How to get the most out of your Calf Raises!

March 27, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged calf, calf raises, calves, control, exercise, fitness, Gastrocnemius, gym, leg workout, legs, motion, muscle, muscles, physique, plan, power plate, raises, shred, soleus, sweat, tips, tone, workout | Leave a comment

Calf Raises can be done many ways; however, there are a few tips to understand and follow in order to get the most out of the exercise.

First of all DO NOT BOUNCE! When you bounce or do quick calf raises, the work is being done by your Achilles tendon, not your calf muscles. You may feel a burn in your calf muscle, but it is not being targeted well enough to see results.

Doing a slow controlled movement from a rest (standing) position to the balls of your feet will activate all of the muscles in your calves.

If calf raises are done with straight legs, all of the parts of the calf will be working, but most of the work will be done by the very visible, large muscle on the outer part of the calf (Gastrocnemius). This will promote thickness and definition of your calf. If calf raises are done with bent knees, the smaller muscle behind the Gastrocnemius (Soleus) will be doing most of the work. Now although the Soleus muscle is not as visible as the Gastrocnemius, because it is behind the larger muscle, it will cause the Gastrocnemius to swell and visibly pop out more. Both are beneficial so I like to alternate between bent and straight legs between sets.

Calf raises can be very effective with no weight; however if you are doing weighted calf raises, the same principle applies. Use slow controlled motions rather than a bouncing movement.

Another possible way to change up the exercise is doing calf raises on a ledge where your heels hang over the edge. When lowering, go past parallel with the floor and stretch your calf muscles more. This will give you a wider range of motion for the muscle; therefore working the muscle in a different, harder way.

The gym I currently go to has a Power Plate. I like to start off my calf routine with 3 sets of slow calf raises on the Power Plate, and then I do 4 sets of weighted calf raises on one of the calf machines. Do what works best for you, but make sure to follow these tips.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for other articles, please email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Is Shoveling Snow a Good Exercise?

January 15, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Uncategorized and tagged calories, cardio, chores, exercise, fitness, muscle, muscles, safety, shovel, shoveling, snow, tips, tone, workout | 2 Comments

Because Winter is now upon us, and we are definitely starting to see some heavy snowfall, I wanted to see if shoveling snow was a good way to get some exercise. I personally always dreaded going outside and clearing the driveway of snow, but after doing some research, I realized that it definitely has its benefits. According to an article done by Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., L.R.D, at North Dakota State University, a person of 170lbs can shovel for 30 minutes and burn about 250 calories. (Click Here to See the Article) Because shoveling involves high repetitions of lifting a weighted object, it also can help tone your muscles in your arms, legs, and core if done correctly. Not too bad for a chore I hate doing.

It is important to also understand the dangers of shoveling before you go out and start throwing the snow around. A quote from masslive.com stated,

“According to a study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, some 195,100 Americans were treated in emergency rooms for snow shoveling-related mishaps from 1990 to 2006. Among those cases, 7 percent were cardiac related, which made up all of the 1,647 deaths in the study.”

Click Here to see the Article on Masslive.com

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Because shoveling can involve some heavy lifting at times, it also puts some people at risk of heart attacks. If you already have high blood pressure or are at risk of a heart attack, consult your doctor before you decide to go outside and shovel snow.

Make sure to always lift with your legs and tighten your core when lifting the snow.

Avoid twisting and lifting from your lower back to avoid lower back injuries which are common when shoveling.

So next time you go out to battle the cold and shovel, try to think of how it actually can help you reach our fitness goals. As long as you stay smart and safe by following the tips I shared, shoveling will can be more than just a chore, but a productive workout.

How did you like this post? Did you find it useful? Do you have any other ideas for future posts I should do? If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com.

Feature Friday: Eric Turner

May 3, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Feature Friday and tagged eric, eric turner, erictastic, exercise, feature, Feature Friday, fitness, friday, gym, health, Inspiration, mesomorph, model, Motivation, muscle, muscles, personal, supplements, tips, trainer, turner | 2 Comments

First name: Eric
Last name: Turner
City: Houston
State: Texas (Originally from Herriman, UT)
Age: 32
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 208
Profession: Personal Trainer

Follow Him:
Twitter: @erictastic
Instagram: erictastic

When did you start working out?:
When I was 21.

How many days a week do you work out?:
I do weights 5 days a week and I do cardio 6 days a week.

How long is your average workout?:
Usually 90 min

Favorite muscles to exercise:
Legs

Least favorite muscles to exercise:
Legs. lol

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
I’m constantly trying to better myself and my symmetry, and I’m currently competing for my IFBB Pro Card.

Do you have any fitness inspirations? If so, who are they?:
Jaco De Bruyn

What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I think people misunderstand what supplements are for. They are intended to supplement any areas that your diet is lacking. I tend to only take supplements when I’m dieting down so that I still get the nutients that I’m lacking.

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
It’s constantly changing, so that I won’t plateau. It generally consists of around 45-50% of kilocalories from carbs, 30-35% of kcal from proteins, and 15-20% of kcal from fats.

Do you have any workouts that you specifically like, that you believe are very affective?:
You can’t have a good physique if you focus too much on one thing. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to me working out. I have lately been obsessed with lateral raise drop sets though.

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Keep with it. Consistency is the magic ingredient!

Do you have any other things you would like to say?(Comments, suggestions, etc)?:
I get a lot of questions from people who have all sorts of strange ideas of things they’ve heard… I think the biggest misnomer that people have is that low carb is always the way to go. If you’re looking to build muscle, you can’t pack on muscle without eating carbs, and cutting them out actually makes gaining muscle pretty difficult.

Diet Tip #1: How to Set Good Goals

March 5, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Diet Tips, Uncategorized and tagged diet, exercise, goal, goals, new years, resolution, tips, weight loss | Leave a comment

Lets face it… DIETS SUCK! No one really likes going on a diet. We all wish that we can eat whatever we wanted and still maintain amazing bodies. Unfortunately that is not how the world works and we have to watch what we eat, not only to look good, but also to lead a healthy lifestyle.

After doing some research, it is estimated that about 80% of weight loss New Years Resolutions fail. There are many theories as to why, but I have suggestions on how to reach your goals and not be part of that 80%.

My First Suggestion: Don’t say your goal is “To lose weight!”
You are already setting yourself up for failure because you are really not giving yourself a defined goal. Losing a pound and losing 30 pounds is a big difference, but technically in both situations, you have lost weight. You need to give yourself something to really aim for. For example, a good goal to set would be, I want to lose 15 pounds in 90 days. With this you have set a real goal and something to really aim for. This will put your mind in the right place to achieve success.

My Second Suggestion: Don’t set a goal that is too far in the future.
Setting a weight loss goal a year from now is not as affective as setting one two months from now. Why? If you have a goal to reach in ten months, you are more likely going to forget about it and make some bad diet and exercise choices than if you have a goal to reach in 2 weeks. If you would like to set a big goal, such as losing 50 pounds by the end of the year, or being able to bench press 100 more pounds by the end of the year, that is fine, but you must achieve those goals by setting smaller more frequent ones in between (ex: I will lose 5 pounds this month, I will bench press 10 more pounds this month)

My Third Suggestion: Don’t wait until January 1st to start a new goal.
According to an article by John Norcross that was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, approximately 50% of Americans make New Years Resolutions. I hate New Years Resolutions because it gives people an excuse to slack off until January 1st. If you want to be healthy and fit, START NOW! There is no better time to start. You are not getting any younger and you are just wasting time if you are putting it off for a specific date. Being healthy is a lifestyle, not a goal to reach! So start making better decisions now and you will be able to maintain a healthier lifestyle in the future.

Any questions or concerns? Want to know more about this topic? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Creator: Alec Varcas

March 5, 2013 by corestrengthalec in About me, Feature Friday and tagged Alec, Alec Varcas, core, diet, exercise, Feature Friday, fitness, Inspiration, male, Motivation, tips, Varcas | 4 Comments

One reoccurring topic I would like to have on this blog will be “Feature Friday.” On every Friday, I will post a small bio and some pictures of the people I have looked up to in order to reach my fitness goals. I thought I would start with a mini bio of myself today and on this upcoming Friday, March 8th, I will post my first Feature Friday Inspiration.

First name: Alec
Last name: Varcas
City: Wolcott
State: CT
Age: 22
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 166 lbs
Profession: Dancer/Actor/Singer and hopefully a Certified Personal Trainer in the near future.

Follow Me
Twitter: Alec2austin
Instagram: Alec2austin

When did you start working out?:
Around 2009, but I didn’t start seriously working out until the summer of 2011.

How many days a week do you work out?:
When I am home, about 6 days a week. Right now I am on tour with ‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’, so I work out as often as I can, which is usually around 3-4 days of cardio and 2-3 days of lifting.

How long is your average workout?:
My average workout is usually around an hour and a half. I try to focus on about 2 muscle groups per workout. I like to superset exercises switching between the muscle groups to keep my body moving and my heart rate up, but not totally exhausting my muscles and giving them proper rest time between each set. (Example: I may do a day of Triceps and Chest. One example of a workout would be doing a dumbbell fly chest workout, then waiting about 10-15 seconds and going into a tricep pull down exercise. Once I finish that, I will wait about one minute and repeat the superset 2-3 more times.)

This is my personal transformation over two years.

Favorite muscles to exercise:
My Chest. I love working out my chest because I never had one when I was younger. I have seen decent growth in my chest since I have started working out, but I still see a lot of room for improvement. Any time I get a chance to pound out a good chest exercise, I feel great because I know I am really working toward reaching my fitness goals.

Least favorite muscles to exercise:
Shoulders. I have a bad rotator cuff that tends to hurt when I lift weights, so I have to be careful when doing shoulder exercises. Because I don’t want to injure it further, I usually am too afraid to really push my limits with my shoulder exercises. I would must rather be safe than sorry because I would not want to do any permanent damage, but because I sometimes bother my rotator cuff when lifting, I believe my shoulders are not progressing as well as the rest of my body.

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
I have a ton of fitness goals. I have already reached some of my old fitness goals, but now I have many more. Before, my fitness goals were to be able to bench my body weight, see my pecs, get a six pack, be able to run a 5K in under 30 minutes, and a few other things. I have already reached all of those goals, but now I have improved on my old ones. My new goals are to be able to bench press 1.5 times my body weight, get obliques, get an even larger chest (specifically an inner chest), increase my leg press to over 700lbs, run a 5K in under 24 minutes, increase my flexibility, try new forms of exercise such as Crossfit and Yoga, and many others!

Do you have any fitness inspirations? If so, who are they?:
I have many fitness inspirations. You will get to see many of them each Friday for my ‘Feature Friday’ topic, so keep an eye out for them.

What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I usually take 2 scoops of whey protein and mix it with skim milk and water after I workout. Also, when I am home and I am on a more steady workout plan, I take casein protein before I go to bed. Right now I am tossing around with different pre-workouts to find out which one I like the best. So far, I really enjoy using 1 scoop of Jack3d before I work out. It does not give me the jitters and it gives me more energy before I train. I have heard that it is not that good for you though, so I am definitely interested in trying some other pre-workouts as well.

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
I usually start my morning with a cup of Greek yogurt, some fruit, and granola. I also may make some whole grain toast with organic peanut butter, or even some scrambled egg whites if I am hungry. Before I go to the gym, I have about two handfuls of almonds and maybe a small snack if I need some more energy. After the gym I have a protein shake and then a small meal to help refuel my body (example:Tuna Avocado Sandwich). For dinner I try to have a lean protein (chicken or fish), vegetables, and usually a sweet potato. Later on in the night, I will have some more vegetables and dip them in hummus, and I may have some more nuts. I try to eat steadily throughout the day when I am home, and I try to eat about 3000-4000 calories a day… usually more if I am trying to put on weight. Now that I am on the road however, I try to eat about 2500-3500 calories and I really eat whenever I can… and I try to eat as healthy as I can, which unfortunately is not very easy.

Do you have any workouts that you specifically like, that you believe are very affective?:
I really love some of my core workouts that I do. I have experimented with different workouts people have showed me and have even altered them to make them work a little better with my body. I will show them to you over time on this blog so stay tuned.

How much cardio do you do? (Per day or per week):
I usually do at least 15 minutes of cardio a day to warm up before I exercise, but about 3-4 days a week I do a 30-45 minutes of cardio when I am trying to stay trim. If I am really trying to bulk, I just stick with my cardio warmup.

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Do your research! I am creating this blog to really help people reach their fitness goals, but the more research you do, the better. Also, just working out will not help you reach your fitness goals, DIET is just as, if not more, important than going to the gym. Lastly, stay motivated! Many people have a hard time staying motivated because they don’t see their beach ready body in the first few weeks they exercise. It does not happen over night. Losing weight and building muscle takes a lot of hard work and time, but staying motivated is the most important thing. Find something that will help you stay as motivated as possible. For some people it is having a workout buddy that will drag them to the gym. For others it is posting pictures of the body they want around the house or even on the boxes of foods they know they shouldn’t be eating. For others it is putting a trip to the gym in their daily planners, that way they know they will have the time to go to the gym. Find what works for you!

Do you have any other things you would like to say? (Comments, suggestions, etc)?:
Do not be scared to try something new. Remember that everyone starts somewhere. I have talked to many people that are not happy with their bodies and the main reason they don’t go to the gym is because they are scared. They are scared people will judge them and they are scared of trying something new. DONT BE! There is nothing but respect for people at the gym, because by being there and putting in the effort, we all know that we are working toward a common goal of bettering ourselves. Also, don’t be scared of trying new types of workouts either. Recently I started going to gymnastics classes to help my tumbling for an audition, and now I go just for the amazing workout. I have never had a better whole body workout then the one I get after a 45min-hour gymnastics lesson (I usually cant walk for days). Have you ever wanted to try Yoga, Pilates, Karate, Swimming? DO IT!!! You will regret it if you never tried. My mom started Karate in her 40’s and got up to a second degree Black Belt! It is never too late to try something new and get in shape!

Hope you liked this mini bio I put together. Keep an eye out every Friday starting this Friday, March 8th, for my ‘Feature Friday’ topics. Do you have any questions for me? Do you want to be considered as a ‘Feature Friday’ Candidate? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Raised Side Plank

March 1, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Ab Workout, Exercises, Uncategorized and tagged ab, abs, core, exercise, hold, oblique, obliques, six pack, strength, tips, tone, workout | 6 Comments

This is one of my favorite core strength exercises to perform. The Raised Side Plank is a core strength hold exercise that specifically targets your obliques, but really strengthens your entire core region (obliques, abs, lower back).

To perform this exercise:

1. Find something to rest your feet on that is about a foot or two off the ground (I usually use a workout bench).

2. Rest one foot on top of the other and rest your elbow and forearm on the ground.

3. Lift your hips, core, and upper body off the ground so that they are parallel to the floor. Your upper arm to your shoulder should be perpendicular with the floor.

4. Hold this position for 1 minute (or for beginners, start with 30 seconds and increase your time once your core becomes stronger).

5. Repeat this exercise on the other side.

Tips:

1. Make sure the side of your body (obliques) is facing the floor and the front of your body is facing forward.

2. Tighten you core, your obliques specifically, during the entire exercise

3. Lift your hips up and keep them parallel to the floor. It is very easy to start drooping your hips to the floor. If they start to fall slightly, really squeeze your stomach muscles to try and raise them back up to maintain the straight body position.

4. Form is more important than time! You will get better results from holding the correct position for 30 seconds than letting your body concave and turn incorrectly, holding the incorrect position for a longer time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Six Pack Abs

March 1, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Ab Workout, Exercises, Uncategorized and tagged ab, abs, core, exercise, lower back, muscle, obliques, six pack, tips, workout | 5 Comments

One of the most common questions I get asked is “What is your ab workout routine?” The answer… I don’t have one. I know it may sound crazy, but I don’t follow any one routine to try and improve my stomach. I have found that if I stick to just one routine, my body may be sore the first few times I do the routine, but then it almost becomes immune to what I am doing and I no longer get sore, tired, and I don’t see continued results.

Suggestions:
I have discovered that learning many different core workouts and frequently changing which ones I include in my ‘routine’ confuses my body and lets me see faster and better results (aka: muscle confusion). I have also learned that your core (abs, obliques, lower back) is a large grouping of muscles that should be treated like any other muscle your work out. When building muscle, it is suggested to focus on a muscle group intensely, and then giving that muscle group a few days to relax and recover. With this said, I only do core workouts about 2-3 times a week. I work very hard doing many different ab and core workouts, basically exhausting the muscles and then give them a few days to really recover so I can hit the workouts hard again when they are ready.

How long do I work my core?
I treat my core like any other muscle; therefore I dedicate a full day to just working on my core. A normal day would include about 30 minutes of cardio, followed by about 45 minutes to an hour of of core exercises. I know many people who do core exercises every day for about 10 minutes after their workouts, but at least in my case, I have found that truly focusing hard on my abs, obliques, and lower back and exhausting them only 2-3 days a week gives me the results I would like to see.

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