San Diego Personal Trainer J NyQuist Fitness

The Stand Up Challenge

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:31:07 +0000

We live very sedentary lives compared to our ancestors of not long ago. Lay in bed, drive your car, sit at your desk, sit on the couch. Sit, sit, sit. It’s no wonder we are facing an obesity epidemic. I find myself often seeking out a seat not out of fatigue but habit. The more I sit, the more tired I become. It’s strange but true. Recently I challenged myself not to sit for an entire day unless I had to. Aside from driving or answering nature’s call, I stood from the time I awoke to the time I went back to bed. To make up for my sitting time I did 2 jump squats for every minute I was in a seat, which wasn’t much. I was amazed how much harder it was than I thought it would be. My feet ached, my back and hips were tight, and after purposefully skipping my workout that day, when I finally laid down in bed I was TIRED. And I’m a fit guy. It was a great illustration of the detrimental effects sitting has on my body and how much energy is expended in daily passive movement.

Here is my challenge to you. Try not to sit for a day one weekend. If you use a computer, do it standing up. Walk instead of taking a short drive and perform some make up exercise if you must sit. See for yourself what effect it has. You may be surprised. I have incorporated conscious standing into my daily life and my energy has increased quite a bit. Good luck and good health. J. NyQuist

Exercise Spotlight- Burpee Pullups

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:54:39 +0000

The Burpee Pullup is a great strength training exercise that is also a high intensity fat burner so it’s just as good for weight loss and cardiovascular conditioning as it is for toning muscles. Only my most advanced personal training clients can handle it. Here is how it is done…

Pick a number or amount of time. You will either see how fast you can complete your chosen number of reps or see how many you can do in a given amount of time. I like 10-20 reps or 1-2 minutes to start.
A Burpee is performed by setting your hands on the ground in the width you will perform your push up in. Jump back to a plank which will put you in the top position of the push up. Do a push up (or more than 1) and jump your feet back in by your hands and stand up.
Immediately jump up to the pull up bar and perform a pull up with the grip of you choice. You can use the momentum of the jump to assist your pull up if need be and can change your grip every time for variety.
As soon as your feet touch the ground from your pull up, repeat the Burpee, transitioning from one move to the next without pause.

To add a nice shot of intensity to this exercise, try holding the bottom of the push up and the top of the pull up for a specified count. Good luck and Good Health. J. NyQuist

4 Quick And Easy Diet Rules

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:56:20 +0000

Cook your meals in advance and take them with you.
Avoid sugar
Avoid saturated fats
Eat 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours a day

Blast Through Cardio Boredom

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:53:34 +0000

The number one complaint I hear from my personal training clients about doing cardio for weight loss is “it’s so boring”. Many compare spending any amount of time on a cardio machine to running on a hamster wheel. Here are some tips to make your cardio more tolerable if not fun.

1. Get outside. No one said cardiovascular exercise must be done in a gym, on a machine. Here in San Diego we live in a beautiful city with a lot of sunshine. Get out and enjoy it. Exercising outside is a great way to break up the monotony of cardio. You can vary the resistance and time by changing your route and are more apt to push yourself when you need to travel somewhere in order to get back home, as opposed to cranking up a machine just to make it harder.

2. Bring a friend. When engaged in conversation, the time can fly by. It’s also a great way to catch up with someone and stay motivated when you have a workout buddy by your side.

3. Music. Fast paced, upbeat music can give you the added kick you need to get yourself into action. Just as dancing is a natural expression of movement to music, you will find your pace of exercise matching the beat you are listening to as well. Why do you think they play dance music in group aerobics classes? And speaking of…

4. Take a class. Having someone else lead you through a workout can change it up and keep your body guessing.

5. Read a book or magazine. Use the time to catch up on your reading. Again keep your mind stimulated. Don’t just watch the clock.

6. Meditate. I wouldn’t recommend closing your eyes on a treadmill or during any activity where you could fall and get hurt. But depending on the activity, cardio can be a great time to meditate or work on visualization exercises. Or just do it with your eyes open.

Regular cardio, like anything is a habit. If it is not enjoyable on some level you will not likely stay at it for long. Find a way that works for you so you look forward to it. If you can do that you will have a lifetime of success. J. NyQuist

Green Smoothie

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:29:02 +0000

I like eating vegetables. I like drinking them much more. I’m a busy man. I don’t have a lot of time to cut up salads and and they don’t always keep nicely over the course of a couple days. That’s why I blend them into a smoothie. I affectionately call my concoction “Green Sludge” and with it I can drink a large nutrient dense salad in under a minute. It may not be for everyone but if you like it, it can be a very convenient way to get plenty of vegetables in your diet on a daily basis. Here is my recipe…

Spinach or Kale

Brocolli

Tomato

Carrot

Cucumber

Lemon juice

Water

You can add or subtract anything you like but I find only using a hand full of ingredients makes things easy. I rinse and cut up the vegetable just enough to fit into the blender blades, adding one vegetable at a time. Also adding a little water may help it blend better. It will be thick and sludgy coming out of the blender. When I drink it I fill half a glass with “sludge” and top the rest with water. Stir and drink. I make 4 servings at a time and have one a day. I find the lemon juice helps keep it fresh and can’t tell the difference between the first days serving and the last. I swear by it and if you find it hard to fit enough vegetables into your diet or don’t like eating them, I definitely suggest you give it a try.

Shock Your Chest With “Girl Push Ups”

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:27:16 +0000

In a strength training routine, your body responds to change. So if you want your body to keep responding you need to keep changing it up. Don’t be afraid to give something new a try just because of the name or any preconceived notions. You never know what effect an exercise is going to have until you try it. So as a challenge I suggest “GIRL PUSH UPS”. If you are doing these to failure there is nothing girly about push ups performed from the knees. I NEVER see anyone (but myself and my training clients) doing these but that’s probably because of the name “girl push ups”. They still engage your core muscles and stabilizers but with (obviously) less resistance than traditional push ups. But this is where the opportunity lays. Since they are so easy you should be able to do a lot of them. I mean a lot! After your next chest workout, or in place of it, try throwing in a set of 100 knee push ups. See how easy they are then and how many muscle fibers in your chest get involved to complete the set. Or perform a set of regular push ups and when you can no longer do any from the toes, drop to the knees and keep going. If you really want to have some fun, start with your feet on a bench- hands on floor, then drop to feet on floor, then knees. Good luck getting 10 or 20 of those last ones. One point to keep in mind is that you are moving from the knees, not the hips. So your thighs should pretty much touch the ground at the bottom of the knee push up. Give it a try, you just may be surprised at the results. J. NyQuist CPT

Not Blowing Off Your Workout

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:24:39 +0000

We all have changing priorities in our day to day lives. Now and then exercise can take a back seat to more pressing issues. But sometimes we can just get lazy or out of the habit of making exercise and health the priority it should be. Here are a few tips to help you stay consistent with your fitness training.

1. Pack a bag. If you pack a spare workout bag for your trunk you will always have everything you need to pop into the gym. A list of items to include would be a towel ( for workout and maybe shower), a water bottle, workout shoes, workout clothes, and whatever toiletries you deem essential. If you can save yourself a trip home or the time it would take to gather your gear, you may be able to squeeze it in when otherwise you may blow it off.

2. Schedule it. I find knowing planning on working out at least a day in advance helps tremendously with keeping me consistent. When I wake up knowing what I’m going to do and when I’m going to do it, then it naturally fits into my day. When I wing it and decide on the fly whether to go or not, I’m more likely to find reasons not to go or just have trouble finding the motivation. Scheduling your workout also can help put you into the mental mode where training is at the forefront of your mind and therefore a priority.

3. Write down your goals or reasons for exercising in the first place. There will be days when you are tired or just don’t feel like working out. But you must have had a reason for beginning it in the first place. Writing down these reasons or rewards can help you keep a big picture mentality and remind you that it’s about more than just doing it because you said you would.

4. Hire a personal trainer. Obviously I think this is a good idea because I am a personal trainer but many of my clients hire me primarily for this reason, accountability. Knowing that I am waiting for them makes them show up when it may have been easy to hit the snooze button or just go home after work.

5. Just go. On the days when you are dragging and an intense workout is the last thing you want to do, give yourself permission to do an easy one. Just showing up and doing something is the most crucial part. It will keep the habit of exercising going, prevent the habit of blowing it off from taking shape, and still yield most of the benefits of working out. Plus once you are there and warmed up you will probably find yourself doing much more than you initially planned on. Again, showing up is the most crucial part of your success in reaching your goals.

A Different Method Of Strength Training

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:28:27 +0000

As a personal trainer who has spent many years training various types of clients, I have seen many training modalities come and go. Some good, some not so good. Every year there is a new training method presented as being the end all, only way to train. Super slow reps, explosive plyometric jumps, kettlebells, boot camp, spinning classes, etc. have all had their moment in the sun. There is no ultimate way to train except the one that works best for you and your goals at the time and as you age your needs will change. Thus so will your ultimate training method.

Here I present a different idea on how to approach your strength training that will build both size and endurance. I call it the 40 method. I call it that because you are going to get 40 reps of an exercise before you move on. You should pick a weight so that this is not easy or impossible. You can break an exercise into as many sets as you need to reach the 40. I like to use a weight I can get approximately 20 reps with on my first set. I only take the rest needed to safely get another rep and continue until I reach 40 reps. It’s that simple. You can do an entire workout this way or incorporate it into a weak area of your training. Proper form should always be used and if you feel like you could injure yourself STOP!!! Good luck and great training. J. NyQuist

Benefits of Massage Therapy

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:40:14 +0000

This last year I have been attending massage school in an effort to expand my education and the services I’m able to offer to my clients. I will finally be up and running by the end of August. It has been an amazing journey and the thing that has surprised me the most is the sheer number of positive benefits it offers. Here is a list of some benefits to massage therapy:

Massage Therapy dilates blood vessels

improves blood circulation

decreases blood pressure

promotes removal of waste products

reduces ischemia

reduces heart and pulse rates

increases stroke volume of the heart

increases red blood cell count

increases oxygen saturation in blood

increases white blood cell count

promotes lymph circulation

reduces edema

increases skin temperature

improves skin tone

stimulates oil glands in the skin

improves skin conditions

reduces stress and anxiety

promotes relaxation

increases dopamine and serotonin levels

reduces cortisol levels

reduces stress hormones

reduces feelings of depression

decreases pain

relieves muscular tension

relaxes muscles

reduces muscle soreness and fatigue

reduces trigger point formation

separates muscle fibers

increases range of motion

improves performance (balance and posture)

lengthens muscles

increases flexibility

tones weak muscles

reduces excessive scar formation

decreases adhesion formation

increases mineral retention in bones

promotes fracture healing

improves connective tissue healing

reduces respiration rate

strengthens respiratory muscles

decreases asthma attacks

improves lung functions

relieves constipation

stimulates digestion

improves sleep patterns

improves mood

decreases feelings of anger

increases academic performance

increases mental alertness

and much, much more.

With all of the medications people take today for various ailments , it is possible that massage therapy could be some of the best medicine around.

Some medical conditions massage therapy can be useful are, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anemia, Asthma, ADHD, Burn Victims, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Constipation, Diabetes, Eating disorders, Edema, Fibromyalgia, Headaches/ Migraines, High Blood Pressure, Overuse Injuries, Sprains, Strains, Insomnia, Low Back Pain, Lung Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Nerve Entrapment, Poor Circulation, PMS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and TMJ.

Instead of popping pills with negative side effects, consider massage therapy for what ails you.

You don’t have to live with chronic pain!

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:47:43 +0000

Too many people accept aches and pains as a natural part of the aging process. While it is true that there is a natural decline in all of the body’s processes as we age, the source of most aches and pains is not inevitable. Every year Americans spend billions of dollars on over the counter or prescription medications to mask pain that provide temporary relief but do nothing to address the source of the pain. The source being more often than not soft tissue disfunction. This includes muscle, fascia, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. When soft tissue is overused or injured from an acute injury (such as a fall or impact), it responds with inflammation and swelling as a means of protecting itself. Unfortunately from protective habits we learn or from a continuation of overuse, these tissues don’t always return to a normal healthy state and over time you have a chronic condition that only continues to degrade. So how does one address this issue and insure that their tissue remains healthy and functional over their lifetimes. Here are 3 tips that may help.
1. Strength and Fitness- Bad posture, improper lifting technique, and deconditioned muscles are all injury time bombs waiting to happen. Often it doesn’t happen overnight, but takes years to manifest itself once the disfunctional patterns are well established. By keeping the body fit and strong in the first place, much of this can be avoided. This is a general preventative measure.
2. Massage- Massage has been used as a therapeutic modality for thousands of years. It’s health benefits are numerous. It can increase circulation, break up scar tissue/ adhesions, return functionality to muscles/ connective tissue, and much more. As far as treating specific soft tissue once there is a condition in it, massage is second to none.
3. Rest. One way to rest is to get enough sleep and not nearly enough people do. Sleep is when your body repairs itself from the wear and tear of the day. If you continually don’t get enough sleep to completely repair your body, over time your tissue can become broken down and unhealthy. Another way to rest is to stop doing whatever it is that’s causing an overuse injury. This might be exercise, using a computer mouse, or a task at work that is repeated many times every day. For many the option of stopping their work is not an option. A possible solution could be to alternate hands or find other ways to complete the same action that don’t stress the body in the same way, and then cycle through them.
Medication should only be viewed as a minimal and temporary aid to combating pain. Find the source and correct the problem instead for a lasting solution. J. NyQuist