Jodie Pilates & Ripped Bodies Personal Training of Houston TX

Here is my workout plan for this week:

Mon 8 miles P57 Full body

Tues Zumba plus 3 mile run and pilates ( mat)

Wed Reformer, p57 abs and arms 30 min  uphill walk

Thus Zumba and pilates 3 mile run

Fri 5miles and pilates

Sat 3miles bike ride and pilates

Sun plyo pilates 40 minutes bike ride

Hydrating, stretching.

What is your exercise schedule for this week?  Remember to mix it up.

Ok we have all heard how bad stress is for you  so when I came across an article from  Women’s Health that stated stress in small doses  can improve your health, slow down signs of aging and prolong your life I had to read some more because that was news to me.

The type of stress they referred to in the article was short bursts of stress that ends quickly, not chronic stress.  A study was performed on mice they found that when they experienced short bursts of stress they were better able to fight the flu. Why? According to the article, stress sends your system into repair mode. They compared it to when you are injured, your body hones in on the injured area to repair it, thus building your immune system to protect you from infection.  If the stress is minor you are able to deal with it quickly and still have energy left to continue. Who knew?

Being able to relax after a stressful situation is key as this will help your body to heal.

I deal with stress by doing a few things:

1. I exercise daily, which includes running, zumba, pilates, strength training, etc

2. I play card games, for example solitaire

3. Cross word puzzles are a great stress reliever as well

4. An occasional  massage

5. Acupuncture

6. Tetris is great as well, infact the same article mentioned that researchers found that people who experienced traumatic event and then played Tetris were less likely to experience flashbacks.

How do you deal with stress? Do share.

Exercises for the Back

Weak back muscles will cause us to have rounded shoulders, leaving us with a rounded upper back and causing our chests to collapse inwards, not very attractive. Here are just a few exercises to strengthen the back. 

Lat Pulldown

Sit and adjust the pad on the machine so that it rests on top of tour thigh. Grab the bar with an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Lean   back slightly, inhale keeping your chest lifted and shoulder blades down and back, exhale contract your lats to pull the bar down, pause and slowly return to the start.

Dumbbell Pullover

Source

Lie on your back on a flat with your knees bent; hold a dumbbell over your chest, with your arms extended. Keep your elbows soft.   Slowly lower the dumbbell in an arc behind your head.  Contract your lats and bring the dumbbell back overhead to the starting position.

One-Arm Bent-over Row

Source

Place your right hand and knee on the bench, maintain a flat back and you head should be inline with spine. Holding the dumbbell in the free hand, keeping the elbow close to the body, pull your  arm up and back. Pause at the top for a few seconds and slowly lower to the start.

Back Hyperextension on the Ball

 Source

Lie on the ball with your arms by your side hips resting the ball, feet about shoulder width apart.  Lift the chest off the ball, keeping your lower body still.  Pause briefly and slowly lower to start.  (Options, you can place your hands behind your head, or fully extend in front.)

Don’t slouch.:)   

Did you know………

Honey contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which kills germs and it may reduce inflammation as well.

See you later.

The Snake

The Snake is an advanced exercise ( modifications can always be made)  which requires strong torso stability. It strengthens the abdominals and hip flexor, the rotator cuff, latissimus dorsi, as well as develops coordination and control.  Perform 3 reps on each side.

The Movement:

Inhale and press the carriage out lowering the hips until the torso is straight and you are looking straight ahead.

Exhale  and return to the starting postion by engaging the abdominals.

Reminders:

Keep the shoulders away from the ears, keep the abdominals engaged through out the exercise, do not drop the hips and maintain torso alignment.

* As always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Something Extra:

Pack a Perfect Gym Bag

Buddy Workout

If you are tight on time but still would like a workout that includes all the features of a well rounded routine, such as cardiovascular, strength, endurance and flexibility training your answer: KETTLEBELLS.

 Kettlebells are small and portable and can be used anywhere. Many times all you need is one. Kettlebells are not balanced like dumbbells so more muscles are used to stabilize the body during most movements.  Kettlebells are swung not lifted like dumbbells, making the movements more dynamic in nature and constantly challenging your balance.. You will “torch” a lot more calories than traditional weight training because you are using multiple muscle groups thus raising the heart rate.

 * Word of advice, always grip it tightly and wear wristbands, as this will provide cushioning while you swing away.

 There are 3 different grip positions for the kettlebell exercises, (1) the Rack Position:

this is the most stable position (2) the Waiter Position and (3) the Bottoms Up Position.

 As always warm up before for 10-15 minutes before. Suggested kettlebell weight for women 10-25lbs and for men 15-35.

Consult your physician before trying these exercises.

Here are a few exercises:

Front Squat

Kettlebell Deadlift

Russian Twist

Kettlebell Reverse Lunge and Shoulder Press

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell Upright Row

Turkish Getup

There are countless exercises that can be performed using kettlebells.  If your gym offers a kettlebell class, try it sometime.

Our hamstrings  consists of 3 muscles the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris.  The hamstrings cross 2 joints, the hip and the knees, and they are involved in hip extension as well as knee flexion.   (Picture source)

Runners tend to neglect their hamstrings in their strength training and flexibility routines and resulting at times in strains, tears and pulls.  Many times this injury occurs because of a muscular imbalance, the quadriceps being more dominant or stronger than the hamstrings.

This type of injury is very difficult to heal, sidelining runners for weeks. So I will be sharing some exercises you can introduce into your training.

 Perform 2-3 sets 12-15 reps, where required choose an appropriate weight.

Exercise Ball Curls

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Prone leg curl

Good morning

Upcoming Posts:

Product review

Exercises using the Pilates Ring  

Plyometric exercises to improve your speed

Let me know what you think.

The reason for this post today is over the next few weeks I will be featuring some abdominal training exercises they will be a mixture of pilates moves and regular strength training routines and low back exercises.

We all need a strong core, we will run better, stand taller, protect our lower back.

Please, let me know by leaving a comment.

Thanks.

At the gym I have noticed a number of people doing the following.
They jump off the treadmill, or they leave the class before the cooldown.

Cooling down after exercising is just as important as the warm up.
This vital part of your exercise program promotes recovery as well as preventing injuries and helps to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.

Always replace the fluids lost after a workout.

Stretch your hard working muscles, hold each stretch for 30 seconds, please, please do not bounce.

Have a post workout snack, for example, some chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie.

Have a great evening.

Hello,

I just love running, it makes me so happy. No equipment needed, you can just get up and go. More and more people are taking up this sport to get fit and remain fit and each year more marathons are being run. However, as a result of this, injuries occur.

My book recommendation is entitled “Running Well” written by Sam Murphy and Sarah Connors. This book will keep you injury free by showing proper training guidelines etc. There is a lot I can say about the information in the book but I would suggest you add this one to your library.

I will have more books recommendations in the coming weeks. Enjoy.

As promised, here is the routine:

Jog in place 5 mins to warmup then proceed with circuit:
Body weight squats 25 reps
Pushups 20 reps
Alternating lunges 15 reps each leg
Jumping jacks 40
Plank hold 45-60 seconds
Mountain climbers 40 ( 20 climbs each leg)
Crunches 25 reps
Reverse lunges 15 reps each leg
Jumping jacks 30
Reverse Curls 15 reps
Tricep Dips 15 reps
Side plank hold 45 seconds each side
Butt kicks 25 each leg
Side Lunges 15 reps each leg
Jog in place 2 mins

Perform this circuit 2-3 times. Cool down then stretch.
Do what you are able to, if you can only perform the circuit once, don’t worry about it, you can build up to it.

Hope you like it. Let me know how you are enjoying this.