Cary Raffle Certified Personal Trainer - NYC

This special report was prompted by your questions since January 5, when The New York Times Magazine featured this article: " How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body ." Before answering the question, here are a couple of analogies, corny or useful? You decide. Exercise is a like a power tool. Learn how to use it and you can make something beautiful, use it improperly and you can cause damage. Learning to use the gym is like learning a new language. It goes better and faster with repetition and as much professional help as you can get to master the basics. Yoga isn't much different from any sort of group exercise class or exercise program, which I wrote about last February . If you carefully select the right exercises for you, do them properly, get rest in between workouts and don't overdo it, you've probably got very little to worry about and will see great results. Make wrong choices and you could be headed for trouble. The idea that anyone can walk into a class...

Every year I'm encouraged to see hundreds of people who succeed in making fitness a part of their lives, and end up better for it. They enjoy a healthier lifestyle, feel better and look better, and hopefully live longer too.   The two biggest barriers I see people encountering are unrealistic expectations and maintaining consistency. It is easy to be discouraged when you don't instantly pick up new things, struggle with the effort, don't see results quickly enough, or find it difficult to work exercise into your schedule. But is there any question that if you do stick with it you will be better off?   Keep these facts in mind to keep you going:   Burn 3500 calories (or eat 3500 fewer) to lose a pound of fat. Exercise at least 150 minutes per week to maintain health and body composition, preferably 30 minutes per day for at least 5 days according to the American College of Sports Medicine. It takes about 16 exercise sessions over several weeks to increase the siz...

FACT #1   - The bigger the muscle, the more calories you will burn working it. And bigger muscles burn more calories at rest. FACT #2  - Resistance training (weights or body weight) builds muscle fibers, Cardiovascular training increases blood flow into the trained muscles (oxygen supply) and can build one muscle:  the heart. FACT #3  - You cannot spot reduce, so select exercises based on their overall effectiveness for best results. FACT #4  - When resistance training, muscle repairs and grows when you rest, you need 24 hours off after working a muscle group. For the next few weeks, the focus is on working the big muscles groups - the primary muscles of the Legs, Back, Chest.  The Arm and Shoulder muscles will get worked along with these larger muscle groups, but we don't need to emphasize them at this time.  Resistance and Cardio training are done on alternating days.  Our goal is to get in 2 or 3 resistance training sessions per week, and car...

How many kinds of pushups can you think of?  A generic pushup is included in the new Jump Start Program - now some of you may pushups a bit challenging, others may find it boring or not particularly challenging.   How do you make a push up harder?  Make it less stable so you have to use your deep core muscles more.  After all, a push up is a plank with an up and down motion. My own clients range from those doing "girl pushups" to those doing push ups on 2 stability balls or 4 medicine balls.  For an illustrated guide to 16 more different variations of the pushup from easier to harder  click here .  

Now is the perfect time to get into peak shape. The weather is cooling and the holiday eating season hasn't yet begun. This issue will give you the tools you need. Measure and Track Body Fat Start by visiting trainercary.com/bodyfat  for a simple online app that measures body fat. All you need is a tape measure and internet access, and you can see where you're at today and easily track progress in the future. This app is reasonably reliable, and can be more accurate than the handheld bio-impedance monitors. Do it with a friend, and track your progress together. Do it in your office and have a competition! If you'd like to learn more about measuring body fat, I've got an in-depth review of bodyfat measurement techniques . When is a Deficit is Good Thing? Calories are a measure of energy. A pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3500 calories. Take in 3500 more calories than you burn, and your body will store the excess energy as a pound of...

Interval Training can help you lose weight, improve performance in running and strengthen your heart. I was recently interview for an article on this subject.  Read more in " The Best Interval Training Technique for You " at Fitbie, produced by the publishers of Men's Health and Prevention magazines.

Whether you've been lifting weights for years, playing sports, competing in marathons and triathlons, playing basketballs or soccer, or just starting out, most of you face the same challenge: transitioning from sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day to physical activity. (The same goes for many other occupations---cops, cab drivers, pilots, and judges are a few examples of people who tend to sit a lot face similar issues. Proper conditioning can help avoid injuries, improve performance, and deliver better results. How? By correcting the postural distortions and muscle imbalances that office work creates.  Read on for the recommended exercises and stretches and links to an illustrated program. The Problem: Public Enemy #1 - The Chair Long periods of sitting can lead to tight hip flexors and weak core, including weak extended gluteals, tight and arched lower back and sagging abdominals. Over time, these imbalances can contribute to lower back pain, difficulty balanci...