Jamcore Training Blog

Okay everyone, after some deep thinking and some planning we are ready to take the JamCore Training philosophy and community to the next level. We have a vision to create an awesome new fitness community with so many features it will amaze you. I always wanted a place where health and fitness minded people could get together and really create a meaningful community. I also wanted a place where new people could go and learn about health and fitness and get support from a community without being intimidated by hardcore bodybuilders and product driven websites. Even professional bodybuilders stay away from most of those sites!

We are now in the beta development stage of a community that we can all be a part of! It’s a free fitness community called MyFitTribe.com. It includes everything that we started with the JamCore Training web site and so much more. I will give you a brief description of a few of the many features, but wanted to say that I am really excited that we all have a place dedicated to improving our lives.

Here are some highlights of the features (but really the thing that drives its effectiveness and growth is your profile and participation!). So what can MyFitTribe.com do? A lot, but here are some highlights:

• A full fitness social network with your own profile, messaging, chat, buddylist and blog.

• Ability for you to earn money through your personal blog

• The ability to blog, join groups, create groups, make comments and ask questions.

• Free access to the JamCore Personal Training videos and content.

• Access to an ever expanding exercise, nutrition and health information and video database.

There is more but that gives you the basic idea, so setup your profile and checkout everything MyFitTribe.com has to offer.

Best,

Jamo

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Think about when you hear of a friend or relative who just had a new baby, life anew, endless possibilites and the true value of life all comes to mind. Years later, lots of life and something has changed, you will spend a few hours watching TV, time working on the house, car tune-ups every three thousand miles, but you won’t even schedule a dentist appointment or address that pain in your back.

Things people say to stop themselves from getting fit and healthy

• I don’t have time

• I need to make time

• I gotta get on with it

• I need a goal

• I love food too much

• It’s hard!!

The question is will these thoughts come into your mind when you lying in a hospital bed? If you have ever worked out you probably know the heath and energy you get back, 40 minutes usually is repaid in spades with a better daily energy level, better appearance and improved quality of life. Pick yourself up, and spend 40 minutes daily looking after your health, because it’s the best wealth.

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We are often asked, what’s an example of a good core-strengthening exercise that is simple and can be done anywhere. Here is one of our favorites, often used in yoga and Pilates.

The ‘front bridge,’ which is sometimes called the plank, is extremely simple, and when you see and experience it, you experience the muscles involved in core strength. Just pay attention to doing it right, and incorporate it into your core strengthening routine.

This exercise involves holding a position for a certain number of seconds. It’s deceptively simple and will give your muscles more of a workout than you’d think.

• Lie facedown in a pushup position, supporting yourself with your forearms on the floor in front of you, elbows directly under your shoulders, and legs supported by your toes.

• Keep your body in a straight line.

• Tuck your chin so the back of your head is in line with your spine.

• Keep your toes pulled towards your shins.

• Pull your shoulder blades out and keep your stomach tight.

• Try holding it for 60 seconds (it’s harder than it looks!). Increase the holding time as you progress during the following weeks.

At JamCore Training, we believe you can see it and achieve it. So if you can’t quite picture it from the directions, just log in and watch Jamo demonstrate! This exercise is used in the JamCore beginner and intermediate workouts, as well as the 30-Minute Anywhere workout.

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Hard to believe that the holidays are over and that Summer is on its way. So did you stick to your New Years resolution? We gave some tips that helped our members keep their weight under control during the Winter months. Alright this time its time to fit into a bikini or bathing suit, so with a bit of commitment and some consistient steps we can help you lose some weight for Summer.

Tip 1: Control the most important eight pounds. Your brain. You’ve made the decision to lose some weight. Or a lot of it. Most of the time, people make the decision, but don’t follow through. Your head makes you fail, not your body. To harness your mind to reach your goals, set realistic, easy short term goals, daily and weekly.

Tip 2: Enlist friends and family. Make decisions with your family or people you hang out with to make it a group effort.

Tip 3: Clean the fridge. Get rid of the sugary drinks and snacks. Buy the right things to eat (see the great videos in our nutrition section!) Focus on drinking water. Though your body doesn’t need gallons of water, it is the best way to clean up the toxins in your body, it helps you feel full, and it keeps you from drinking soda or juice.

Tip 4: Choose a workout. Choose the right JamCore workout and stick with it for at least four weeks before letting your head start questioning whether you are seeing any gain (though we are pretty confident you’ll start dropping the pounds if you follow our workouts and nutrition).

Tip 5: Don’t skip meals. Try to plan ahead for your eating and drinking. You want to avoid getting ravenous, and you don’t want to be forced to grab convenient but high-calorie foods and snacks.

Have any questions about weight loss, send them to us.

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Lately I have been hearing and reading about how an increasing number of children could die before their parents. There are many health professionals that site health complications linked to a world-wide obesity epidemic as a major risk factor. Kids just aren’t getting the exersise they need coupled with poor diet and a seditary lifestyle.

Their are many aspects within society that contribute the a childs poor health including parents, school, and the increased popularity of computers, movies and video games.

It time for everyone to contribute to improving health at an early age, a little exersice each day is a great start. What will you do to help turn the tides of this epidemic?

Here is an informative article “Obese kids could die before parents, doctor warns”

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So you may have seen the first entry in our quest for the perfect six pack. Here is the secound entry featuring the beautiful Ves Marinova showing Jamo how it is done!

I know it hard to look past the picture of Ves but the video is right below and you can see her in action working with me.

Here is the link to The Perfect Six Pack - Part 1 video. Excersise videos for women and men focused on each area of the body available at JamCoreTraining.com

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Here are a few frequently asked questions that I get from people especially, from the MySpace community. Instead of making this a formal Q and A I thought I would drop in the exact question as asked with my thoughts, these guys must be from California.

Q: Dude, I would like to have abs like yours is there a supplement that I can take, give me the secret?

A: Yes its called, cardio, cardio, cardio … and a high protein, low carbohydrates diet. You will NEVER get a six-pack using a supplement. Get your cardio up and your diet together, then checkout one of our ab workouts here. Remember that as your abs grow you will need to lower your body fat to see them.

Q: What is the best form of cardio activity?

A: Personally, I like the stairs climber but make sure you elevate to 75 - 80% of your maximum heart rate for at least 30 minute, olypticals are another great low impact exersise. Another option is outdoor running, but with the high impact so be careful if your knees are injured.

Q: Bro I want to pack 22 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks, can you help me?

Well first there is no way you can pack 22 pounds of muscle tissue in 10 weeks. Second the normal muscle gain that I saw with individuals is about 10 pounds a year. Remember were talking muscle tissue here not water retention and fat gain. Its great to have a goal, muscle gain requires a dedicated workout and nutritional routine.

Here are some pointers
To do that first and foremost, you need to eat right, at least 5 high protein medium carbs meals per day. Second you need to train hard heavy and with form. Third you have to be consistent with your training and recovery. Fourth you grow outside the gym, not inside the gym. Make sure you keep your workouts short and intense no more than 45 minutes. When I trained with 6 time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates we never trained more than 45 minutes.

Things I notice at the gyms now a days:

• 65 % of members don’t even warm up they go straight and lift.

• Most gyms are cluttered with no needed equipment; some of the pieces don’t even get used.

• The stretching area mostly used by women, men tend to never stretch.

• Some personal trainers not even paying attention to their clients form, all they worried about is moving them from one machine to the next.

• Less and less people use free weight, they mostly use machines. Don’t get me wrong machine are good if you nursing an injury, but for better results and pure functional strength you need free weights.

• More people drinking thermogenic drinks, instead of water during their workout. There may be heath risks associated, I would highly suggest drinking water during workouts. Try taking a few gulps of water in the early stages of your workout. The goal is to prevent dehydration, not to cure it. Begin with 8 ounces 20 minutes before you start exercising, and then drink four to six ounces every 15 to 20 minutes; that should be enough for most types of exercise.

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Since I have been involved with fitness for most of my adult life I have heard a million fitness myths. My personal training and working with others has helped me address many of the most frequent myths. Here are my top ten myths, are you following any of them.

Myth 1: No Pain, No Gain
This is probably my least favorite, maybe the longest running and a potentially dangerous myth. There is a difference between pain and discomfort, experiencing pain during any fitness routine can be a sign of trouble. Pain is your bodies way of telling you that something is wrong, be sure to listen. A successful long-term fitness program should include many elements starting with goals. If your goal is to gain muscle or improve endurance your fitness program may cause some discomfort, but once the exercise is done the temporary discomfort shouldn’t follow you for hours or days. Any signs of real pain should signal you to see a doctor. This lead directly into another common myth…

Myth 2: If I’m not sore the next day(s), I didn’t workout hard enough.
It seems that most people are in a rush to get results quick, but often injure themselves or give up working out all together. Muscle soreness is not a necessarily a bad thing, here are some points to keep in mind. Muscle soreness is caused by damage to the muscle fibers. Some soreness is expected but being sore for days after your workout most likely means you overdid it. If you’re sore after every workout, you’re not allowing your body time to recover, which is when your gain the most muscle growth. Setup a program that you can follow, this will include changing up routines as you plateau at certain exercises.

Myth No. 3: If I can’t workout often enough or hard enough, I might as well not even do it.
Simply not true, there are huge benefits to daily exercise. Studies show that a half-hour walk three or more times a week significantly reduces stress, risk of heart attack and stroke, lowers blood pressure, and boosts your energy and immune system. Any exercise does you good, a 15-minute walk, 30-minutes of cardio or a trip to the gym all help. Get up a do a little something.

Myth 4: I need to target different ads to get the look I want.
First, there are technically no separate areas of the abdominals. The six-pack that many people are looking for actually are part of one long muscle, called the rectus abdominis, that extends from below your chest to your pelvis. There are four areas you will want to target all four muscles: the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques and the transverse abdominis.

Second, in order the see the muscles; you must reduce your body fat. To get the perfect six-pack takes effort including proper nutrition. Click here to checkout one of the JamCore training segments for suggestions.

Myth 5: I don’t need to warm up if I am careful or just doing cardio.
Warming up is always a good idea, whether you are working out or participating in sports. Warming up and stretching is the number one defense against variety of painful sports injuries, including tendonitis.

Myth No. 6: Strength training will make me “bulk-up”
This is usually more of a concern voiced by women who avoid weight training because they don’t want to bulk up. Strength training is a critical element to maintain a healthy weight and strengthen your body. Most women would have extreme difficulty gaining size due to a lack of hormones needed to gain muscle. Even men have a tough time gaining muscle and it’s something you have to work very hard to achieve, male or female.

Myth 7: Running is the best way to get fit.
Running is only one way; there is no one best way to get fit. Finding what is right for you is the best way; a routine that you enjoy and can stick with. Running may be right for some but actually be painful to others. Getting fit is a process that takes commitment and should be a great life-long journey. Look at your past fitness history, do you stick to your current routine, do you enjoy it?

Myth 8: The best time to exercise is early in the morning.
Similar to the myth above, there is no one best time to exercise. The best time is the time that appeals to you and fits into your schedule. Go with your rhythm, most people know what is right for them. Listen to you body and energy level, set your goals and get moving.

Myth 9: Drinking water during exercise will give you cramps.
This is the opposite of what’s true, most of us never get enough water. You need water throughout the day including before, during and after a workout, or other physical activity. Lack of water can lead to headaches, fatigue, body aches, and a host of other negative mental and physical symptoms. The more water, the better!

Myth 10: Taping an injury or past trouble area prevents further damage.
Taping is an aspect of sports and fitness that can have its issues. Strengthening your core and stabilizer muscles do much more for you. Tape can help support weak or injured areas but should not be relied upon. It’s usually more cosmetic than therapeutic, and it’s virtually useless for injured knees. If you think you need tape to play, you probably shouldn’t be playing. Again, always have a doctor check out any injury.

As always let us know what is on your mind, we are here to help you live a healthier life!

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This video and topic has been getting a lot of attention on YouTube with over 8,000 hits in the first few weeks. This video like all our JamCore personal training videos help you target individual body parts effectively. With both of our accents it is a bit like the old Saturday Night Live “Hans and Franz” skits.

Enjoy!

Let us know what other videos and topics you are interested in having us cover.

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Picture me with a wig and high heels (wow what a Kodak moment!!!), well any hair on my head. With the last few posts being targeted towards our female community got me thinking about the best targeted training for women.

Ladies if I had to choose four exercises that can target the keys problem areas for women, I would say they are the following. These require no equipment and can be done at home:

• Walking lunges
Target: Front thigh, back thigh and glutes)

• Glute Bridge
Target: Glutes

• Abs Floor Crunch
Target: Stomach

• Body Push Ups
Target: Chest, Arms and Shoulders

Superset the four exercises back to back for a total of 4 circuits non-stop (Beginners 60 sec break between each circuit). Don’t know what Walking Lunges, Glute Bridge, Ab Floor Crunch, Body Push Ups or Supersets, are click here.

Now it’s easy to give routines like that, now it time to make some changes for the better, try implementing some workout routine with better eating habit. Working on you fitness and nutrition together will get much better results much faster.

As far as the ladies are concerned, what I do a lot with my female clientele is to put a daily meal plan with 5 small meals throughout the day. Those are a combination of protein, carbs and healthy fats.
I will have them consume starchy carbohydrates on meal 1 and 2, then switch to the fibrous form on meal 3, 4, 5.

Some of the best forms are:
Starchy sources: Oatmeal, yams, brown rice
Fibrous: All veggies and salads

Comments and questions for me, our nutritionist or any of our team is always encouraged, give us a shout out!

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