An Exercise to Strengthen and Develop Your Shoulders While Standing on a BOSU

Your shoulders are the most mobile part of your body and they are involved in almost every movement you make. Thus, having strong shoulders is not only important in performing the activities of everyday life, but also in the prevention of injury and pain associated with weak shoulder muscles.

Your shoulders are made up of muscles that are primarily involved in the movement of your arms to the side, to the front, and to the rear of your body. Simple put, the muscles of your shoulders can be divided into three heads, and they are lateral, front, and rear.  It's crucial to strengthen the muscles of all three heads of your shoulders for optimal strength and injury prevention.  Read more...

Pre-Workout and Post-Workout Meals are Crucial to Optimizing Your Exercise Program

In order to workout at your best and see optimal results you need to eat the right balance of carbohydrates and protein both before and immediately after your exercise sessions.  The pre-workout meal provides the energy for you to exercise at maximum intensity, and the post-workout meal provides the nutrition your body needs for optimum rebuilding and recovery.

Pre-Workout
As a general rule, it's best not to eat immediately before a workout because your stomach will be trying to digest the food you've eaten at the same time you're exercising which may cause some feelings of nausea and GI discomfort.  Ideally, you should eat about 1 to 3 hours before your workout, depending on how your body tolerates food. It's best to experiment and see what time frame is best for you.  Click here to see the entire post...

Great Post-Workout Stretching Routine

Stretching immediately after a workout is a great way to improve flexibility and lessen soreness.  Here is one of my favorite post-workout stretching routines I do with my clients and with myself.

Shoulder and Chest Stretch

Stand tall with your chest held high.  Reach behind your back with both hands and interlock your fingers.  Pull your shoulders back and down until you feel the stretch.  Then hold that position for 30 seconds.  Breathe normally.




Triceps Stretch

Stand tall and lift your chest.  Reach over your head with one hand and touch the opposite side of your back.  Take the other hand, and place it on top of your elbow.  Now, gently pull your elbow down until you feel a stretch in your triceps.  Hold that position for 30 seconds, then relax and do the other side.  Breathe normally.  Click here to read the entire article...

Here's a Great Exercise to Strengthen Your Core Using a BOSU

Having a strong core is essential to your overall body strength.  Your core is made up of the muscles of your torso and in simplest terms they are the muscles that connect the lower part of your body to the upper part of your body. Thus, your torso muscles are involved in every movement you make from simply getting out of bed, to doing your favorite activities.  A lot of hip, and back pain is associated with weak torso muscles, so you see that developing a strong core is very beneficial to your overall health and strength.  Click here to read entire article...