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Workout plan

By Jeff Lindstrom On March 31, 2012No Comments

When you go to the gym it’s always important to have a plan in mind.  The main point to consider is what’s your goal? Are you looking to shed fat, build muscle? Sport specific?

I always tell my clients that our programs are designed to achieve their goals whatever it may be! Too often I find people in gym’s wasting their time on non effective techniques and approaches.

A higher percentage of people train like a body builder which doesn’t make sense unless they are actually wanting to be one.  By this I mean, splitting up their muscles into different days, focusing on purely that and resting a minute in between each set etc.

If this is your goal, then great!

My point is that the general population are mainly looking to reduce their body fat, and put some lean muscle mass on.  This goes for the ladies too! Strength training is just as important for you!

While in the gym it’s good as I mentioned to know what you are going to accomplish. For example, for cardio always aim to doing interval training as it’s the most effective way to burn body fat vs long boring steady state cardio.

Strength training should be done in a circuit fashion with minimal rest. I assume you aren’t wanting to be a bodybuilder so focus on your full body.  Doing functional movements that integrate everything! The key is to keep your rest minimal and move one exercise to the next.

This does not mean using the machines.  If you check out my youtube channel I have several ideas on functional full body movements that are great for getting the heart rate up and will increase your caloric expenditure. This movements include pushing, pulling, twisting, bending, lunging, and squatting.

The fitter you are as an individual, the more calories you will burn doing anything!

How long should you workout for? Well that depends on your schedule.  Normally working out longer than an hour can actually be catabolic to your muscles and create a stress response.

Try to keep it an hour or less.  When I work with my executive clients I put them through 30 minute full body circuits using dumbbells, stability balls, kettlebells, cables, medicine balls etc.

The reality is most people waste time in the gym unfortunately.  It’s not their fault.  Most have been misled by magazines and media.

Work on your major muscle groups such as legs, back, chest and core. Shoulders and arms are what I call the “glamour muscles.”  They are nice to look at but if you want to see results and you are tight on time, put most of your attention into the “big” muscles!

Only makes sense right?

Want to get rid of your gut? Do squats! Deadlifts! Not 100’s of crunches. That’s garbage! We call that spot reduction.  You can’t focus on a particular area and hope that the fat will miraculously disappear.

To lose body fat it’s about taking care of yourself.  Keeping stress under control.  Drinking plenty of clean water throughout the day.  Watching what type of foods and liquids you put into your body.

The workout plan if done correctly will support your goals as well!

A sample circuit routine one could do is:

Pushups

Lunge – cable row

DB squat press

Hamstring curls off ball

Mountain climbers

You do all the exercises in a row and after mountain climbers to a break for a minute, repeat.

This approach you work all your major muscle groups while keeping the heart rate up! Kicks the fat burning metabolism into gear!

Your workouts are what you make of it. You can lounge around do a set, talk to your friends and carry on.  Or you can get down to business and make every exercise count and give it your best effort.

For more guidance and fitness routines to follow check out my body transformation link which has everything you need! www.jefflindstromfitness.com

It really depends on how serious you are about seeing the results you desire!

Recent Posts

Chest workout

By Jeff Lindstrom On February 12, 2012 No Comments

Hey all.  Sorry for the slow down in posts recently.  Been insanely busy with work and life! Check out this chest workout that you can do anywhere.  This is intense so you can get a lot done in a short amount of time! You can do 3-4 sets if you like and you will be cooked! Beginners can start with 1-2 sets.  1 min to 2 min max break.  The more fit you are, keep the breaks no longer than a minute and repeat as many as you can while keeping proper form!

You will see in the video the format is 30 second pushups, followed by 30 second tubing punches, 30 second tubing flys, and ten second pushups.  (Go to knees if you need to during pushups)

Check it out and I hope all is well!!

YouTube Preview Image


How much weight should I lose?

By Jeff Lindstrom On January 24, 2012 No Comments

This is a common question I get from clients who are looking to lose weight. The healthy amount of weight to lose is 1-2 pounds per week. If it’s anything more than that you are most likely losing water weight and muscle mass.

When losing the latter this will negatively affect your metabolism.  The more lean muscle you have on your body, the higher calorie expenditure you will have doing nothing or any activity. A phrase I frequently use with clients is the more fit an individual is, the more calories they will burn 24/7.  They have a higher metabolism which means your body is still working outside of the gym.

There are a lot of crash diets and extreme weight loss methods out there which mislead people when they hop on the scale.  They lose weight and see their body weight number go down, however it’s not going to be the ‘fat’ weight you are looking at getting rid of.

Over 70% of people are dehydrated daily. It’s important to ensure you drink plenty of filtered water as your body works more efficiently when it is hydrated.  Water will actually make you feel fuller which is great for people who are wanting to lose weight.  It helps curb your hunger! Half your body weight and this gives you the approximate ounces to drink daily.

We face stress daily so by keeping hydrated will help combat it.  It’s normal for people to get agitated and impatient when dehydrated and hungry.  Not saying it’s acceptable so if you are feeling this go get some healthy snacks and drink some water for crying out loud!!

For those who are looking to lose weight, focus on your diet.  Eat clean as much as possible, a variety of fruits, vegetables, organic meats, proteins, raw nuts and seeds. Eat 80-90% right and you will succeed. Sip at water all day long to keep hydrated, feeling good, energetic and minimize stress.

Try not to be fixated on what the scale says.  Our weight can fluctuate 3-5 pounds daily.  Pay attention to how your clothes feel. Losing inches in the pants, you will be losing unwanted fat!

If the pants are getting tighter and the scale is going up, you are putting on body fat.  On the contrary if the scale is going up and pants are looser, you are putting on lean muscle mass (which is great) and losing body fat!

Keep this is in mind during your weight loss journey.  Remember 1-2 pounds a week is healthy and don’t fret if the scale isn’t moving.  Be patient and consistent with your healthy lifestyle choices. The better you feed your body, participate in activity on a regular basis, the quicker results will show!!


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