by David Minishian | Jan 9, 2023 | Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness
Toning up, losing fat and getting in great shape can be a challenging goal, but using outdoor workout equipment at local parks can be a convenient and effective resource. In the local Long Beach area we have several parks with available equipment you can use.
Benefits of Using Outdoor Workout Equipment
Using outdoor workout equipment at local parks is an opportunity to exercise in the fresh air and sunshine. This can be more enjoyable and refreshing than working out indoors. If you’re a parent and finding childcare is a challenge, bring your kids to the park. You can get a workout in while they play outside, making it easier to maintain a consistent exercise routine as a family. Additionally, outdoor workout equipment at parks is typically free to use, meaning there are no membership fees or costs involved. This can be a convenient and budget-friendly way to get in shape.
Tips for Success
Using outdoor workout equipment at local parks can be an effective way to tone up and lose fat, but it’s important to follow a few tips to ensure success:
- Wear appropriate clothing and shoes: Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and shoes that are suitable for exercise and the weather conditions. If it’s cold, I suggest dressing in layers that you can remove as needed. As you exercise, you’ll likely warm up quickly and want to remove a layer or two to regulate your body temperature.
- Stay hydrated: Bring a water bottle with you and drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout to stay hydrated.
- Start slowly: If you’re new to outdoor workouts or haven’t exercised in a while, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts over time. The beginning is about building consistency.
- Mix up your routine: Some outdoor fitness parks may have limited equipment. You can rotate through the different parks to incorporate different exercises and equipment into your routine.
- Use proper form: Proper form is important to avoid injury and ensure you’re using the correct muscle groups to get the best results from your workouts. There are instructions on most outdoor equipment, or you can do a quick google search to see how to use the equipment. However, I personally suggest hiring a personal trainer for a couple sessions to learn proper body mechanics and movement patterns. Knowing how to properly position and move your body will significantly improve your results. It’s worth the investment.
By utilizing outdoor workout equipment at the local parks in the Long Beach area, you can effectively tone up and lose fat while enjoying the benefits of exercising outside. So grab your water bottle and start your journey towards your fitness goals!
Outdoor Fitness Centers in Long Beach Area
There are several outdoor parks in the local Long Beach area you can take advantage of including:
- Admiral Kidd Park Life Trail: 2125 Santa Fe Ave, Long Beach, CA 90810
- Bixby Fitness Loop: Near the crossing of Ocean Boulevard and Junipero Avenue
- Cesar A. Chavez Park: 401 Golden Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802
- Coolidge Park Fitness Zone: 352 E Neece St, Long Beach, CA 90805
- Downtown Fitness Loop
- 14th Street Park Fitness Zone: 200 E 14th St, Long Beach, CA 90813
- Houghton Park Fitness Loop: 6301 Myrtle Ave, Long Beach, CA 90805
- Lincoln Park Fitness Equipment: 101 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach CA 90802
- Orizaba Park Fitness Zone: 1435 Orizaba Ave, Long Beach, CA 90804
You can read more about these parks on the Long Beach parks and recreation website.
by David Minishian | Jan 6, 2023 | Bodybuilding, Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness, Strength Training
Resistance training is a popular form of exercise, because it can help you build muscle and strength while burning fat. It’s an effective way to get in shape quickly, but there are a few key things that you need to know in order to maximize your results.
Let’s take a look at what resistance training is all about, why it works so well for building muscle and fat loss, how to set up an effective resistance training program for yourself, and provide a few tips on how you can maximize your gains from each workout session.
What Is Resistance Training?
Resistance training is any type of physical activity that involves using external or bodyweight forces against muscles or joints in order to increase their strength or endurance. This could include activities like weightlifting with free weights or machines, performing exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats or lunges, using resistance bands, or even hiking uphill with a backpack full of rocks. Any form of movement where muscles must work against a force – whether it be gravity itself (bodyweight exercises), added weight (barbells), elastic bands – qualifies as “resistance training”.
Why Should You Do Resistance Training?
There are plenty of benefits associated with regular resistance training! For starters, people who consistently perform resistance training workouts have better overall health than those who don’t – including a reduced risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease and improved bone density and joint mobility/stability. This type of exercise also places a higher physical demand on the body, which can boost your metabolic rate for up to 72 hours after the workout. By elevating your metabolism, it becomes easier to lose excess fat fast without sacrificing lean muscle mass along the way. This phenomenon is unique to resistance training, because it can target multiple muscles simultaneously, which stimulates more growth hormone production to drive building or maintaining strong muscles even when losing fat.
How To Set Up An Effective Resistance Training Program
To set up an effective resistance training program tailored specifically towards your personal fitness goals, begin by assessing your current level of strength, ability, and training history. Based on these factors, you’ll need to decide which specific movements to focus on and how often those movements should be repeated each week. Beginners might implement mostly basic compound lifts whereas an advanced lifter might incorporate more isolation movements alongside the compound exercises.
The next step is to select the appropriate number of repetition and sets per exercise. Again beginners might shy towards higher repetitions of 12 to 15 reps for 2 to 3 sets to first build muscular endurance, while an advanced lifter may work between 3 to 12 repetitions for 3 to 5 sets to optimize strength gains. If your goal is building muscle, you can achieve this with either higher or lower repetitions as long as you reach near failure with your lifts.
Finally, the last part of setting up an effective resistance training program is planning out your rest days between sessions. In the beginning, you may need a rest day between each workout, but as your body adapts and you develop a training history you may only need 1 or 2 rest days a week. Recovery is vital to not only get the best results, but also to prevent overtraining injuries down road too.
Tips For Maximizing Your Results From Each Workout Session
Here are a few tips that can help you maximize your results from each workout session:
- Set specific and achievable goals for each workout session. This will help you stay focused and motivated during your workout.
- Warm up properly before starting the workout. A proper warm-up can help prepare your body for the physical demands of exercise, reduce your risk of injury, and improve your performance.
- Use proper form and technique when performing each exercise. This will help you get the most out of your workout and reduce your risk of injury.
- Incorporate a variety of exercises and training methods into your workout routine like negatives or drop sets. This will help keep your workouts interesting and challenging, and will help prevent plateaus in your progress.
- Pay attention to your body and listen to your physical sensations during your workout. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop the exercise and adjust your form or technique.
- Stay hydrated throughout your workout. Dehydration can impair your physical performance and make it difficult for your body to recover after.
- End your workout with a proper cool-down and stretching routine. This will help your body recover sooner for your next workout.
Follow the methods outlined above and you’ll find it much easier to reach your goals whether that’s toning up, gaining strength or losing fat. With the right attitude and dedication to the process, you will soon start seeing results.
by David Minishian | Dec 11, 2022 | Exercise, Fat Loss, Lifestyle Habits, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress Management, Supplements, Weight Loss
Are you looking for ways to kickstart your metabolism and burn fat faster? If so, this article is for you. In this post, we’ll discuss seven easy-to-implement steps that can help get your metabolism up and running in no time. We’ll also share some tips on how to keep it going strong over the long haul. So let’s jump right in!
1. Increase Your Protein Intake
Protein is an essential nutrient that helps to build muscle mass and increase your metabolic rate. Studies have shown that people who consume higher amounts of protein tend to burn more calories than those who don’t eat as much protein. Aim for at least .5 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. If you’re lifting weights, aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass (you’ll need to know you’re body fat percentage to find your lean body mass). Good sources of protein include lean meats such as chicken breast or fish; eggs; dairy products like yogurt or cottage cheese; legumes like chickpeas or lentils; nuts and seeds; tofu; quinoa; tempeh; spirulina; etc.
2. Eat More Fiber-Rich Foods
Fiber helps keep you feeling full longer which can help prevent overeating and snacking between meals – both key factors when trying to lose weight. It also aids digestion by helping food move through the digestive tract slowly which can promote a healthy metabolism. Aim for 25–30 grams of fiber daily from foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oats), beans/legumes (like black beans), nuts/seeds (almonds and flaxseeds are great!), and avocados. Refined and processed foods lack fiber. To consume more fiber rich foods, a good general rule is to gravitate towards whole foods with minimal processing.
3. Stay Hydrated & Reduce Sugary Drinks
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day not only hydrates our cells but also helps with digestion. Being hydrated makes it easier for our bodies to absorb nutrients from food while eliminating toxins at the same time! As an added bonus: drinking enough water will help reduce strong cravings that are often thirst mistaken for hunger leading us down a path toward unhealthy snacks instead of healthier choices. Additionally try to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks like sodas which contain empty calories that won’t nourish our bodies. If soda is consumed regularly over time, this liquid candy will make it more difficult to lose fat and adds extra pounds onto our waistlines…not exactly what we want when trying to slim down.
4. Get Moving & Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise has been proven to not only boost one’s mood but also increases our metabolic rates over periods lasting anywhere from 24 to 72 hours after physical activity has taken place. This means even after having finished exercising there’s still benefit being gained simply because we’ve made exercise part of our weekly routine. As a bonus, if high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts or resistance based training are used during these exercise sessions our metabolic rate increases significantly more. Moving consistently is the first goal, but the right type of exercise or training can maximize our efforts in terms of the time spent working out – it’s a win-win situation all around!
5. Prioritize Sleep Quality
Getting adequate sleep every night plays a major role in keeping hormones balanced, which helps regulate the appetite and reduces cravings associated with late night snacking binges. Individuals who suffer from a chronic lack of sleep often have unwanted weight gain despite the best intentions to move more and eat fewer calories. Aiming towards 7–9 hours of sleep nightly should be considered mandatory, especially considering how important quality restful sleep is towards overall health. With enough sleep a well rested body can more consistently maintain the positive eating habits that support a caloric deficit. This deficit is required to maximize the rate of fat loss!
6. Reduce Stress Levels
Finding ways to reduce stress levels may seem difficult at first; however there is a huge pay off in practicing stress reducing activities. Living in a state of constant stress promotes higher levels of cortisol. This hormone when chronically elevated can decrease our ability to lose fat. Not only does the hormone physically promote fat storage, but it can inhibit the mental clarity and the decision making ability required to stay on a diet plan resulting in half hearted attempts at staying the course. Luckily, a few simple mindfulness activities when practiced regularly can prevent a state of chronic stress so your body can continue being a fat burning machine. Deep breathing exercises are one proven method that is effective at recentering our body and mind. There are a variety of ways to practice deep breathing as seen in yoga, tai chi, and pilates, but the principle practice remains the same. Start by taking a deep breath in, holding it for 5 seconds, then slowly exhaling. Do this with your eyes closed paying attention to your body and breath. After only 10 repetitions this easy technique can significantly reduce stress and bring clarity back to your body and mind.
7. Supplement Smartly
Supplements aren’t required when creating a healthy lifestyle, but they may offer additional support depending upon individual needs. Whether it’s a protein powder, stimulant, creatine, probiotic, vitamin, mineral, or herb there may be a certain product or combination of products that prove beneficial. However, there are no supplements that should be applied to everyone. When determining if a supplement is right for you, consult your coach and medical team to ensure using the product will safely and effectively supplement your existing diet to help you meet your nutritional needs.