"Am I Doing This Right?"

“Am I doing this right?” How many times have you asked yourself that question in the gym? Some might not want to admit it or even think they are doing something less than stellar for some fear of being embarrassed, but that is the surest way to increase your chance of injury. Try these three things to make sure you are doing things right…

Use the mirrors. I know you might not want to look at yourself and or you think your balance is better if you are looking at the ground but the mirror is a tool and there for you to watch your form. You can see when your shoulders are too high or your back is slumped. Use that mirror to make sure your form perfect.

Keep a good posture. If you are standing and sitting up straight and you are keeping your core engaged (abs, back, hips, shoulders) then you are already 80% done with your exercise. Having good posture is essential in almost every you are doing in the gym so make it a focus.

Slow down the movement and make sure you are feeling it in the muscle you are trying to work before zipping through the exercise. If you experiencing discomfort in your neck while working your arms then guess what…something is a little off. Relax, re-adjust yourself and concentrate on whatever muscle group you are working so that you feel the movement where you are supposed to and not in other spots.

The expression, I am sure you have heard of, “no pain, no gain”, does not apply here at all. To make sure you are doing exercises correctly follow these simple steps and try not to over think it all and mostly have fun. Keep looking to Primetrainingonline.com for fitness tips and hints to ensure you are getting the most from your workouts and that you are doing things correctly and progressing in your fitness. Train smart, have fun and be fit.

5 tips to burn fat today!

Looking to burn some fat off of that body and bring those scale numbers back to a reasonable level? I think most of us are, but too many times we don’t do the necessary things to get the fat burning stove warmed up to really start cooking. You want to start burning some fat then try these five simple steps.

1. Eat - Yup I said it…you have to eat to lose weight. So many think it is about what they have to deprive themselves of. Eating is a lifestyle so if you eat balanced and consistent throughout the day you will provide the right calories and breakdown of nutrients so that your body can burn and keep your weight stable.

2. Go for a brisk 30 minute walk - going for a walk is a great thing. If you can get out and just take a walk around the neighborhood you will burn calories. Make it a brisk walk and burn even more. Get out and give yourself 30 minutes to just unwind and breathe.

3. Drink plenty of water - So simple people don’t want to believe it. Drinking water helps all the plumbing work right in the body. If you are hydrated you body runs so much smoother and easier. Drinking water helps fill you up so you don’t over eat but also allows for natural processes within the body to occur that help in the metabolizing of fat. Drink water.

4. Plan tomorrows meals - Folks are always in such a rush. Catching a bite on the go can make or break your weight loss goals. If you take 5 minutes and plan out what you will have to eat tomorrow the chances of you blowing up your calories is less likely. You just have to make a plan and stay on it.

5. Get a good 8 hours sleep - If you deprive yourself of sleep you are going to have a tough time functioning at a high level, comfortably at least. We all have learned to power thru a day when dead tired, but doing that takes away from your body’s ability to burn fat at optimal levels. Give your body that time it needs to recover and rest and you will be filled with more energy and find that all you do goes a little smoother, not just in terms of fat loss but in all your activities.