Vancouver Personal Trainer | Kalev Fitness Solution | Free Session » Personal Training

First Impressions: How flexibility affects your posture

Kalev — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:18:26 +0000

Come join us for the first of our monthly free personal trainer fitness presentations.

Date: Oct 15th @ 2:30pm

Location: Kalev Fitness Solution

First impressions are initially limited to how a person presents themselves. Good posture is attractive and emits a sense of confidence. On the other hand poor posture makes a person look more timid. Just saying the word posture in a crowed lecture hall will provoke people to start sitting up straight. Everyone knows they should sit and stand more erect but seem to fall right back into a hunched over position once it is out of their awareness. Why is that? It very well may be the fact that your muscles are pulling you right back into poor posture because they are too tight or weak. Generally speaking, your spine should have 3 natural curves, not too big and not too small. Come learn what proper posture should look and feel like, as well as how to correct malalignments with a focus on stretches at Kalev Fitness Solution…

Kalev Fitness Solution
w: http://www.KalevFitness.com
t:604-568-6006
e:Info@KalevFitness.com

Turkey Hangover

Kalev — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:25:52 +0000

If you went a little … well overboard this season don’t worry, you’re not alone… most people gain about 2 pounds on average during the Christmas season. I know, that doesn’t sound that bad does it? The scary thing is that most people don’t lose that extra weight over the course of the year and in 5 years that’s and extra 10 pounds! Yikes. I don’t like to plan my whole life but there are certain things I believe need good, solid planning and I think health and fitness goals are some of them. That’s why this year I’m thinking about my resolutions early. It’s much easier to play defense than offense when it comes to health and fitness. Start thinking of where you want to be in January… If it’s not five pounds heavier, try planning out your days this holiday season and including some workout sessions. Make sure you stick to the plan and actually go. If it’s a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, do a coffee / yoga date. Eat a healthy meal before you go out to a party and skip the soda… soda water is your friend, coke is not! Little things like this will go a long way and make your resolution seem a lot less daunting come January. If you think you’ll need an extra push in January with some personal training start looking at your schedule now and figure out what days and times will work for you when you’re ready to start. Planning early will allow you to get used to the idea of having a scheduled workout and allow you to shuffle other aspects of your life around if need be. If you’re looking for classes; yoga, pilates, spin or whatever it is you like to do, look at some online schedules, pick the studio that matches what you’re looking for and schedule it in. Boxing week, call the studio or personal training company and take advantage of their deal.

Jessica Slonski, Vancouver Pilates Instructor - Kalev Fitness Solution
w: http://www.KalevFitness.com
t: 604-568-6006
e:Info@KalevFitness.com
b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Is Low Intensity Exercise Best for Burning Fat? Trainer Tip of the Day

ChrisK — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:07:51 +0000

So what is the best way to burn off that unwanted fat? Is it low intensity exercises or more fast paced ones? You may have heard that low intensity exercises will primarily use fat for energy. This is true however the total amount of energy expended will be less than a higher intensity workout. Training at a pace that gets your heart rate higher will use more carbohydrates as its fuel source but more fat will also be used in the process and the total amount of energy expended is higher!

Exercise Intensity: Low High

Total Calories Burnt: 225 315

Total Fat Calories Burnt: 90 95

If we look at the table above, we see that at low intensities, a higher percentage of fat is burnt. At high intensities, a lower percent of fat is burnt compared to the total calories but overall, more fat was utilized. The key is more total calories were burnt in the session and greater fitness levels will be achieved also. Talk to your trainer about what the proper speed for you to exercise is at and remember fats burn in the flame of carbohydrates!!

Vancouver Personal Trainer Christian Kubas- Kalev Training in Yaletown
w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com
b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Signs of Overtraining – Vancouver Personal Trainer Tip

Virgil — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:49:33 +0000

Overtraining is a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual’s exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes.

A common misatake among many. According to some “experts” overtraining is a mistake amongst all. Others will tell you its merely imposible to overtrain. Clearly the line sits somewhere between the two extremities, and as with every matter concerning the human body, crossing that line is different for every individual. Here are some indicators:

Energy Levels- One of the most common and embraced benefits of working out is increased energy! Sure, maybe not RIGHT after your workout are you gonna feel at your greatest, but during your regular moments throughout the day you should feel more “alive”! When you wake up in the morning, arrive at work, cook dinner…these are some of the moments during which you may, or should, be feeling like you have an extra hop in your step. Be careful, though, not to mistake low energy levels as a result of overtraining when in actual fact you could be just plain ol’ lazy! As you advance in your fitness, you will discover your body and be able to distinguish between the two.

Strength Gains- Pretty simple…. If you’re training for strength, you ought to be getting stronger. If you’re not getting stronger, there’s something you’re not doing right. Overtraining could be that “something”. Ensure your muscles have enough recovery time both inside and outside of the gym.

Bodyweight- You can look at this from two angles. If you’re training to build mass, and….you’re not building mass!, you could be overtraining. Take your time using progressive overload, but don’t OVERload. You’ll tire your muscles out to fast, and they’ll need much more time to recover and progress. If you’re training to lose weight, and….you’re not losing weight!, you could be overtraining. Again, take your time. You’re body needs to be tricked into losing weight. You’re body tends to “fight” whatever change you’re trying to give it. If you train to hard, or diet to hard, you’re body will say “f@ck off!” and try to hold on to whatever it is you’re trying to deprive it from.

Speak to your personal trainer to find out if you’re on the right track to your fitness goals, and look for the proper signals that indicate you are training at optimum intensities.

Vancouver Personal Trainer Virgil Isaacs- Kalev Training in Yaletown
w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com
b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

The Gun Show! Bigger Biceps Now! – Vancouver Fitness Tips

Virgil — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:28:06 +0000

First of all, I’m writing this post for you people out there who just LOVE to work your guns. Personally, I never isolate my arms. I prefer to let them get worked as secondary muscle groups when I do compound movments like chest presses (triceps & shoulders) and pull ups (biceps & shoulders). But, there are some of you who just adore sitting on your butt doing bicep curls, so…this ones for you! I thought I’d share the wealth of this article I stumbled upon with you. Here’s a better way to work your biceps and get the guns you’re really looking for!

Your biceps brachii is responsible not only for elbow flexion, but for forearm rotation – supination (palms up) and pronation (palms down). When performing your bicep curls, try grasping the dumbell towards the outside of the handle. With the majority of the weight now on the inside of your palm, your biceps brachii will be working not only to flex the elbow but also to keep the forearm supinated (to keep your palms up). Try doing this while sitting on an incline bench so your arms hang behind your body, putting more stress on the long head of your biceps, and you’re well on your way to flexing with conviction!

Some other ways to target your biceps the same way are to do supinated cable curls with a rope instead of a bar. Again, try doing this while sitting on an incline bench, and you’ll be cocked and locked, ready to fire! BOOM!

Vancouver Personal Trainer Virgil Isaacs- Kalev Training in Yaletown
w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com
b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Macro, Meso, and Micro – Vancouver Personal Training Tip

Virgil — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:23:41 +0000

Two weeks ago I went through a period of low energy and lack of motivation in the gym. I would try my hardest to psych myself up before a workout…before a set…and nothing would come of it. I don’t know why, but for some reason the “fire” just wasn’t there. I began to think that maybe I’ve been over training. Maybe I was getting bored (which played a small roll. Thank goodness for muscle confusion). I thought maybe I needed to redefine my goals and change my approach, but I couldn’t think of any other performance or fitness levels I would like to train for. Before almost being ready to accept the stage as nothing but a “funk” I was in, I remembered my lessons in school about periodization.

Long term specific programs should be broken down into periods; cycles. The macrocycle is the entire program, taking you from point A to Z. The mesocycles are subdivisions of the macro, and the microcycles are further subdivisions of that. Every mesocycle has a rest period at the end of it to allow the body to completely heal and recharge for the next push.

Depending on what you’re training for, you may or may not have your program designed so rigidly. It may not be necessary. What’s most important is to remember that after every so often its important to take breaks like the ones at the end of every mesocycle, and allow your body to completely recover. I believe this is the step I forgot to take in my program which is the reason why I had such low energy levels. Instead of continuing to push myself for those two weeks, I should have backed off and stuck to a light cardio program for just one week, and I bet I would’ve been back in action the following week, ready to pick up from where I left off.

At least I know now for the end of the next “mesocycle“, which typically comes around every month on average.

Please share your thoughts on this. Have you experienced something similar?

Vancouver Personal Trainer Virgil Isaacs- Kalev Training in Yaletown
w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com
b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Let’s Get Functional – Personal Training in the 21st century

Kalev — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:13:36 +0000

Do you need to carry a heavy bag of dog food off the ground and onto a wheelbarrow? How are you going to put that heavy bag of groceries on the top shelf of the cabinet?
When it comes to exercise, it is nice to have aesthetic goals like losing inches off your waist, getting bigger biceps, or toner legs. However, it is also important to gain practical strength as well. In life, it is crucial to move in ways our bodies are designed to move.

When picking exercises for your program, you need to think of whether the exercises are like the movements you would perform in everyday life. Take the leg press for example, is there ever a situation in everyday life where you lie on your back and push a heavy weight up with your legs? No, unless you’re lying on your back in a ditch and a giant boulder rolls on top of you. There is also no need to isolate muscles because you will never do any movement in sport or in life where you only use a single muscle group. Functional movement patterns usually consist of a group of muscles working together. Instead of doing bicep curls, try a pull-up or a variation of a pull-up if you are not strong enough. The pull-up is much more functional because it is the movement you would use for rock climbing. Furthermore, it will still hit the biceps as well as the major muscles in your back. So, unless you are executing a bodybuilder style workout and you really want your vastus lateralis of your quadriceps to pop out more, there is no need to do leg extensions. Do squats and lunges instead that work the same muscles but also gets you more functional.

If you are interested in learning how to properly perform functional exercises, consult a trainer at Kalev Personal Training to book an appointment and live better, faster!

Cardio Confusion – Personal Trainers Advice

Kalev — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:27:21 +0000

Cardio Confusion – Personal Trainers Advice – One question that I am frequently asked is what’s the best way to do cardio. The answer to this is not as straight forward as it might seem, the answer depends on what your goals are. High intensity cardio which is generally defined as over 70% of your maximum heart rate is great for burning lots of calories and increasing your bodies capacity for exercise. If you’re looking to improve overall health, athletics or just loose weight this is probably the right choice for you. On the other hand high intensity cardio is very difficult for beginners and can lead to repetitive strain injuries if performed too frequently.
Another type of cardio to consider is interval training, an example of this could be running hard for 2 – 5 minutes and then decrease your intensity for 1 – 2 minutes or run for 45 sec and walk for 90sec. This type of training allows you to push yourself harder then would be possible with a constant intensity but also provides an opportunity to take breaks which is ideal for new exercisers. This is also great simulation for altheletes who perform in anaerobic state sports. The downside to interval training is that it won’t maintain your heart rate at a consitant rate so you may not get as much benefit to your cardio vascular system.
Finally there is a low/moderate intensity cardio which is usually defined as less then 70% of your maximus heart rate. Lower intensity cardio is good if you are already fatigued or wish to have a relaxed cardio session. Staying at a lower heart range also forces your body to burn a higher portions of fat to carbs then at a higher intestity. Unfortunatly, low intensity cardio does not burn as man calories, nor does it provide substansial cardiovascular benefit.

So for most people there is the best option is to do a mix of two or even all three types of cardio. The decision should be based on what would complement the rest of your fitness routine and what type best emphasises your goals.

by Kalev Personal Training Trainer – Eric walker

Vancouver Personal Trainer – Kalev Training in Yaletown

w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com

b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Bicep Curls Advanced Workout – Personal Trainer Exercise of the week

Kalev — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:50:25 +0000

Bicep Curls Advanced Workout – Personal Trainer Exercise of the week… One of the areas which defines the perceived strength of a man the most is his biceps. This workout uses resistance tubing which can be advanced into a challenging workout with two feet increasing resistance.

The key focus in this video is to keep your elbow stationary during the movement. Also remember to tighten the abs to keep your back stable.

Want more info on exercises? checkout http://www.rippedmansecrets.com

Vancouver Personal Trainer – Kalev Training in Yaletown

w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com

b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Personal Training in Vancouver – DJ Jesse James – Blog entry of the week

Kalev — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:33:58 +0000

Personal Training in Vancouver – DJ Jesse James – Blog entry of the week

After almost a 2 week hiatus from being sick I have returned. That sounds like it should be followed by some serious gusto but my energy level is caput. First day back with the Jaaguste machine and things were not so swift. He threw in some new curve balls today. I don’t know if it was his recent trip to Vegas or something he dreamed up but there was some highlights and lowlights to today’s workout. Highlights first loved the new one legged dumbbell curl then extend move. You stand on one leg then do a curl then press the dumbbells to the sky. It has two nice pumps to the arm and shoulder muscles and feels really nice when you complete this one works. Lowlight was some massive dip machine move weird and odd move that almost put me on my ass wrapped in a metal bar. Let’s just say it’s probably not the exercise but me that is the problem but my awkward size and limited abilities paired with foreign movement usual end up in ass over teakettle moves. I must say it was a challenge to make it in but I’m glad it rocked me out of my sick funk and I’m invigorated. See you next week muscle man!!

Want more info on exercises? checkout http://www.rippedmansecrets.com

Vancouver Personal Trainer – Kalev Training in Yaletown

w: http://www.KalevTraining.com
t: 604-518-4691
e: Kalev@KalevTraining.com

b: www.rippedmansecrets.com

Vancouver Personal Trainer | Kalev Fitness Solution | Free Session » Personal Training

First Impressions: How flexibility affects your posture

Come join us for the first of our monthly free personal trainer fitness presentations.

Presenter: Christian Kubas

Date: Oct 15th @ 2:30pm

Location: Kalev Fitness Solution

Sign up HERE

Turkey Hangover

Is Low Intensity Exercise Best for Burning Fat? Trainer Tip of the Day

Signs of Overtraining – Vancouver Personal Trainer Tip

The Gun Show! Bigger Biceps Now! – Vancouver Fitness Tips

Macro, Meso, and Micro – Vancouver Personal Training Tip

Let’s Get Functional – Personal Training in the 21st century

Cardio Confusion – Personal Trainers Advice

Bicep Curls Advanced Workout – Personal Trainer Exercise of the week

Personal Training in Vancouver – DJ Jesse James – Blog entry of the week