Cary Raffle Certified Personal Trainer - NYC

Before becoming a personal trainer in 2004, I had a 25+ year career as an advertising agency executive. Here are some of the advertising campaigns that I was involved in and a little story about each. Some have links to TV commercials some have examples of magazine or newspaper ads. The ad agencies I worked were known as Jordan Case & McGrath, GeersGross, Lowe Marschalk, Wells Rich Greene, and Favara & Raffle.

Welcome to the most gluttonous of seasons.  Just when you need it most, here are a couple of quick workout programs  to help you get the most out of your time in the gym.   Whether you're a veteran of the gym or a beginner, when it comes to working out during the holiday season, less is more. It's all about spending less time and burning more calories in the time that you have . . . so that you can have fun and enjoy the season. As always, start with some stretching and 5 minute of cardio, and use any additional time at the end of your workout for a cardio cooldown and stretch. Here are two workouts that burn more calories by emphasizing the big muscles (legs, back and chest), and working in a continuous circuit to keep your heart rate up: If you're currently working on NYSC's XpressLine, or looking for a quick and effective workout that's appropriate for any fitness level, try this XpressLine Holiday Edition workout . It's a superset circuit that comb...

Experts offer their top tips on handling holiday diet temptations. exerpted from a WebMD weight loss clinic feature by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD To help you survive the seasonal parties without packing on the pounds, WebMD consulted diet gurus across the country for their best holiday diet tips. Here are their top 10 recommendations: 1. Trim back the trimmings. To shave calories, go easy when adding nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter, and whipped cream. 2. Wear snug clothes and keep one hand busy. Hold a drink in your dominant hand so it won't be so easy to grab food. 3. Chew gum. When you don't want to eat, pop a piece of sugarless gum into your mouth. This works well when you're cooking or when you're trying not to dive into the buffet. 4. Be a food snob. If you don't love it, don't eat it, And don't think it's your responsibility to sample everything on the buffet. 5. No skipping meals. "...

No, it's not a blog posting about weird exercises. It's about the ECCENTRIC or negative phase of resistance exercises.  This often under appreciated and ignored part of an exercise is important for: 1. Increasing strength  2. Increasing muscle size 3. Giving you delayed onset muscle soreness 4. Producing maximal power, ie, in plyometric movements 5. Rehabilitating injuries like tendonitis and protecting muscles, connective tissues and joints from future injuries Read on for some simple ideas and changes you can make to help improve your exercise program  ... whether you want to get bigger, stronger, more powerful, reduce the risk of injury , or speed recovery. Often left unloved Consider the Chest Press. Most people think this exercise is all about the pushing (or CONCENTRIC contraction).  Have you ever just let the weights fall after the last push or pull?   If so, you've eliminated the ECCENTRIC part of the exercise. In a set of 12 repetitions,...

We're on track for ta hot summer, and with everybody sweating more, many of you have asked about hydration and fluid replacement strategies. This posting  reviews common myths about perspiration and provides hydration and fluid replacement guidelines to enhance performance and avoid heat related illnesses.  Information comes from authoritative sources including position stands of The American College of Sports Medicine and peer reviewed publications of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. MYTHS ABOUT PERSPIRATION #1 - The More I Sweat the More Calories I Burn.  FALSE.   Perspiration is part of our body's cooling system, it does not necessarily require burning calories or correlate with caloric expenditures.  Example:  stand outside on a very humid 90 degree day, and you will sweat profusely.  Run indoors in a very dry 65 degree environment, and you may hardly break a sweat. #2 - I Can Sweat The Weight Off.  FALSE....

Find links to15 different exercise and flexibility programs, including illustrated programs and a mini self assessment, visit trainercary.com/exercise-programs .  Feel free to contact me to schedule sessions for a more detailed and customized assessment and to personalize your program to your needs, goals and fitness level.

Weight loss from exercise during the summer can be a sign of dehydration. It may seem like a good thing to lose weight after a workout, but it is actually one of the early warning signs of dehydration.  Every pound you lose working out is a sign that you've lost about a pint of water. Replace lost fluids to return to your pre workout weight, to avoid fatigue, cramping and potentially health threatening side effects.