Set up Instructions: (using 45lb plates if using lighter weights place weights on a stand so the bar is at the same height)
1. Place barbell with weights in front of you
2. Stand close enough to the barbell so shins touch, feet are shoulder width apart and pointed straight a head

Steps 1 and 2

3. Keeping the hips back squat down until;
– Upper legs are parallel to the ground
– Shins are vertical
4. Grab the barbell so hands are shoulder width apart (if needed widen grip slightly)
5. Keep back straight
6. Engage and co-contract core muscles

Steps 3 to 6 of set-up

Exercise Execution
1. Keeping back ridged extend legs

2. Half way through extension straighten back, keeping shoulders back and chest proud

Execution of steps 1 and 2

3. Extend at knees and hips and keep chest proud

Execution of Step 3

4. Keeping barbell close to legs while returning to the starting position
5. Repeat until desired number of reps are completed

Breathing: Be sure not to hold breath. Breath in on the way up and out on the way down

If you are like me and you want to know if “you are reaching your goals?” or “if you are succeeding in reaching your desired level of fitness?” than you will benefit from regular fitness assessments. There are lots of ways one can benefit from regular assessments. For instance:

1. Your first assessment can provide a baseline value for you to measure your coming results against.
2. If you are not sure what your goals are an assessment can tell you in what areas you are defiant and help one define their goals
3. It can provide a means to develop program based around your goals
4. Can help see how far you have come in your program
5. Regular assessments can help you and your trainer alter your program to help speed up your results
6. Identify plateaus in your program and the need to change
7. Easier way to determine body composition without hydrostatic weighing or getting a dexa-scan

What does a fitness assessment consists of? How does one quantify fitness or test it no less? The answer depends on your overall goals. For a more health based approach it may be necessary to look at body composition, healthy back fitness, Vo2max. If your goals are more sports oriented then you may find it useful to know your anaerobic power loss ratio, peak leg power, and your 1 rep max. All these aspects can be assessed by a qualified individual and are important to know when trying to reach or set a goal.

- Robert J. Pearce

Set the incline bench at about a 45 degree angle. Sit on the bench with your feet flat on the floor a little more than shoulder width apart. Position your back firmly against the bench. Using a grip slightly wider than shoulder width, hold the bar over your upper chest with your arms straight. Slowly lower the bar and make slight contact with your upper chest area. Drive the weight straight up over your chest until your elbows are stright but not locked. Make sure not to reach up with your shoulders. Keep your shoulders back into the bench and your chest up. 

Golf is a sport where until Tiger Woods came along even professional players didn’t spend much if any time training their bodies to improve their game.  Obviously that has changed and professionals and weekend warriors alike are now searching for any way to lower their handicap and improve their performance by improving their fitness level.  The golf swing is a very intricate and coordinated movement that requires power, balance, strength, flexibility and stability to perform properly.  A well designed and balanced training program should address all of these qualities. It should be understood that the golf swing is actually a very violent movement when looking at the forces it applies to certain areas of the body.  The force of the swing on the lumbar spine (think mid back to tail bone) is equivalent to being body checked in hockey, the lateral forces on the knee are equivalent to making a cut in basketball, and the velocity of the swing on the arms is equal to throwing a baseball. It’s no wonder why the average golfer tends to have a sore lower back, bad knees, an injured shoulder, or all three!!!  The following exercises aren’t necessarily the most important exercises you should be doing (although some might be!) but will help target some of the more commonly overlooked areas in the average golfer’s training program and will be a great addition to regular strength training to help improve your game. 

When it comes to cardiovascular training there are many philosophies, questions and myths. Should you do cardio before or after weight training? Should you do it in the morning on an empty stomach to burn more fat? How long should you do cardio for? Is the treadmill better than the elliptical? These questions and more have been floating around gyms forever and now I’ll give you my take on it.

The bottom line is as long as you incorporate it into your workout and work at the appropriate intensity you will be fine. Now, what is the appropriate intensity? That depends on your goals. Obviously weight loss goals will require more cardio but that does not mean you need to run for hours, unless you are training for a marathon which most of you are not. Over doing when it comes to cardio also works against muscle building so keep that in mind for those of you who are trying to gain lean muscle mass. Try to keep it between 25-40 minutes and don’t be afraid to push yourself. By that I mean if you can read a book or magazine during a training session, you are not working hard enough. Working at a continuous pace for a long period of time will burn calories but it may not get the heart rate as high as you need to work towards your goal. Shorter bouts of cardio with a faster speed or more of an incline will keep your heart rate higher for a longer period of time which will be much more beneficial for you in the long run and will keep your workouts much less time consuming. Remember it is quality not quantity.

As for when to do your cardio; whenever you like or whenever you have time. Doing it before weight training does not achieve better results. Just keep in mind that it may leave you fatigued and take away from the resistance training part of your workout. For this one it comes down to preference. Training the cardiovascular system on an empty stomach may not be the best idea either. The body needs fuel to perform tasks. Not providing your body with proper fuel or supplementation before, during and after workouts will negatively affect your performance and results. For an in depth analysis on your current eating habits and creating a structured eating regimen tailored specifically to your body and your goals, Fitness 365 can set up an appointment for you with our nutrition specialist. Feel free to ask myself or any of our staff for assistance.

I’ve said what I had to say so get out there, work hard, be safe and have fun!

Michael Lanni
Head Trainer

Step 1. ASK FOR HELP Staff members and trainers are friendly and willing to help you if you ask. Just relax and ask your questions no matter what it is. Remember the only stupid question is the one not asked.

Step 2. DO RESEARCH It is always safe to look before you leap into anything. Make sure before buying any supplement or product you do some research.

Step 3. HAVE A GOAL It is important to set goals for yourself that are both realistic and attainable. It doesn’t matter what the goal is so long as it is realistic. If you are just starting out it might be as simple as getting to know how to use the proper machines in the gym by a certain time period.

Step 4. STAY CONSISTANT Want to get big? Want to lose weight? You want results right? Nothing happens without trying hard. So how are you going to get results? Coming consistently to the gym is a good start if you can come for more than a month it is a good chance that you have built a habit. Build a good habit and you have built a road to success.

Step 5. DO PRACTICE SAFE EXERCISE TECHNIQUES Remember to lift with your legs when appropriate and maintain a neutral spine during every lift. Doing so will help avoid back injuries and keep you coming back to the gym for many more years.

Step 6. PUT AWAY YOUR WEIGHTS If you are strong enough to lift the weight you are strong enough to put it away. Even if the weight is seemingly “light” or “everyone can use it” just remember not everyone is as strong as you are. It is proper gym etiquette to do so and you do not want to be known as “the guy who doesn’t put his weights away”.

Step 7. EXERCISE FROM LARGEST TO SMALLEST MUSCLE GROUPS Try to exercise in order from the largest muscle groups to smaller ones. This means do larger multi joint exercises before doing smaller more isolated movements. I.e. Bench press before triceps extensions.

Step 8. GET TRAINING SESSIONS A personal trainer is someone who wants you to reach your goals as fast as possible and will rely on their wealth of knowledge to help you. This is especially true for someone just beginning in the gym and has not learned proper exercise techniques. It is very important for a new person to learn proper techniques to avoid injury.

There are a number of things a person usually wonders as they walk into the gym. “What should I train on today?” “How long should a training session be?” however, while those are all good questions, the most important question a person should ask themselves is “Why and how should I warm-up?”

Why warm up? There are a number of reasons but most importantly it gets the body ready for exercise by increasing blood flow to the working muscles, can help in proper motor unit recruitment so the exercise can be done safer and more effectively and decreases the likely hood of injury during training.

How should I warm-up? There are two camps on the idea. The two camps are: General and Specific.

The first idea is a general warm-up. A general warm-up means that there are little or no specific resistance exercise movements involved in the warm-up. For instance, riding the stationary bike for 5 to 10 minutes before exercise is an example of a general warm-up. A good general warm-up will get blood flowing, raises core temperature, and lubricate joints.

The second idea is a specific warm-up. A specific warm-up means that there are very specific exercises used in the warm-up. For instance, before exercising at a working weight one does 3-4 sets of a warm up weight before starting in on their actual working weight. A good specific warm-up allows for proper form to be conducted, allows for specific joints to become lubricated. However; it gets the working body parts ready for the correct exercise.

They are both valid ways of warming-up however, which one works best? Of course the answer is that doing them both in succession is the best method. Warming up with an aerobic exercise of your choice and then warming up with a specific exercise before starting resistance training will bring the best results for preventing injury and getting the most out of the exercise.

The most important thing to remember during the warm-up is that it is a warm-up and should consist of familiar exercises and should not be tiring at the end of the warm-up one should feel ready and able to get on with their workout.

- Consistency is key
Robert J. Pearce