Dear clients, friends and family,
As promised, here is Day Two of the Core Conditioning program. Hopefully, you have mastered Day One and are ready for some new exercises. Practice these and Day Three will come on Monday.
As a reminder, your core is not just your abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. So this 6 day core conditioning program will address all of these areas and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles.
Remember, when you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.
Day Two Exercises include:
• Bridging – variable contractile speeds
• Alternating Oblique Crunch
• Hinge Crunch
• Torso rotation knee drops side to side
Here's the video clip so you can follow along.
Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXeUX47GL50
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
ps. Practice these moves over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 3 coming on Monday.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Core Conditioning Combo #1 - Follow the video & just give me 5 minutes!
Dear clients, friends and family,
I bet there's one thing we all have in common and that is the desire to look and feel our best. And in my experience, most people would love to have a flat, toned, rock hard abdominal region. But abdominal conditioning is about more than just vanity. When you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.
It's important to note that your core is not just the abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. So a solid core conditioning program will address all of these areas and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles.
I've designed a 6 day Core Conditioning program. You will complete one circuit each day for six days and each day will require about 5 minutes of your time. Then you rest on the 7th day! By following this program, you will hit all the important areas and movements each week.
So here's how I'm going to do this. I'll send you 2 circuits each week - one early in the week and then one late in the week. That will give you some time to practice all of the movements. So you'll get each of the 6 days over the next 3 weeks. Then once you have all 6 days, you'll start the 6 day program and follow it for 6 weeks. That will bring you right to the start of summer. Can you imagine how incredible your abs will look by then?! Just remember to follow a good nutrition and cardio program too for the best results!
Day One Exercises include:
• 90/90 Leg extensions
• 90/90 Crunches
• 90/90 Torso rotations
• 90/90 Reverse lift
Here's the video clip so you can follow along.
Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VyjnSpgKPc
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
ps. Practice these moves over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 2 coming on Friday.
I bet there's one thing we all have in common and that is the desire to look and feel our best. And in my experience, most people would love to have a flat, toned, rock hard abdominal region. But abdominal conditioning is about more than just vanity. When you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.
It's important to note that your core is not just the abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. So a solid core conditioning program will address all of these areas and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles.
I've designed a 6 day Core Conditioning program. You will complete one circuit each day for six days and each day will require about 5 minutes of your time. Then you rest on the 7th day! By following this program, you will hit all the important areas and movements each week.
So here's how I'm going to do this. I'll send you 2 circuits each week - one early in the week and then one late in the week. That will give you some time to practice all of the movements. So you'll get each of the 6 days over the next 3 weeks. Then once you have all 6 days, you'll start the 6 day program and follow it for 6 weeks. That will bring you right to the start of summer. Can you imagine how incredible your abs will look by then?! Just remember to follow a good nutrition and cardio program too for the best results!
Day One Exercises include:
• 90/90 Leg extensions
• 90/90 Crunches
• 90/90 Torso rotations
• 90/90 Reverse lift
Here's the video clip so you can follow along.
Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VyjnSpgKPc
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
ps. Practice these moves over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 2 coming on Friday.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Change your Program & Change your Body!
Dear clients, friends and family,
If you really want to change your body, you've got to change your program and mix it up. And now that summer is upon us, it's the best opportunity to spice up your program. Do something different. Enroll in a new activity. Sign up for an event like a Triathlon, 10km Fun run or Adventure Trek. Try a new class. Hire a trainer. Just commit to doing something different.
Since the warmer weather is upon us, it's a really good opportunity to also ensure you're getting outdoors for some of your workouts. Take up cycling. Try an Outdoor Bootcamp program. Go kayaking. Get yourself some Vitamin D and get outside of the four walls of a gym. The fresh air will do you some good.
For those of you who are local, our new Group class schedule starts May 1st. We're offering some really fun new classes including some Outdoor Bootcamp programs. Plus you can still drop in for our Learn to Run or Triathlon programs. Call us at 360.574.7292 or 503.287.0655 for more details.
Here's the link to our new schedules that begin May 1st. Best advice we can give you is to schedule your workouts into your dayplanner - always carve the time out for yourself first!
http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/services/group_training.php
Here's a link to the list of upcoming summer adventures we're hosting. Tons of fun stuff going on and we'd love for you to join us!
http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/events.php?event_type=upcoming
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
If you really want to change your body, you've got to change your program and mix it up. And now that summer is upon us, it's the best opportunity to spice up your program. Do something different. Enroll in a new activity. Sign up for an event like a Triathlon, 10km Fun run or Adventure Trek. Try a new class. Hire a trainer. Just commit to doing something different.
Since the warmer weather is upon us, it's a really good opportunity to also ensure you're getting outdoors for some of your workouts. Take up cycling. Try an Outdoor Bootcamp program. Go kayaking. Get yourself some Vitamin D and get outside of the four walls of a gym. The fresh air will do you some good.
For those of you who are local, our new Group class schedule starts May 1st. We're offering some really fun new classes including some Outdoor Bootcamp programs. Plus you can still drop in for our Learn to Run or Triathlon programs. Call us at 360.574.7292 or 503.287.0655 for more details.
Here's the link to our new schedules that begin May 1st. Best advice we can give you is to schedule your workouts into your dayplanner - always carve the time out for yourself first!
http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/services/group_training.php
Here's a link to the list of upcoming summer adventures we're hosting. Tons of fun stuff going on and we'd love for you to join us!
http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/events.php?event_type=upcoming
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
'Bring your Child to Work-out Day!" THIS Thursday!
Dear clients, friends and family,
Thursday is National 'Bring your Child to Work Day'. We hope you take a different spin on it and "Bring your Child to Work-out Day!"
If you workout with us in Portland or Vancouver, we're hosting a special parent and kids workout day. Take your child to a class with you or bring them to your personal training session. It will be a great bonding experience and an opportunity to teach them to love to move their body! If you don't workout with us, check with your gym to make arrangements.
Bottom line - These days kids hardly get any activity. Most schoolwork involves sedentary activity and with television and video games as after-school pastimes, the temptation to sink into couch potato-land becomes pretty overwhelming for our kids. Check out these startling stats:
• Children today are approximately 40% less active than they were 30 years ago
• 20% of children and teens are overweight enough to threaten their future health
• One report states that the number of overweight children ages 6-11 has increased by 50% in the last 15 years and by 40% in those ages 12-17. Lack of exercise is considered a major contributing factor
• 40% of children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and reduced fitness due to an inactive lifestyle
• Children spend an average of 26 hours a week watching television and also spend 25-30 hours a week sitting behind a desk
Here’s some goals you should strive for. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for exercise and children are as follows:
• Children should be involved in daily physical activity like walking or cycling around the neighborhood, performing household chores or running errands
• Children should exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes with activities that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion, like brisk walking, stair-climbing, racquet sports, jogging, dance, swimming laps, skating, cross-country skiing or cycling.
• For most children, it’s fine to do 15-20 minutes of resistance or strength training sessions twice a week using higher repetitions (25 reps) and lower resistance as long as there’s proper instruction and supervision
• Children should stretch on alternative days for 60 seconds each stretch
• Vary the activities to work different parts of the body
• Involve children in deciding what to do
Kids who exercise can experience the following benefits:
• Daily physical activity builds a healthy heart and stimulates muscle and bone growth
• Healthy, fit kids have more energy, sleep better and often have better eating habits than their sedentary peers
• One six year study found that the academic performance of students who exercised regularly had significantly improved compared to students who did not participate in regular physical activity
• It appears that children benefit from better concentration, memory, creativity, problem-solving ability and overall mood for up to two hours following exercise
• One report states that exercise can boost a child’s self-confidence and self-image. It also reduces aggression and decreases anxiety and depression.
Let's start 'em young folks!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Thursday is National 'Bring your Child to Work Day'. We hope you take a different spin on it and "Bring your Child to Work-out Day!"
If you workout with us in Portland or Vancouver, we're hosting a special parent and kids workout day. Take your child to a class with you or bring them to your personal training session. It will be a great bonding experience and an opportunity to teach them to love to move their body! If you don't workout with us, check with your gym to make arrangements.
Bottom line - These days kids hardly get any activity. Most schoolwork involves sedentary activity and with television and video games as after-school pastimes, the temptation to sink into couch potato-land becomes pretty overwhelming for our kids. Check out these startling stats:
• Children today are approximately 40% less active than they were 30 years ago
• 20% of children and teens are overweight enough to threaten their future health
• One report states that the number of overweight children ages 6-11 has increased by 50% in the last 15 years and by 40% in those ages 12-17. Lack of exercise is considered a major contributing factor
• 40% of children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and reduced fitness due to an inactive lifestyle
• Children spend an average of 26 hours a week watching television and also spend 25-30 hours a week sitting behind a desk
Here’s some goals you should strive for. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for exercise and children are as follows:
• Children should be involved in daily physical activity like walking or cycling around the neighborhood, performing household chores or running errands
• Children should exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes with activities that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion, like brisk walking, stair-climbing, racquet sports, jogging, dance, swimming laps, skating, cross-country skiing or cycling.
• For most children, it’s fine to do 15-20 minutes of resistance or strength training sessions twice a week using higher repetitions (25 reps) and lower resistance as long as there’s proper instruction and supervision
• Children should stretch on alternative days for 60 seconds each stretch
• Vary the activities to work different parts of the body
• Involve children in deciding what to do
Kids who exercise can experience the following benefits:
• Daily physical activity builds a healthy heart and stimulates muscle and bone growth
• Healthy, fit kids have more energy, sleep better and often have better eating habits than their sedentary peers
• One six year study found that the academic performance of students who exercised regularly had significantly improved compared to students who did not participate in regular physical activity
• It appears that children benefit from better concentration, memory, creativity, problem-solving ability and overall mood for up to two hours following exercise
• One report states that exercise can boost a child’s self-confidence and self-image. It also reduces aggression and decreases anxiety and depression.
Let's start 'em young folks!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Friday, April 16, 2010
Why are Americans the Fattest Country in the World?
The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Japanese drink very little red wine & suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Italians drink excessive red wine & suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Germans drink a lot of beer & eat lots of sausages and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you…
Ha ha! In all seriousness Americans work the longest hours, are the most stressed out and take the fewest holidays in the world. So use this as a reminder that we need balance in our lives. It's all about the yin & yang. You can't go hard all the time because eventually you burn out.
Take a moment to just breathe. Breathe deeply. A deep cleansing breath bringing positive energy into your body. Oxygenate your entire system. That in and of itself brings forth great health benefits.
You know best what will help to relax you and counter any life stressors. Maybe it's a bath, reading, getting a massage, hanging with your friends, going to a movie, taking a holiday, meditating, taking a yoga class, praying...Whatever it is - just do it. Your health depends on it!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Japanese drink very little red wine & suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Italians drink excessive red wine & suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Germans drink a lot of beer & eat lots of sausages and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you…
Ha ha! In all seriousness Americans work the longest hours, are the most stressed out and take the fewest holidays in the world. So use this as a reminder that we need balance in our lives. It's all about the yin & yang. You can't go hard all the time because eventually you burn out.
Take a moment to just breathe. Breathe deeply. A deep cleansing breath bringing positive energy into your body. Oxygenate your entire system. That in and of itself brings forth great health benefits.
You know best what will help to relax you and counter any life stressors. Maybe it's a bath, reading, getting a massage, hanging with your friends, going to a movie, taking a holiday, meditating, taking a yoga class, praying...Whatever it is - just do it. Your health depends on it!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Monday, April 12, 2010
Have you ever wanted to finish a Tri?
Dear clients, friends and family,
Have you ever wanted to finish a Triathlon?! Well, if there is a will, there is a way! I've had 100% success ratio with anyone ever wanting to finish a Tri - I can definitely get you to the finish line. Don't swim? No problem. You can side stroke, back float or doggie paddle to the swim finish. Don't run? No problem. You can walk the whole thing!
Our Group Training clinic starts this Saturday at our Vancouver Training studio at 9:00am. Call 360.574.7292 to register. The cost is $199 and includes the cost of the actual Triathlon ($70) so it's a great deal. The group support is fabulous. If you can't join us but want to follow along on your own, email me at sherri@nwpersonaltraining.com and I'll send you a copy of the training program that we will be following.
It's a fabulous way to get in shape for summer, take your fitness to a whole new level and get super toned and fit!
Happy Swimming, Biking & Running,
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Have you ever wanted to finish a Triathlon?! Well, if there is a will, there is a way! I've had 100% success ratio with anyone ever wanting to finish a Tri - I can definitely get you to the finish line. Don't swim? No problem. You can side stroke, back float or doggie paddle to the swim finish. Don't run? No problem. You can walk the whole thing!
Our Group Training clinic starts this Saturday at our Vancouver Training studio at 9:00am. Call 360.574.7292 to register. The cost is $199 and includes the cost of the actual Triathlon ($70) so it's a great deal. The group support is fabulous. If you can't join us but want to follow along on your own, email me at sherri@nwpersonaltraining.com and I'll send you a copy of the training program that we will be following.
It's a fabulous way to get in shape for summer, take your fitness to a whole new level and get super toned and fit!
Happy Swimming, Biking & Running,
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
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