Drum Hill Fitness

...By Travis Webb

One of the most important areas of your body is the core. Over time the fitness community has changed their focus of ab workouts to core workouts. This is mainly due to our growing understanding in how the core works. As our knowledge has grown we have also developed equipment to activate and utilize the core more efficiently such as the stability ball.

Your core wraps around your torso and includes a variety of muscles in your hips. One of the ideas behind sitting on a unstable surface, like a stability ball, is more muscles will be recruited to stabilize as you move. If your form is correct you can help stabilize your core in this fashion. Some of the benefits include reduced lower back pain, improved balance, increases in strength throughout the body, improved coordination and decreased susceptibility to injury.

You can use a stability ball in sit ups, pushups, squats as well as hundreds of other exercises ranging from beginner to expert. I’m frequently asked what size stability ball should be used and the answer is in how tall you are and what exercise you are looking to do. The size and density of a stability ball can vary from large to small and high density to low density. I’ve found a method to be standing next to the stability ball, if it is as high as your knee you are good to go!

By... Travis Webb

Each new year there is a huge boost in goal setting and the drive to become more physically fit. Gyms become packed with members trying to achieve a multitude of goals. Some include losing weight, gaining muscle, strengthening a damaged area or just overall health. While goal setting it is very important to think outside the box and come up with a variety of goals to stay driven.

Here are a couple ideas you can add to your goal list. Some can be small such as doing pushups or holding a plank for a certain amount of time. Other harder goals could be doing a full pull up or running a certain distance. You could even pick a mud race like the warrior dash, rugged maniac, Spartan sprint or even the tough mudder. Mud races are a GREAT way to experience something brand new and succeed through a challenge!

The most successful members and clients are those who focus on what drives them. To make life more interesting come up with your own motivation and continue to evolve. You could be very surprised with how far you can go and how much you achieve if you continue to challenge yourself forward. My goal for 2012 is to run all four mud races, maybe I’ll see you there!

...By Travis Webb

This time of year is one of the most anticipated fitness times of the year. A new beginning and a fresh start towards achieving goals are great causes to be excited. To get started the healthy and effective way the first step is to create goals to be achieved. Having something to work towards will drive you forward. The fun part about goal setting is the sky can be the limit! There can be weight lose, muscle gain, life style changes, eating habits altered, athletic achievement, even aspirations of running a mud race.

After creating a set of goals to achieve the second step is to come up with realistic timelines. Anything worth achieving is not achieved easily, so the best thing to do is to find out how long it will take to achieve your goals safely. Once you understand the safety guidelines of exercise you will understand that doing things safely is also the most efficient!

Any fitness facility will have a wide variety of exercise equipment to utilize. Each piece of equipment is used to work different muscle groups. The best workout plan has exercises that will work all of the muscle groups throughout the week. Working the larger muscles and the smaller muscles will provide you with a well rounded workout program resulting in the highest results. Since every person is unique their workout program should also be personalized.

Once you start working out and achieving your goals it will be time to stay motivated. Having workout partners is a great way to stay focused. If you are not getting the results you want do not give up! The answer is always out there so never hesitate to ask for assistance. Being informed will allow you to adjust your workout program quickly which will get you back on track.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, and Chelmsford, MA.