This 14 DVD set of extreme workouts features 7 Top Instructors. Myself, Gay Gasper, Greg Simms, Amy Bento, Patrick Goudeau, Gregg Cook, JB Berns each provide two super intense, progressive workouts guaranteed to get fast results. The box set also comes with an easy to follow eating plan to ensure you will change your body shape and get ripped! Click here to learn more.

14 DVD 3-Month total fitness program

To give you a little background for those of you unfamiliar with heart rate training, let me explain the inspiration of my action plan. Heart rate zone training is a system of putting cardiovascular training intensity into levels represented by how fast your heart is beating (HR) or how hard you feel like you’re working (known as rate of perceived exertion or RPE).

For example, Zone 1 training is used to warm up or cool down, as a recovery workout or as recovery between hard efforts when performing interval training. It feels easy, you could easily converse and is performed 50-65% of your hear rate maximum (HRM). Zone 2 (65-75% of HRM) feels challenging but comfortable, you could speak a sentence but not a paragraph. In zone 2 you are training your aerobic system and building your endurance. Zone 3 feels challenging and uncomfortable, you couldn’t speak a sentence, only a few words and it feels hard; it’s 75-85% of HRM. Zone 4 is a pace that cannot be sustained for much longer than 30-90 seconds(depending on your fitness level), it feels very hard and would only be able to speak a couple of words at a time. It’s 85-90% of HRM. Zone 5 (if you are using the 5 Zone model of training) is 90% and above and is your maximal effort and cannot be maintained longer than 10 seconds, your breathing becomes rapid and you can’t speak since you’re too busy breathing!.

So you might be wondering what this has to do with eating, right? What many people don’t realize is that it takes your brain approximately 20 minutes to register satiety (that you’ve had enough to eat). This means that if you eat fast you usually eat too much. As anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight through exercise alone realizes is, how much you eat counts! In fact I would say that it’s at least 60% of the weight loss equation. It’s simple but not easy. It’s a matter of calories in vs. calories out, and let’s face it, it’s much easier to get the calories in than burn them!

What I coach my clients to do is to eat more slowly or coming back to the concept of Zone training, eat in Zone 1. You could hold a conversation while eating. People in Europe have been doing it for centuries! Here’s how you do it. Put your fork down between each mouthful, eat smaller bites and chew thoroughly. Since carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth, by chewing thoroughly you can potentially improve your digestion. A real win-win, eat less and digest better!

By taking longer to eat you meal, you not only realize when you’ve had enough, you’re less likely to eat everything on your plate. As a former ‘plate cleaner’ this is something that has personally helped me maintain a healthy weight over the years. I also find by consciously eating slowly, you have time to actually enjoy what you’re eating and feel more satisfied both physically and emotionally.

Give it a try! Eating at a breathless pace, shoveling food without thinking or even registering what you’re eating is a habit that can be hard to break, so every time you find yourself eating in Zone 4 or 5, stop! Put your fork down, chew, take a sip of water and take a few deep breaths. Not only will you be less likely to reach for the antacid pill, you will start to win the battle of the bulge. Remember, eating is one of life’s great pleasures, especially when we take the time to enjoy the experience.

As soon as I was put on the Prednisone I immediately responded and started feeling better, stronger, more energetic but still not great. Far too many side effects.Weight gain, bloating, facial swelling, belly fat, water retention and then there’s the danger of osteoporosis, and the softening of dental enamel. The cure is almost worse than the disease, but none the less Prednisone worked incredibly well at controlling my illness, well enough for me to go back to work and start teaching and training again.

Over the years I’ve tried to get off the Prednisone but every time my doc reduced the dose, my inflammation markers from my blood tests showed that the disease was really active. With PM the immune system attacks the muscles and causes permanent damage, so it’s critical to control the inflammation.

My doc kept increasing my Methatrexate dose and that seemed to help with the inflammatory response but made me really tired, nauseous and lethargic. THEN I started getting Melanoma’s cut off me, I know I baked myself in the sun growing up in Australia, so that’s the true cause. So far I’ve had 6 cut off! I now have to go to the dermatologist every 3 months and it’s rare that she doesn’t cut something malignant off some part of my body, my back is a mass of scars. My Derm feels there is a connection between the malignant cancers and the Methatrexate. So….last month after yet another had been cut off and my dentist said my teeth enamel was dangerously soft I knew I had to do something. My cure is killing me at worst and at best by the time I’m 55 I’ll have full dentures! NOT GOOD!

So I decided to take an alternate route. I’ve stopped the Methatrexate and Prograf (anti-rejection med) to try a more natural approach. I’ve been going to an acupuncturist who has been giving me Chinese herbs and aromatherapy and I’ve started to taper the Prednisone. Right now I”m on 12mg, the lowest I’ve been in over 7 years. I will be tapering 1mg per month. My recent blood test was very positive but time will tell. Good news is, I feel really good, so much more energy, less pain and fatigue. More to follow….

G-Series Fit

Super excited about the new Gatorade fitness nutrition system, G-Series Fit. What I’m actually excited about, is being sponsored by them. Not only have they done a complete physical fitness and nutrition assessment on me, but they have been feeding, hydrating and helping me recover with great tasting, calorie controlled portions, it’s easy to get just the right amount of calories that help you work hard enough to burn the calories….

Interval Training

According several lectures I went to at the ACSM Summit in Anaheim in April, interval training can burn up to 9-10 times more calories from fat than exercise done at a low to moderate intensity at a steady pace. It seems a good argument for why the programs like Insanity and P90X are doing so well. Dr Len Kraviz and Dr Michael Bracko spoke in depth about calorie burning and how high intensity exercise has the potential to burn 9-10 times the calories from fat than steady state low intensity training. The after-burn (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption or EPOC) is highest when the intensity is high.

That’s not to say that you should only be interval training. You need to your energy systems according to your needs. If you do a competitive sport such as cycling, running, triathlon, soccer, then you know that at certain times of the year you are training certain energy systems. For the Fitness athlete who trains at a gym year round with no particular performance  goals, other than feeling better, looking better, clothes fitting better, etc. This person, the fitness athlete has specific needs. 1. Energy balance 2.Hydration 3. Recovery. Enter Gatorade G Series Fit! The perfect balance of nutrients for the active person.

Graceful, Lengthening, Integrated, Defining Exercise.

Gliding, created by Mindy Mylrea is deceivingly simple offering moderate instability, it is the perfect tool to enhance knee, hip, core and shoulder stability. The gliding action improves balance, strength and muscular endurance, joint stability, coordination and grace. Gliding performed slowly, emphasizes precision, thus allowing the user to move with better postural control.

Mindy Mylrea  2004 Can Fit Pro Instructor of the Year, 1999 IDEA International Instructor of the Year, World Aerobic Champion and mother of three boys, 25 years teaching experience and star of countless videos. Always known for her creativity, high energy and imaginative teaching style, Mindy “wanted to create something that engaged your muscles through the full range of motion of every exercise. A new form of movement that made basic exercises easier to execute for the beginner, more engaging for the intermediate and challenging for the advanced.�

Benefits of Gliding

• Improved functional strength
• Enhanced balance
• Increased proprioception and coordination
• Muscle shaping
• Multi-directional/multi-planar/multi-muscle
• Flexibility is enhanced
• Posture and core strength is improved
• Fun!

 

Safety

When you stand on Gliding Discs you must place the ball of the foot on the disc and your heel on the floor. This way your heel can act as a brake and help you maintain control of speed and range of motion.

Maintaining control of the speed of the exercise helps you work your muscles throughout the range of motion. Purposeful motion builds beautiful muscles and lessens the likelihood of injury. Progressing gradually and using speed as the last variable is most appropriate. As a footnote, I have been teaching Gliding for over a year and have found it to be a very safe form of exercise.

General recommendations

• Specific warm up
• Large muscle groups to smaller muscle groups
• Control Speed and ROM
• Heels stay on the floor when standing on discs.
• Focus on posture and alignment
• Move gracefully

 

Gliding Dynamic Duo: Squat and Pushup

Warm up 5-7 minutes doing simple gliding exercises, squats, lunges with arm reaches, etc.

Recommendations:

• Move slowly, gain control and focus on your posture.
• Use the largest range of motion that you can control and is pain free.
• For a 60 minute workout do 2 sets of each exercise as a super set, for example; Squat 12-16 reps, push ups 8-12 reps, repeat for two more sets.

1-Legged Squat

Lag leg side (works the lower body, glutes, quads, hamstrings as well as the adductors, abductors and core as stabilizers)

• Stand on both discs with the ball of your foot in the center and heels on the floor.  Align your posture, eyes forward
• Bend your right knee into a 1-legged squat while gliding the left leg directly to the side.  Sit your hips back and maintain your weight towards your heel. Alternate and repeat for repetitions

Pushups

Dynamic Gliding

Works the pectorals, deltoids, triceps and the core as a stabilizer.

• Assume a push up position either on toes or knees with both hands on the discs with the discs touching and hands close together.
• Slowly bend your elbows as you lower your chest towards the floor between your hands. As you lower, glide your hands out to the side slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Push up to start position bringing the hands together in a smooth action simultaneously.

Benefits

• Improves body positioning for stretches
• Relaxes the muscles, a  myofacial release.
• Auto massage effect
• Decreases muscle pain
• Good for warm up or sports preparation
• Strengthens key core stabilizers
• Improves balance
• Simple and enjoyable

General Recommendations

• Work on a padded mat or progress to a yoga mat rather than the floor, a little padding decreases the intensity of  myofacial release.
• Experiment with different density of rollers, softer rollers makes the moves more tolerable, for certain muscle groups
• Progress to using harder rollers, or even a tennis ball for certain body parts
• Holding extremely sore spots can reduce the pain and relax the muscle
• Work within your comfort zone, myofacial release can be uncomfortable, especially on areas like the IT band, the quadriceps or the glutes.
• Stretch to the point of mild discomfort, maintaining good form, posture and alignment.
• Wear fitted, comfortable clothing, nothing baggy, it gets tangled
• Tie hair up to keep from rolling on it
• Bare feet or sox
• Relax and enjoy it! You’re about to give yourself a full body massage.

Technique Specifics

• Roll in and out of your stretches smoothly for a deep massaging effect
• Use different angels for different muscle groups think of fiber orientation and whether you go along the muscle or across it.

1. Horizontal
2. Vertical
3. Diagonal

Length of rolling action

1. Long sweeping rolling, best for warm ups and general auto massage
2. Short concentrated, best for painful spots, "knots" for specific muscle relaxation. Can be quick or slow.
   • Move slowly, with connected precision for deep relaxation
   • For some exercises doing short swift rolls will be effective at relaxing the muscle
   • Varying the length of the levers can increase or decrease the amount of intensity of many rolling exercises
   • Stabilize with your core muscles to maintain neutral spine throughout many of the exercises.
   • Breath deeply and evenly

     Foam Roller Workout Sequence

     Seated on FR horizontal orientation using 4 small & 2 big rolls

3. Lumbar spine
4. Thoracic spine
5. Rhomboids with elbows together
6. Upper Traps with elbows together
7. Bridge & hold
8. Rear shoulder R/L
9. Bridge & walks
10. Thoracic spine mobilization
11. Mobilize upper Thoracic
12. Mobilize mid thoracic
13. Mobilized lower thoracic
14. Seated glute roll R
15. Hamstring attachment
16. Side to side rocking down length of hamstring
17. Rolling big strokes on hamstring
18. Glute medius R
19. IT band 4 small & 2 big rolls (single elbow bridge)
20. Hip Flexor
21. Vastus Lateralis 4 small & 2 big rolls
22. Quads in prone elbow plank Upper Middle Lower 4 small & 2 big rolls
23. Vastus Lateralis L 4 small & 2 big rolls
24. IT band 4 small & 2 big rolls
25. Glute medius
26. Hip Flexor
27. Repeat 13-25 L

    Seated on mat, FR behind in horizontal orientation

28. Side lying
29. Side lying Lat roll R
30. Side lying rear deltoid
31. Side lying Adductor R/L
32. Upper, middle & lower
33. Repeat 26-30 L

    Quadruped hands on FR horizontal orientation

34. Hold neutral & Brace
35. Raise R/L hand to side
36. Alternate x 4
37. Raise R/L hand overhead
38. Alternate x 4
39. Tuck toes under and lift knees & hold 30 seconds

    Kneeling on Roller Quadruped hands on mat

40. Raise R arm & L leg
41. Raise L arm & R leg
42. Alternate x 4
43. Walk roller under shins
44. Shin rolls
45. Toe stretch with shins resting on roller

    Turn FR to vertical orientation

46. Glute roll
47. Piriformis roll
48. Spine roll

    Core Stabilization Integration exercises

1. FR horizontal orientation supine isometric stabilization
   • Alternating leg lift
   • Alternating shoulder flexion
   • Unilateral fly
   • Bilateral shoulder flexion (arms overhead)
2. FR vertical orientation isometric stabilization
   • Alternating foot raise
   • Alternating leg raise
   • Alternating shoulder flexion
   • Bilateral shoulder flexion
   • Opposite arm and leg raise
3. FR on lower shins, horizontal orientation, prone rolling plank
   • Bilateral knee tuck
   • Unilateral knee tuck
   • Rotational knee tuck and roll
4. FR vertical orientation prone opposite arm and leg raise
   • Upper Body only
   • Unilateral shoulder flexion with spinal extension
   • Bilateral shoulder flexion with spinal extension

Contact: Keli Roberts www.keliroberts.com email: keli@keliroberts.com

Sources:The National Academy of Sports Medicine, Lower Body Muscular Anatomy. The National Academy of Sports Medicine, Upper Body Muscular Anatomy. Creager, Caroline Corning P.T., Therapeutic Exercises using Foam Rollers. Boyle, Mike, DVD “Foam Roll Techniques". Hillman, Susan K, Interactive Functional Anatomy DVD, Human Kinetics

Core Anatomy

• Rectus Abdominus
• External Oblique
• Internal Oblique
• Transversus Abdominus
• Deep Spinal Rotators: Multifiti
• Superficial Spinal Extensors

Functional Core Anatomy

• Internal Obliques
• Pelvic stabilizer
• Torso rotation

The Deep Inner Unit

• Transversus Abdominus
• Spinal/Core Stabilizer
• Compresses abdomen and internal organs
• Works with diaphragm during exhalation

Deep Hip Muscles

• Illiopsoas
• Illiacus
• The Hip Flexors
• Pulls knee up

S.A.I.D. Principle

• What are the sports specific demands?
• Balance between Stability and Mobility
• Flexibility, what and when?
• Overuse injuries

Exercise Progression

• Stability Balls (SB)
• BOSU Balance Trainer (BT)
• Foam Roller (FR)
• Medicine Ball (MB)
• Rocker/Wobble Board

Start Stabile

1. Prone plank
2. Side elbow plank
3. Bicycle + obliques
4. Crunch and sit-up
5. Dead bug/Double Leg Stretch

Progress to Instability

1.SB prone plank + variations

2.SB push-ups + variations

3.SB supine torso rotation – washing machine + variations

4.SB Crunch + variations

5.MB multi-planar 1 legged dead-lift

Power Training + Explosive Movement

1.MB Russian Twist

2.MB Diagonal chop with pivoting lunge

3.MB Vertical chop to smash-down

4.MB Lunge and rotate matrix

5.MB Squat and swing

Muscle Balance

1.SB Back extension w – hip extension

2.SB Prone elbow plank hands on ball

3.SB Opposite arm and leg raise

4.FR Baby walks

5.FR Alternating Fly, feet together

Essential Stretches

1.Hip Flexor

2.Hamstrings

3.Gluteus

4.Quads

5.Calves

6.Neck and shoulders

Thanks for your attention!

www.keliroberts.com

keli@keliroberts.com

For Personal Training: (213) 361-3676