Month: June 2015

Fitness for the Masses

Personal trainers are a luxury that not everyone can take advantage of. Whether it be an issue of time, money or existing commitments, some individuals cannot justify investing in a personal trainer. That is why I wanted to make sure that a portion of the fitness resources offered by ETT can be accessed by anyone, at anytime, for free. One of the free services offered by ETT is the monthly group training sessions. We started offering these workouts in October of last year and they’ve been going strong ever since. Services like these help people realize that being fit is not some daunting task that cost a lot of money to achieve. I know some personal trainers may think I’m foolish for offering services for free, but when I read comments like the one below, it demonstrates to me that these services can be the spark plug people need for a healthier more active lifestyle.FullSizeRender-4

As rewarding as offering free fitness services may be, I encourage ETT community members and non-members who want to bump up the intensity of their training or have specific fitness goals to invest in ETT’s 1-on-1 personal training. If you are interested in personal training with ETT, but need more insight into our training system, you can email me at elementaltampa@gmail.com OR you can attend the next ETT group training session this Sunday, June 29th near Downtown Tampa. Check out the event page on Facebook for more details.

The Buddy System

The University of New Hampshire’s StudentHealth magazine cites several studies that suggest why working out with a friend or your significant other may be one of the keys to adhering to a healthy lifestyle. One study found that 55% of college students find it easier to workout when they have an exercise buddy. ETT is a huge believer is workout buddies. That’s why we offer special deals for personal training clients who sign up as a team. If you live in the Tampa Bay Area, contact ETT at elementaltampa@gmail.com to schedule a FREE personal training session for you and your exercise partner.

11391435_1650794205154425_31219102561285535_n

ETT Exercise of the Week Ep.6

Summer is in full swing here in Tampa, which means the heat can be stifling at times. Weather conditions can have a negative effect on a person’s activity level regardless of where they live. You have to adapt your training in order to stay dedicated to your exercise regime. If you’re like me and love exercising outdoors, but are faced with less than ideal weather conditions, modify your workout so you get more done in a shorter period(s) of time. You can perform a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout (20 mins or less) or perform 2 short workouts (10 mins or less) throughout the day. A good way to maximize your workout is to perform total body exercises like this week’s ETT exercise of the week. The hook-uppercut punch combination followed by 2 cross knee strikes provides a great strength, cardio, and core workout all at the same time. Remember, modify the exercise to match your fitness level & let us know how you stick to your workout regime when the weather conditions are less than ideal.

Test Yourself ***UPDATED***

Originally published Saturday, June 6th

Adhering to a healthy, active lifestyle can be difficult for some people. Whether it be a lack of time or results, people have a hard time sticking to a regular exercise regime. One sure-fire way to maintain an active lifestyle is to set and achieve SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. For example, some people may start an exercise program because they want to “look better” or “feel better.” Unfortunately these goals are neither measurable nor specific. A SMART goal for someone who wants to look or feel better could be “I want to go down two dress sizes in 8 weeks” or “I want to complete a 5k in the next 6 months.” These goals will provide the individual with the motivation needed to stick to their training program. Also, when they achieve their goal, the feeling of success will most likely inspire them to set another SMART goal and convert their exercise program into a lifestyle.

IMG_0866-2

Even though I adopted the active lifestyle years ago, I still set SMART goals for myself. Today actually, I will attempt to achieve a SMART goal when I have my first jiu-jitsu belt test. I have admired and enjoyed learning jiu-jitsu since I began my martial arts training over 8 years ago. I received great tutelage from several instructors over the years, but it was only recently that I began a formal training program at Gracie Tampa South. Even though I’ve trained and competed in jiu-jitsu previously, I wanted to start as a beginner to ensure that I learned every aspect of the martial art. Wish me luck and I’ll let you know soon if I achieved my goal or not. In the meantime, set some SMART goals for yourself and begin the journey to an active lifestyle.

UPDATE

Monday night I found out that I passed my first Brazilian jiu-jitsu belt test. I received the first of what I hope to be many stripes on my belt and felt the satisfaction of accomplishing a personal goal. Thanks to my teacher Coach Josh, all the students in my class for helping me prepare for the test, and all my friends and family who wished me good luck. The time to enjoy this milestone has come and gone and I’m ready to get back to work to prepare for the next test.

IMG_0893

It’s Much More than the Best Part of Waking Up

Caffeine is one of the world’s most popular supplements and most of us ingest it during our morning cup of coffee. However, studies suggest that the best time to drink your daily coffee may be before you perform your daily workout. The benefits of drinking coffee before your workout include improved circulation and reduced muscle soreness. Check out the entire list of benefits coffee can provide as a pre-workout drink and how NOT to indulge in too much of a good thing.

restaurant-red-beans-coffee