Wednesday 30 May 2012

Leg Exercises- Advanced!

Hi, Lani here. My favorite sessions in the gyms are my leg days. Depending on the type of training period I am in, I can lift heavy with less reps or lighter with higher reps and still able to elevate my heart rate in any period. Because your legs and butt are bigger muscle groups, more energy is required to move them in different patterns and therefore can reduce fat, increase bone density or (if it is your goal, don’t worry ladies) increase muscle mass.  

Power Clean- speed strength movement. This exercise is great for athletes or people who want to improve their speed strength to their sport because the movements are quick and explosive, much like the movements they will be performing in competition.

Heavy Deadlift- This is my favorite exercise as it works my legs, abdominals, butt and back.  Perfroming tis exercise properly, it will help you to safely increase your strength and build muscle mass (if this is your goal, not mine). I use the sumo stance and the mixed grip (hook grip) to help me grip the bar when I lift a heavy weight.

Balance Board Squats- Squats effectively work most of the major muscle groups of the butt, hips, thighs and abdominals. Exercising on balance boards help improve sore strength, proprioception and balance. Combining both of these together, and you get a challenging and effective all-round body exercise.

Single Leg Deadlift with a Twist- When this movement is performed correctly, the single leg deadlift pattern requires the recruitment of all of the muscles up the posterior chain. It encourages your body to use both sides just as efficiently and improves balance. Adding a row to this exercise advances the movement by increasing the number of muscle groups that are working and therefore burning more calories.

Please enjoy the video and remember that form always comes first before the amount of weight or reps you are lifting. Also, until you can perform the primal squat, bending and lunge patterns you should not try these more advanced exercises.


Yours in good health,
Lani

Sunday 15 April 2012

Pregnancy Training- Spring!

Being Spring and all I thought it would be a perfect time to write a quick blog about Pre and Post Natal training. I have had the pleasure of training dozens of women though this experience and cant stress how important it is to train before, during and after pregnancy.

The video below is of my lovely wife Miki training under the Sakura trees in our local park.  Miki gave birth to our little girl just over three months ago and as you can see in the video- she has not only fully recovered from her pregnancy she is able to once again kick some butt!

The reason Miki can safely kick box (as well as do weights, run, and of course do the dreaded "stairloops" etc) is because she not only diligently trained before and after pregnancy, but, she did it right! Like most of my clients Miki trained all the way through her pregnancy and focused on strengthening her hips (butt, hamstrings etc), abdominals (tva, pelvic floor) and back (particular the muscles that retract the shoulders). Obviously the choice of exercises during this period is important, but, equally important is HOW you do the exercises. As I always say to my client "a squat isnt always a squat!" Squatting without stabilizing the spine and correct lumbo-pelvic rhythm can  exacerbate hip and back pain (especially when under load). So make sure you are moving right!

Focusing on these important postural muscles and movements allowed Miki to also continue to do the exercises she really likes such as boxing. 

The results? 
Miki had next to no pain throughout her pregnancy and the doctor was very impressed with her pushing power as baby Sora was shot out into the world!

Just 7 days after giving birth Miki began doing gentle pelvic floor exercises. 6wks later she progressed to training all those important muscles we trained during pregnancy and when we were satisfied Mikis core muscles were working well and she was pain free we got straight back into the fun stuff! If you notice in the video, when Miki is kneeing you can see her navel pulling in as her knee rises- this means she is sufficiently stabilizing her pelvis and lumbar spine and is not at risk of injury. 

Performing such exercises as this (or squatting, lunging, running etc) without adequate stabilization of the lumbar spine and pelvis can lead to short and longtime injury (also means that no matter how much you diet that little paunch will never go away!).

Pre and post natal pregnancy does not have to be boring! Perform the important exercises and you can still do the fun stuff. Being pregnant, giving birth and raising a baby is a wonderful experience and it shouldnt mean you have to be in pain or lose your pre-baby physique in the process!

Happy Training!
Nathan



Friday 9 March 2012

Fantastic Organic restaurant in Tokyo!

After living in Tokyo for 3 ½ years I have finally found a beautiful organic restaurant that I recommend with confidence.

I always prefer eating organic food as it not only ensures your body receives the high quality nutrition it also tastes better!

I was invited by Azusa san from Jasmin Aromatiques to have a business dinner at one of her friends organic restaurant. I was surprised at the range of quality organic food and beverages (Luca, the owner even makes is own Cola). All dishes were amazing and even some exotic dishes like a strawberry risotto that was surprising yummy. The one dish that I recommend above all is the dehydrated vegetables (picture). The flavor jumps to life and each vegetable is so distinct its like having a party in your mouth!

At the moment it’s their tomato harvest, so we indulged in a special tomato course. The tomato harvest is only for a limited time so please don’t miss out! This is a 6 course meal for only ¥7,800.

I have already made a reservation to go back on Saturday!

Happy Eating

Lani


Tokyo Fitness
Elana Jade

Thursday 19 January 2012

Killer Push (chest) Superset!

Killer  Push Superset!

One of my favorite push exercises is a heavy dumbbell push off the ground with a twist (literally!). I like to add the twist as it is adds functionality to a normally 2 dimensional exercise because it more closely mimics pushing a heavy object (such as a person!) off the ground and also a punch. Since I have a keen interest in fight training, this is a great movement pattern for me, and I have found it really helps with power & strength. 

Also just to add an extra burn and increase my heart rate, I super-set this exercise with a standard push-up. I like the push-up because if done correctly, it uses just about every muscle in your body. Especially your core and chest!

If you have no back or shoulder pain and have perfected the dumbbell press,  give this superset a try and take your workout to the next level!

We did this work out at golds gym, Omotesando Tokyo.


Yours in good health,
Lani