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Put back fat behind you once and for all!

by Shannon Sutton, certified personal trainer

You don't have to live with unsightly bulges resting over your bra straps! Good news, it's easy to tighten, tone and firm your back! One of the easiest and most effective exercises is the lat pull. The bonus is that you're simultaneously working your back, delts (shoulders), bi's, tri's and abs with this one simple exercise.

You can either use gym equipment or simple tubing.

Grasp the bar bar with arms in "V" position (about 45 degrees) or wider. Begin with arms fully extended, spine lengthened and abs drawn in. Lean back slightly, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and pull the bar down just below your chin. Elbows should be pointed toward your glutes. Hold for a count, then slowly return to starting position, and repeat.

Your back is such a large muscle group, and the more lean it is, the more calories you are burning all of the time, even when you're sleeping! (The same is true with all lean muscle).

Even if you do not have a great deal of time to devote to self improvement, I would highly incorporating this exercise into your regular routine to help you get rid of back fat once and for all.

Shannon Sutton is an independent certified personal trainer. Her certifications include ISSA, NASM, APEX and Reebok. She has invested years in helping individuals reach their health, fitness and wellness goals. Contact her at (210) 722-3962.

Working the center

by Shannon Sutton
 
By now I'm sure we are all familiar with the term "core."  Like an apple core, or the earth's core, it is the body's center or midsection, and is the origination of all movement.  All too often we focus on the obvious muscle groups such as glutes (for that firm, round backside) or triceps (to tighten up that arm flab), but as a personal trainer and fitness coach, my advice is to incorporate the instability factor and work your core and other muscle groups simultaneously.

One simple way to emphasize core training within your resistance routine is to omit the stability of sitting or lying on a bench and opt for an E-ball. This forces your core muscles to engage in order to maintain balance which in turn increases caloric expenditure, strengthens your midsection and  whittles your waist down to size more quickly!  Makes sense, doesn't it?

The following are just a few examples of exercises that help the core while working other muscle groups:

Bicep curls:  Have a seat on a properly sized ball (hips and knees should be at 90 degree angles, shoulders over hips and knees over heels) and perform your bicep curls.  Be sure to draw your abs in tight and practice good posture.

Triceps:  Lie back with head and shoulders resting on the ball; again, joints stacked. Raise dumbbells directly over your shoulders with arms parallel and slowly bend elbows to 90 degrees, hold for a count and return to starting position.

Chest flies:  Begin in the same position as the triceps exercise with dumbbells raised directly over your shoulders and slowly open your arms lowering the weight to shoulder level, hold and return to starting position.

Try to focus on drawing your navel in and holding a really tight core while performing these and other exercises. The E-ball can be used in just about all of your exercises, just get creative and have fun with it!

Shannon Sutton is an independent certified personal trainer. Her certifications include ISSA, NASM, APEX and Reebok. She has invested years in helping individuals reach their health, fitness and wellness goals. Contact her at (210) 722-3962.

at Bloom Maternity

By Bonny Osterhage

If you have ever ventured into Bloom Maternity, you know that it is filled with the latest and most fashionable maternity clothes and pregnancy accessories. What you may not know is that on Monday nights it is filled with expectant mothers looking to get fit through the Fit Mamas Prenatal Exercise Program.

Want to join? All you need is yourself, a Yoga mat and a consent form signed by your doctor.
Led by physical therapist Carissa Cox, the progressive classes are designed for women in any trimester of their pregnancies.

In addition to preparing the body for the labor and delivery process, through breathing and stretching techniques, the classes are designed to facilitate a connection between mother and baby.

The classes take place on Monday from 6:30-7:45 p.m. and include ...

Warm-up

Range of motion and strengthening

Partner activities

Breath practice

Lumbar stabilization

Pelvic floor exercises

Cool down and relaxation

The cost is $20 per class or $100 for one month. For more information call (210) 824-2727, or visit their Web site at www.bloommaternity.net.

By Shannon Sutton

Last month, we talked about working the abs (six "pack") and "love handles". It is so very important to work opposite muscle groups to not only promote symmetry; and, more importantly, to prevent injury. Focus on lower back strengthening is often neglected in workout routines, yet (ironically) lower back pain seems to be one of the most common complaints people have.

The following are a couple of simple, yet very effective, exercises you can incorporate into your routine in order to promote a healthy back and a well balanced core.

•  Bird dog
Begin on all fours, and position yourself in neutral spine (not arched or bowed) facing the floor. Raise your left arm and right leg simultaneously while pulling your abs in and maintaining balance. Extend straight out (arm overhead and leg straight with toe pointed), and hold. Switch to right arm and left leg. Perform 15 to 20 on each side.

•  Sky Divers
Using an E-ball, begin face down with your feet wedged against the wall, body weight on the ball. Extend your arms forward (overhead). Slowly begin to raise your chest slightly while lowering your arms out to "T", squeezing your shoulder blades, glutes and lower back. Hold for a count and return to starting position. Repeat for several repetitions (resting between sets).

Shannon Sutton is an independent certified personal trainer. Her certifications include ISSA, NASM, APEX and Reebok. She has invested years in helping individuals reach their health, fitness and wellness goals. Contact her at (210) 722-3962.

Get a grip!