Benefits of Circuit Training

Circuit training is a great way to gain cardiovascular benefits without having to do traditional cardiovascular activities such as running, biking or using and elliptical. Circuit training has many less thought of benefits, such as increased lean mass, more calories burned (in the long run) and you can always work you entire body, unlike running and biking where fewer muscles are used. Circuit training can also help you build lean muscle through adding weight to your movements. This will also help you to burn more calories. When your body breaks down muscle, through strength training, your body has to heal over time which leads to an 'after burn' affect where you burn more calories through out the following days. Standard cardiovascular activities do not have these properties. Circuit training can be a fun way to tone up, lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass.

Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle

Sets and Reps

When it comes to determining the appropriate number of sets and
repetitions for an individual, we must first look at the ultimate
goal. Are you trying to tone up or gain mass?

Lean muscles are achieved by working the muscles at moderate loads for
moderate weight. For someone with the goal of "toning up" it is best
to work at a weight that can be done 10-12 times and repeat this for
3-4 sets. This means you should reach the point of muscle failure by
the time you are on your last sets. It is okay to do more than 10-12
repetitions especially if you are on your last set and have not safely
reached muscle failure.

Bulk is achieved by overloading the muscles with heavy weight for
fewer repetitions. This means you need to find a weight you can do 5-8
times and repeat for 3-4 sets. Again, you should reach the point of
muscle failure (safely) by your last sets. To prevent injury and
further complications, it is highly recommended to not begin with this
form of training. Appropriate balance training and core strength are
needed before your body is ready to put on extra pounds.

For you to determine the number of sets and reps that are right for
you, first look at your goals. What are you trying to achieve at the
gym? Then, use the guidelines above to assist you in your program
design. Good Luck!

Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle

REMEMBER: Safe numbers of sets and repetitions are different for every person. Consult a physician and/or fitness professional before starting any fitness program.

Proper form = Results

As personal trainers, our job is to ensure proper form with exercises.
But why is form so important? There are two solid answers to this
question.

The first is to prevent injury by minimizing unnecessary torque on
vulnerable joints. This usually involves correct spinal posture with
exercises and minimizing jerky movements. Control is your friend.

The second reason involves isolating muscles. Each exercise is
designed to work a specific muscle or muscle group. The reason that
exercise is performed is to strengthen or tone those muscles for that
exercise. If improper form is used, muscles other than the ones
designed for that exercise often take some of the load away from the
ones you are trying to work. This means fewer gains for those areas
you are working on. Momentum can also take away from your results. So
slow down, find the right weight for yourself, and focus on training
the muscles the exercise is designed for.
Here is our tip of the week in regard to proper form. Start all
exercises with less weight than you know you can do and only go up if
you can maintain proper form. This means no swinging, no arching, and
moving slow and controlled with each exercise. As a disclaimer, there
are times in which it can be appropriate to deviate from this path,
but most people at this level of training have sports specific goals
and much gym experience. Good luck and be safe.

Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle

How to Re-Start Your Routine

If you are like me, taking a vacation from the gym lasting a week, two weeks, two months, or longer is a common occurrence. As your body heals and begins to adjust to less stress placed on it during these absences, your tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones all begin to weaken. Collagen is a fiber within these tissues that allows them to resist tensile forces (or pulling forces) placed on them during activity. These fibers arrange themselves along the lines of pull. Tendons are known for doing this the most as they attach muscles to bones and must be very strong in one line of pull. When you stress your body in the gym, your body adapts by placing more collagen fibers in the tendons (and other tissues) to strengthen them and prepare them for these activities. As you take time off, your body once again adapts by removing these unnecessary fibers (only unnecessary if they are not being used to the extent they were before) from the tendons. This is why easing yourself back into your workout routine is essential. Tendonitis and other common problems can easily limit your progress if your body is not prepared for the stress it encounters. Ease your way back into your routine after taking significant time away from these activities. Start with lighter weights than you were doing before the break and work up from there, allowing for a 72 hour rest time for each muscle group until your body is better trained.

Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle

Protein, Protein, Protein!

One of the Furious Fitness Trainers, Steve, has been working with a client for over 6 months now. Jojo has seen amazing results. A lot of the results have come from Jojo's change in diet.

When anyone starts to exercise they will be doing damage to their body. They will need more protein than usual to be able to repair their body and see the wanted results. The recommended amounts of protein for an active individual is about .8 grams for every pound of body weight, so a 180 lb person should have roughly 144 grams of protein daily. For people who are trying to gain a great deal of weight and are lifting heavy weights for longer sessions 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight is recommended.

"Steve was recommended to me by a friend at the gym, no particular reason, just because he was a good trainer. However, after my third session I realized that he was not only a great trainer, but maybe the best trainer I've ever had. And I mean this for numerous reasons: his punctuality, his will to always explain every movement, his positive reinforcement, his knowledge, his impeccable appearance, his patience, his excitement and his professionalism.

My experience with Steve has been nothing but positive and my physical improvement was remarkable, thank to his influence. I could go on and on... so if you have further questions please feel free to contact me."

Jojo Corväiá
jojo@arabicalounge.com

Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle

Smart Shopping: Save Money and Lose Weight

Nutrition is by far the largest factor in determining your fitness goals. Getting a solid balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates can be tough. So why not make it easier on yourself and only keep around what you need to eat and what is healthy? When going to the grocery store plan out all your meals and all the ingredients that are needed to make them. Then when you go to the store you have a list of exactly what is need. This way you are not buying foods you do not need and should not be eating. Planning out meals is a 15 or 20 minute time commitment each week but can save you money and unwanted calories.

Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle

P.S. Try to make sure you eat before shopping that will help you to keep the temptations of buying what is not needed down!

Bigger and Stronger Arms

Did you know that the bicep muscle is not the primary mover of elbow flexion? The biceps muscle crosses both the elbow and shoulder joint and is used in both elbow flexion and raising the shoulder. The primary mover of the elbow is a much ignored muscle called the brachialis. It lies beneath the attention hogging bicep muscle and is often ignored during workout routines. So how do you work this strong, yet under worked muscle? Simple. Since the primary motion of the muscle is to flex the arm, and the connection of the muscle lies on the ulna bone, you must either turn your wrist so your thumb is up (hammer curls), or to isolate it more, turn your palms down facing the ground(reverse curls). You can see the different muscles working right at your computer. Try flexing your arm with your palm facing you. You will see your bicep muscle shorten and bulge. Now turn your wrist so it faces away from you. Your bicep no longer is shortened, but there is another muscle (your brachialis) holding your arm in this position. Working both the biceps muscle and the brachialis will increase strength and size of your arms without having to take supplementation.


Thanks,
Furious Fitness Seattle