, The Mirror, Tonal, etc. and a shortage of a lot of the basic home gym equipment such as dumbbell, kettlebells, barbells, benches and racks etc. These home gym systems are cool and do offer a lot of benefits and a large decked out home gym is awesome but many people do not have the space or the budget to have these systems or a big home gym. This leads us to an important question?

What equipment should I buy to create a functional, effective, space saving and portable home gym?

If you are wondering the same thing then this post has you covered.

In this post I put together a list of 5 pieces of equipment that can create a formidable home gym. This equipment will offer you endless variety, allow you to advance as you get stronger, gives you portability and it takes up very little space.

Here it goes.

  1. 1-2 Kettle Bells. For females I recommend a 15# and a 20# or 25#. For men I recommend a 20# and 30-35#. These weight options allow you to start at a lighter weight as a beginner and progress to a heavier weight as you get more advanced. It also allows you to have a lighter kettle bell for unilateral or single arm/leg movements and a heavier kettlebell for double arm/leg movements. Kettlebells are one of the most versatile pieces of equipment that offer endless challenge, variety, can be used for both strength and conditioning and can easily fit under your bed or in a closet. Price varies by weight and whoever is price gouging right now and can range from $36 for 15# to $70 for a 30#. The link I have here has them in stock.
  2. Exercise Band Set with handles, ankle straps and a door anchor. Bands are the most versatile, portable, and light weight exercise equipment there is. They take up almost zero space and are great for assisting or increasing the challenge of bodyweight exercises (think chin ups). Lastly bands are great to assist stretching. The set I have linked here also comes with ankle attachments, handles and a door mount. Price $30
  3. Swiss Ball or Physio Ball. A swiss ball is another excellent piece of equipment that offers a ton of variety, can be used to lay on as a bench and can also be used for stretching. It also makes a great seat to improve posture if you sit for work all day. Try switching back and forth between your desk chair and a swiss ball throughout the day. The price is cheap as well around $20-25
  4. TRX or similar suspension system with door anchor. Suspension trainers are another super effective, space saving and light weight piece of equipment. They offer limitless variety and are great for both beginners and advanced trainees alike. Price around $100-$129.
  5. Sliders. Exercise sliders are a great inexpensive piece of equipment that offers a ton of training variety and challenge. The ones I have linked to here are two sided so you can use them on carpet and hardwood floors. They also come in two sizes. I recommend getting the larger size either way as it is more comfortable and easier to stay on them during certain exercises. Price $11

There you have it. You can have an AWESOME home gym with endless challenge and variety for around $250-300. This equipment should last you a long time as well. If you are on a budget then I would recommend one kettlebell and the band set and swiss ball if you can swing it. (Pun intended) You can always get the suspension trainer and a heavier kettlebell later as you progress. The good news is most of this equipment is available now or comes into stock quickly. 

This is a simple solution to help keep your health, fitness, and fat loss on track.

Yours in health

Kevin

*If you would like personalized professionally designed programs or to join our fun and challenging virtual boot camp classes please check out the rest of my site for more information.*

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A Healthy and Delicious Breakfast Alternative

March 2, 2021
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If you are  avoiding gluten and the usual processed breakfast crap and looking for a delicious breakfast alternative to eggs, bacon, sausage etc. here is a quick easy recipe I through together one morning with what I had in the house. It is loaded with protein, healthy fats, vegetables and healthy gluten free carbohydrates. 

Ingredients:

Wild Caught Smoked Salmon. (I used the one from Costco)

1 Avocado

Fresh Organic Salsa. (I used the one from Stop and Shop but anyone you like will work)

Ezekiel Bread

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

1) Cut and take the seed out of the Avocado. Using a knife carefully put slices long ways down the inside of the avocado and then sideways. Using a spoon, scoop out the inside of the avocado and put into a bowl. 

2) Put 1-2 Slices of Ezekiel Bread into the toaster.

3) Take 1-2 tablespoons of the organic salsa and mix into the avocado until desired texture. Add, salt and pepper taste. 

4) Once the toast is ready, place desired amount of the salsa and avocado onto the toast.

5) Place the desired amount of Salmon on top of the salsa and avocado. (1-2 of the serving size listed on the package depending on your size and nutritional and body composition goals.

6) Enjoy!

 

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