Deb Bailey Personal Training

G.C. says, "I'm not really good at making sure I'm working the muscle group I want to strengthen! Any tips?"
Answer: How can you make sure to effectively work the muscle or muscle group you are targeting? Get a mental image of the muscle and its movement pattern. Focus on how the movement is supposed to go, and the mental image will translate to you doing it right. For example, if you are doing a lat pull down, position yourself in a slightly leaned-back position, grip the handles, brace your core, and visualize your lats pulling down and toward your spine. This will help you to engage the big back muscles first, and then the smaller helper muscles such as the biceps, shoulders and teres major. Picture it perfect!
If you're not really sure where those muscles are, do an internet search for the lat pull down, and then you'll have a clear picture of what you're targeting. Here's a good picture of the pull down and the muscles involved.
The dark red muscles are the lats, and the lighter red ones are the helper muscles.
Photo credit to inspiredpencil.com

R.B. says, “I’ve just been diagnosed with osteoporosis! The doctor just said, okay, you need to start exercising, don’t do these things, do these things, etc. I’m completely freaking out and I really didn’t understand what all he said. Help!”

The first thing to understand is is that you CAN improve your bone health.
Osteoporosis happens when our bone mass and mineral density decrease. This makes our bones susceptible to breaking. The most common points of this disease are hips, wrists, and the spine.

Start by checking your surroundings for tripping/falling hazards: throw rugs, poor lighting, clutter, or a lack of assistive devices, such as grab bars beside the toilet and in the shower, railings where needed, or a walker.

It sounds as if you are new to exercising, and that’s okay. Here’s how bones get stronger. When we use weights, our muscles have to step up to do the movement against a load bigger than we’re used to. So our muscles pull on our bones, and THAT stimulates bone-forming cells and increases bone density.

Start with 7-8 WEIGHTED exercises that work the muscles attached to the hips and spine. Squats and lunges; knee extensions, reverse flys; hip abduction and abduction; ab exercises such as Pallof presses; strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blades, pulling them together and pulling them down; strengthening the lower spine muscles. A good trainer will be able to coach you properly through these. If continued training isn’t in the cards, please do book a couple of sessions to get you started with the right exercises and posture. It will be well worth it.

One last note- walking is great for improving our cardiovascular health, but it really won’t improve our bone density. Weighted exercise is the key.

Here’s what NOT to do!
1. Deep weighted bending of your spine, such as crunches.
2. Fast twisting spinal moves - such as the chop exercise.
3. Curving forward and down to pick up something. Bend your knees instead and do a squat. Hold onto a sturdy surface if you need to.
4. Sitting in a slumped forward position. If you’ve been used to sitting like that, you’ll need to work on it often. If you find yourself sitting in a slumped position, here are the four things to do: lift the chest, arch the lower back a bit, pull shoulders blades down into a neutral position, and brace your abs. You’ll get there when you work on it daily. Better posture takes stress from your bones and joints.
5. Modify activities such as vacuuming, golf, and gardening. I don’t mean that you can’t do it, or some of it, but keeping your spine from deep curving is ESSENTIAL.

I’d love to help you feel and look better! Contact me through:
519-572-0985
[email protected]
www.fitability.ca
I’m a certified Personal Trainer, Post-Rehab Exercises Specialist, and MAT(Muscle Activation Techniques) Trainer!
Reasonable rates, personalized programs, and one-on-one coaching and support.

Home Deb Bailey is a Kitchener, Ontario based Personal Trainer serving her community of Waterloo Region both in person, and virtually, via the Web. Deb can help you with getting more fit and with toning, and specializing in Post Physical Rehabilitation exercise.

Ask The Trainer!
Y.T. writes, " I was trying out some dips at the gym with my hands on a bench. My shoulders hurt a bit when I was doing them, but later on they really hurt. Should I be doing these at all?"
Answer: Although dips are considered in gym culture to be a "good" exercise, they are very hard on your shoulders and rotator cuffs. Because your arms are behind you in a dip, it places tremendous stress on your shoulders.
There are better ways to strengthen your triceps. The first exercise is a picture of what you were doing. The second is dips done on an Equalizer bar set, and the third and fourth pictures are of a cable triceps dip (extension). Either of these works your triceps effectively!
Follow me for more free fitness tips! Please like and share my posts with your friends. I can train you virtually, in person at my studio, or in your own home. Check it out at:
www.fitability.ca
[email protected]
519-572-0986