http://www.torontopersonaltrainer.net Personal Training & Fitness Classes in Toronto Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:51:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.torontopersonaltrainer.net/blog/healthy-tips/8-fitness-facts/ http://www.torontopersonaltrainer.net/blog/healthy-tips/8-fitness-facts/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:26:59 +0000 Lauren http://torontopersonaltrainer.net/?p=14

Drink more water. Drink ½ a litre of water pre-work and post-workout.

Eat more protein. Protein is the building blocks for muscles. The best sources for protein are tuna, chicken and tofu. A shake made of protein powder, yogurt, fruit and milk or soy milk is a great pre-workout energy boost.

Eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day is better then 3. Eating more often keeps the blood sugar stabilized and stops the body from going into starvation mode.

Always be conscious of your posture. You can build your core stabilizer muscles just by maintaining good posture throughout the day. Shoulders should be down and back, belly button is pulled in, chest is open and relaxed, neck is long, buttocks relaxed and the natural curve in your lower back is maintained.

Always take 1-2 days off between resistance training sessions. Your body builds muscel mass the day after your workout. If you train the same muscle groups two days in a row, you can actually damage your muscle tissue.

Concentration is key during a workout. Studies have shown that people who focus on the specific muscles they are training actually gain more muscle mass then those who are simply performing the exercise.

Breathing is very important. Muscles use oxygen as a fuel so it is important not to cut off your energy flow by holding your breath. Proper breathing techniques include exhaling on the contraction and inhaling on the release.

Try to work larger muscles first. For example, work the shoulders and back before the triceps. Smaller muscles often act as stabilizers and assist in larger muscle group exercises so you do not want to exhaust them too soon.

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