Personal Trainer in Logan | 3 Simple Tips to Make Your Workouts More Effective

3 Simple Tips to Make Your Workouts More Effective

Hey everyone, Colin here, a personal trainer in Logan at Sports Academy. I wanted to share a few quick tips that can really enhance your workout sessions. These are easy to implement but can make a big difference in how you feel and perform during your exercises.

1. Take a Deep Breath Before Each Exercise

It’s tempting to rush through your workout, especially when you have a busy day ahead. But taking a deep breath before each exercise can help you center yourself and focus on the task at hand. That brief pause allows you to mentally prepare, envision success, and approach the exercise with intent. You'll find that this simple act can make your movements more deliberate and effective.

2. Use the Touch and Go Method

The touch and go method is all about focusing on the eccentric motion—the lengthening of the muscle. When you're pressing or lifting, aim for one second on the way up and two to three seconds on the way down. This controlled pace not only engages the muscle more thoroughly but also helps in building strength and stability. Remember, it’s about quality, not just speed!

3. Focus on the Mind-Muscle Connection

One of the keys to effective workouts is the mind-muscle connection. As you go through your reps, really concentrate on the muscles you're targeting. Visualizing the muscle groups working can significantly improve muscle activation. When you’re thinking about engaging specific muscles, you’re more likely to do so effectively, which leads to better results over time.

Thanks for taking the time to read through these tips. Implementing these small changes can lead to big improvements in your workouts. Keep pushing, and remember—focus, control, and connection are your best allies in the gym.

If you need more help to get the most out of your gym sessions, please feel free to schedule a free consultation.

Logan Pre & Postnatal Specialist | Understanding Intraabdominal Pressure

Understanding Intraabdominal Pressure: A Key to Safer Strength Training

Hey everyone, Alicia here! As a personal trainer and Logan pre & postnatal specialist, I want to dive into an essential topic today: intraabdominal pressure (IAP).

Intraabdominal pressure refers to the pressure within your abdominal cavity. Think of your core like a balloon. When you inhale, your core expands, and your rib cage moves outward laterally. As you exhale, everything comes back together. This system is crucial for maintaining stability and support during various movements.

Why Managing Intraabdominal Pressure Matters

Managing intraabdominal pressure is vital, especially during strength training. Proper management can reduce pain, prevent leakage, and help minimize the appearance of coning or doming if you have diastasis recti.

Let’s break it down with an example. Imagine you're holding two dumbbells on your shoulders, preparing to do a squat. Here's how you should manage your breathing:

• Inhale as you lower into the squat: This allows your core to expand and stabilize your body as you descend. On the inhale, when you expand your ribcage outward laterally, it allows for the intraabdominal pressure to descend appropriately and lengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which is really important. 

• Exhale as you rise: As you stand up, exhale and let your pelvic floor muscles lift. This helps manage pressure, reduces the risk of leakage, and alleviates potential pain.

Managing intraabdominal pressure allows your diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles to work together and not against each other and allows for proper activation of your entire core. By focusing on your breathing and pressure management during exercises, you can protect your body, enhance your performance, and feel stronger and more confident in your movements.

I hope this helps you better understand the importance of intraabdominal pressure, especially in your strength training routines! Feel free to schedule a free consult if you have any questions or need further guidance.

-Alicia Wood, Certified pre & postnatal fitness specialist in Logan, Utah

How to Not Hate Leg Day with Clint | Logan Utah Personal Trainer

Leg day can be intimidating, especially if you've never done it before or simply hate the idea of it. Whether you're a beginner or someone who's been avoiding leg day like the plague, this guide is for you. Let's break down some simple and practical ideas to help you get started.

Understanding Resistance Training

When we talk about resistance training, there are three key factors to consider:

1. Volume: This refers to the number of sets and reps you do.

2. Intensity: This is not about how high your heart rate gets. Instead, it’s about how heavy the weight is, expressed as a percentage of your one-rep max.

3. Frequency: This is how often you train, or the number of days per week.

Don't Jump into Advanced Routines

A common mistake is to look up something extreme like "The Rock's Leg Day" and attempt to replicate it. That would be a terrible idea, especially if you’re just starting. Instead, focus on understanding and manipulating these three variables to suit your fitness level.

A Simple Starting Point

For your first leg day, start with something as simple as one set of five reps of squats. This would be considered very low volume. You can do it holding a 20-pound weight or just using your body weight—this would be low intensity. You could incorporate this into your push day (e.g., chest or shoulder day). At the end of your session, just add one set of five squats. This way, you won’t feel sore or fatigued, and leg day won’t seem so bad.

The next day, during your pull day, you could do something like one set of 10 seated leg curls. Again, keep it low volume, low intensity, and low frequency.

Spreading Out Your Workouts

By spreading your leg exercises throughout the week—doing just one leg exercise every day you come to the gym—you increase your frequency without overloading your muscles in one session. This approach helps reduce fatigue and soreness.

Sample Exercises to Try

• Goblet Squats: Hold a weight and perform squats.

• Seated Leg Curls: A great low-intensity exercise for the hamstrings.

• Lunges: Try one set of five lunges per leg.

Spread these exercises across the week. As you build resistance to fatigue and become more proficient, you can gradually add more sets, increase reps, or, over a couple of months, consolidate these exercises into a full leg day routine.

If you are looking for more guidance on leg day, we offer free personal training consultations.