Minneapolis Personal Trainer Chimes in on Unique Gift Ideas forHoliday Shoppers

***December 21st update (2:21pm)***

Christmas gift idea #1 (read below) has the potential to cost you $1 instead of $100 (and your significant other would never know the difference!).  Send a phone call to 612-308-4772 and ask for Adam to get the details!  Offer ends on December 22nd at 8pm Central Standard Time.*******

It is crunch time for Christmas shoppers.  In a mad scamper for deals this Christmas season, few of us land the creative and unique gift that best suits our spouse.  Here are a few last-minute ideas that could qualify as "the best Christmas gift ever!"  Please keep in mind that I'm a fitness guy, so each suggestion in this blog will have a fitness/nutrition connection.

UniqueChristmas Gift Idea for Couples With a Budget: Lose 13 lbs. in 28 Days!

Is your spouse dissatisfied with their body?  Do they feel stuck?  In addition to needing to lose a few lbs., are they staring down high cholesterol/high blood pressure/type II diabetes?  Give them access to the program that helps people lose 13 lbs. (on average) in 28 days!

In January of 2009 I launched a brand new program called Virtual Boot Camp.  We had amazing success in 2009 and, with the updates being implements in 2010 we expect even better results (in fact, we implemented a few changes inOctober a people dropped an extra 1.7 lbs. on average because of it!).

This 28-day food and fitness program walks people through the best food and fitness month they've ever had!  Participants in Virtual Boot Camp:

• Know exactly what to eat AND WHEN with the 28-day meal plan
• Know exactly HOW to workout at home or in the gym with the 28-day online workout video program
• Know exactly what food to buy at the grocery store during Virtual Boot Camp with a weekly grocery list
• Learn WHY we do WHAT we do with the daily blog!
• Put themselves in position to use less medication (cholesterol/blood pressure/type II diabetes), get a better health/life insurance rate, and LOVE THE WAY THEY LOOK AND FEEL!

You may be thinking, "But Adam, by giving my husband/wife this gift, I'm calling them fat!"  Under many conditions, that's true.  But if this is something your spouse really NEEDS, here are two ways to sell it:

1) Ask them in advance.  If you came to them and said, "Look, I hear you talking about how you don't have any energy, how you feel fat, and how frustrated you are with your body.  I found a program that looks really neat and might be able to get you where you want to go.  I love you the way you are and I want you to feel good about you.  Do you want to take a look at what I found?"  If they say yes, click here!

2) Do it together.  I've had quite a few married walk through Virtual Boot Camp together.  Not only do couples get the best results (my top 5 weight-loss stories all come from married couples), their marriage also tend to get a spark (it's always nice to do something together where your spouse feels like your teammate).  If Virtual Boot Camp was a "we" experience instead of a "you" experience, you will not be calling your spouse fat.  Your Virtual Boot Camp gift will say, "I want both of us to be healthy, and I want to do it together."  Plus, there is a couples discount for Virtual Boot Camp from now until Nov. 30th.  Send an email to adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com for details!

Unique Last-Minute Christmas Gift Idea for Vacation-Minded Couples: Lose 12 lbs. in 7 Days at the Destination Body Sculpt Boot Camp

It's 9am.  You and your spouse are on the beach smelling the ocean air, feeling the soft sand underneath your feet, and working on losing 10 lbs. in seven days.  Thanks to a destination body sculpt boot camp, you are eating wonderful meals, enjoying the sand and sun, and feeling the best you have felt in a long, long time.  Where can you sign up for a destination body sculpt boot camp? wwwrapidresultsfitnessmn.com

The last client I worked with lost 12 lbs. in seven days (he also cut his insulin usage in half as well).  My client record for seven days is 19 lbs!

Maybe you want to shed fat while you hit the slopes.  Perhaps you want to visit Australia or the Bahamas.  Wherever you want your body change and your spouse's body change to take place, send an email to adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com to start a dialogue about leaving for vacation wearing one size of pants and coming home in a smaller size.

Unique Last-Minute Christmas Gift Idea for Him: Kettlebells and Training DVD

If your man is looking to shed some weight, find his lost energy, and burn calories like he never has before, picking up some kettlebells will do the trick.  Kettlebells are like cannon balls with a handle.  They originated in Russia, and are gaining traction in America as an amazing way to change your body.

While you can buy kettlebells anywhere (and better to buy a 25 lb KB at a sports store instead of buying it online and paying a boatload for shipping),  you must stop by www.dragondoor.com to find the very best in kettlebell training DVDs.  You will need them.  If you want some help on getting kettlebells, send me an email (adam@rapidresultsfitnessmn.com).  I would be glad to help.

Unique Last-Minute Christmas Gift Idea for Her: Leg Magic

Every once in awhile I get to sample a fitness machine.  Two weeks ago I tried Leg Magic...and it is awesome!  Leg Magic works inner thighs, hips, and butt.  It hits many trouble spots for women.  Go to www.buylegmagic.com to check it out.

NOTE: Before letting your wife open this gift, have her open a new pair of jeans that is two sizes too small for her....then have her open the Leg Magic.  Instead of her asking, "Do you think I'm fat?", she will be saying "I can't wait to fit into these?" :)

Unique Last-Minute Christmas Gift Idea for the Health-Deprived: Lower Cholesterol, Lower Blood Pressure, Increased Energy

I literally just got off the phone with a very happy client.  Not only is she down 25 lbs., the results from her recent blood work were amazing!  Her triglycerides were down 103 points and her cholesterol was down 45 points...in 2 months time!

Set your spouse up for a nutrition consultation.

Adam Erwin is an in-home personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who are ready to put excuses aside and work hard to change their body.  Visit www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com to learn more about what Adam does, who he works with, and how you can have him come and work with you!  A Minneapolis resident, Adam will work close to home (Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Edina) or will travel to your location (San Diego, Miami, Phoenx, Sydney Australia) to work with you.

Minneapolis Personal Trainer Gives Back More Than He Ever Has Before!

It has been a few days since my last blog.  However, on the upside, I have been hard at work with a new project and new blog.  I am leading a group of participants through the best thing I have ever done: the Virtual Boot Camp!

Virtual Boot Camp Launched!

At the end of 2008, I sat down to reflect on my personal training business.  I wrote down some questions, and one jumped off the page.  I asked myself, "what is the biggest problem in your business and how can you fix it?"  Answer: I want everyone to get the best of my services and only a select few can afford them.  I need to be able to offer more to everyone across the financial spectrum.

After much creative thought, I came up with the Virtual Boot Camp!  It is the same program I offer my premium clients, without my physical presence!

Want to Experience Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and a Killer Boot Camp?

There are two places you must visit to learn about the Virtual Boot Camp.  You must go to www. rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html to see what is cooking there.  Also, you must visit virtualbootcamp.wordpress.com to get a sneak peak inside the program.  I will be making the Word Press Virtual Boot Camp blog private in a few days...so access it while you can!

That's all for now....I have a lot of emails to answer!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is helping people lose weight, burn fat, gain muscle, and experience the best exercise and nutrition month of their life with his "Virtual Boot Camp!"  When not leading people through his online boot camp, Adam travels around to Eden Praire, Minnetonka, Edina, Medina, Wayzata, and Chanhassen to work one-on-one as the in-home personal trainer.  To learn more about what Adam does and how he can help you, visit www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com today!

Minneapolis Personal Trainer Helps You Use Your Fitness Christmas Present

 

2009 UPDATE!!!

Before you read this blog, there are two important updates to share:

1) Join us for the 2009 Total Body Makeover Virtual Boot Camp, starting January 15th. Go to www.keepyourbetterhalf.com for more details, and send email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf .com to learn how to do the boot camp for free!

2) If you would like the free report "The 27 Factors Affecting Fat Loss and Weight Loss", send me an email and I'll get the report to you!

Now, back to the blog...

It's the day after Christmas and everyone who got a piece of exercise equipment is trying to figure out how to use it.  This is why I am a personal trainer!  I help people maximize their use of their new equipment.  So, if you have a certain piece of equipment you would like me to blog about, send an email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com and I will gladly expound on your new piece of hardware.

Without knowing which fitness equipment you received for Christmas, I will provide a few pieces of uncommon knowledge that will help you right away in your quest for advancing your health and fitness.

New Exercise Equipment Tip #1: Always Warm Up, Then Stretch, Then Workout!

Most people do not give the warm up and cool down their due.  Warming up is extremely important!  As a Minneapolis resident, I have to warm up my car every time I want to drive somewhere in the winter.  It is crucial for my brakes, engine, and belts to warm up before asking my car to get me around town in the winter.  Our bodies need to warm up as well, regardless of season.

A 3-5 minute warm up on a treadmill (or even walking up and down the stairs at home) is a crucial starting point.  Then stretch each muscle group you intend to work, then pursue warm up sets for your workout.  The more thoroughly you warm up, the better you will perform and the less likely your chances of getting injured.

New Exercise Equipment Tip #2: Focus on Your Breathing!

Breathing is a big deal.  There are three main benfits to breathing correctly during exercise: our performance improves, our blood pressure is lower (than if we breathed at the wrong times), and our recovery is improved.  Here is the basic idea on breathing during weight/resistance training: exhale when you are doing the most work. 

When we are performing a bicep curl, it is more work to curl the dumbbell or resistance band up than it is to lower it.  Therefore, exhale as you curl the weight up.  When performing a squat, it is more work to raise up to a standing position....so exhale on the way up.  If you exhale when you are doing the most work and inhale when you are doing the easiest work, you will trigger the benefits mentioned above.

New Exercise Equipment Tip #3: Focus On Holds, Not Just Reps

The best way to maximize any piece of equipment is to ask your body to hold still in a position that  is challenging to hold.  For example, if you are performing squats, holding in a low squat position for 10 seconds is a killer.  Or holding a bicep curl with your elbow bent at a 90 degree angle is very tough. 

I ask my clients to perform a 10-second hold on the 5th, 10th, and 15th rep of every set.  It is very challenging!  Try it during your next workout!

Adam Erwin is an in-home personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who are ready to put excuses aside and work hard to change their body.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about what Adam does, who he works with, and how you can have him come and work with you!  A Minneapolis resident, Adam will work close to home (Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Edina) or will travel to your location (San Diego, Miami, Phoenx, Sydney Australia) to work with you.

Build Black Friday to Capitilize on Thanksgiving Calories Says Minneapolis-Based Personal Trainer

This is the day that people will fall over each other, run like crazy, and even bite someone's ankle to get the early morning deal at the department store.  If Thankgiving is all about consumption, Black Friday is all about consumers.  It's all about the door-busting deals!

Well...have I got a deal for you?!  What if I told you that you could use the consumption from Thanksgiving and turn it into weight loss on Black Friday?  Heckuva deal, right? Most of us scared our metabolism yesterday will way too many calories.  Now that our metabolism is in full gear, let's captilize on it!  Make sure to include some of these weight loss tips for your Black Friday.

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #1: Shop!

Battle the crowds, run up and down store aisles, and be on your feet all day.  Burn lots of calories.  Shopping is a great way to burn calories...as long as you behave with your foods.  We need a sweat band in aisle 9! 

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #2: Don't Eat Anything You Ate Yesterday

Black Friday is a day to abandon the left overs.  Save them for Saturday (and then feast again!).  Today, lay low with your calories, and eat healthy.  Instead of doing fast food and mall food while you shop, bring an orange or other fruit.  Drink water.  Stay away from starches like mashed potatoes and breads.  Seriously, give the left overs a day of rest and eat a lot healthier than you did yesterday. 

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #3: Go to the Gym Before Your Big Meal of the Day

I can see it now, frazzled and shopped-out ladies all over the country will crawl to the dinner table to devour anything they see.  Don't do it!  Before you eat your largest meal of the day, lift weights.  Not cardio, weights.  It can be a 20-minute weight-training session, but get it in before your largest meal of the deal.  It will help your metabolism to conquer those calories and not leave your body stressed out!

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #4: Consume Fiber

Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for plumbers.  To celebrate that, it would be a good idea to consume a fiber drink, some fiber pills (we're talking psyillium seek husk, people!), or some leafy green fiber.  We don't want Thanksgiving to sit inside us forever.  The best way to do that is to put some fiber into the mix and help your body get back to normal.

Lose Weight on Black Friday Tip #5: Try Papaya

I would imagine that several digestive issues, like heartburn, will pop up Thursday, Friday, and the rest of the holiday weekend.  Why?  Our digestive system gets overwhelmed and our digestive enzymes and bacteria (the things in charge of breaking down foods in our system) are under-staffed.

To fix heartburn and other maladies, go to your local GNC and buy some digestive enzymes and also the chewable papaya enzyme.  Take the papaya with you wherever you go and chew a few after each meal this weekend.  Take the digestive enzymes as directed.  You will be amazed how heartburn and other digestive issues get resolved when you take in digestive enzymes. 

As for the bacteria you will need, try some acidolpholus (at least 2 billion CFU's...colony forming units...the official measurement of bacteria everywhere) or eat some morning yogurt.  That should do the trick.

In Closing

Try to work the ideas above into your Black Friday mix and you will have been successful in weight loss today.  For Saturday, follow the Thanksgiving blog ideas!

Adam Erwin is an in-home personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who are ready to put excuses aside and work hard to change their body.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about what Adam does, who he works with, and how you can have him come and work with you!  A Minneapolis resident, Adam will work close to home (Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Edina) or will travel to your location (San Diego, Miami, Phoenx, Sidney Australia) to work with you.

Minneapolis Personal Trainer Sets Up Thanksgiving So You Can Succeed With It, Not Just Survive It!

I love Thanksgiving.  I love the entire holiday season.  Were it not for the 6 lbs .that the average American gains during the holidays, I wouldn't have as much job security. :)  Since I want to work myself out of a personal training career, I will share with you how to make Thanksgiving a success.

Two quick things before we get to the main course:

1)  If you like today's blog, pass it on to your weight-loss minded friend, family member, or colleague.

2) If you like today's blog, email Adam (adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com) and ask about his "Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss" that will hit cyberspace next week. :)

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #1: Go Light on Wednesday

You are about to give your body the feast of the year on Thursday, so don't go to town on Wednesday.  Shoot for 1200-1500 calories on Wednesday, and don't eat anything after 8pm.  Drink 64 oz of water today as well!

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #2: Exercise 2 hours before mealtime

On the big day, give yourself a big workout 2 hours before mealtime.  Easier said than done, right?  Well, let the turkey cook, sneak to the bedroom or basement and do all the squats, push ups, bicep curls, tricep dips on the staircase, of full-blown weight training you can do.  Don't do cardio (unless that is your only option), pump iron!  And hard!  This will stimulate your metabolism and get your body ready for the big meal.

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #3: Enjoy the best meal of the year

Go for it.  Whether or not you deserve it, go ahead and eat like a normal American on Thanksgiving.  Don't kill yourself, but certainly enjoy.

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #4: Eat Your Left-Overs by 7pm

Most people have "the meal" in the afternoon.  That's fine.  Prepare your palet for the double-dose around 7pm.  If we are going to go nuts on calories, it's best not to put too many calories in the system late at night.  Start "left-over dinner" around 7pm.

Thanksgiving Success Weight-Loss Tip #5: Drink 64 oz of Water on Turkey Day

It's a must!  With all the toxins and garbage going into your body, make sure water is present enough to flush them out.  Throughout the course of the day, drink water.  I like to have a 64 oz container with me to make sure I down the right amount.  If you do water well on Thanksgiving, you will set your body up for a successful toxin flush out on Friday (note: the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers.  Drink water so your body can flush toxins more easily, which will help keep the plumber away!).

Two quick things before you go:1)  If you liked today's blog, pass it on to your weight-loss minded friend, family member, or colleague.

2) If you liked today's blog, email Adam (adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com) and ask about his "Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss" that will hit cyberspace next week. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Adam Erwin is an in-home personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who are ready to put excuses aside and work hard to change their body.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about what Adam does, who he works with, and how you can have him come and work with you!  A Minneapolis resident, Adam will work close to home (Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Edina) or will travel to your location (San Diego, Miami, Phoenx, Sidney Australia) to work with you.

Killing Your Legs One Exercise At a Time

Tonight I killed my legs in 20 minutes flat.  A lot of people believe a workout has to be 40 minutes or an hour to be a difference-maker...this is not the case.  I only had 30 minutes to go through a workout (warm up for 5, workout for 20, stretch and cool down for 5).

To kill my legs in the small amount of time I had, I opted to alternate between quad and hamstring exercises, mix in some calfs, and not rest for a second.  Here is what a personal trainer killer leg workout looks like tonight!

Killer Leg Workout Exercise Group #1

Weighted wall squats with swiss ball-holding 12K kettlebells in each hand, I lowered into a wall squat, with a swiss ball supporting my back...knees at a 90 degree angle.  I held this position for 30 seconds (holds are great for any muscle group because they stimulate every type of muscle fiber we have!), rested in a standing position for 10 seconds, then back down for another 30 second squat.  After three 30-second squats, I went onto...

One-legged lying leg curls with swiss ball-lying on my back with my right foot on top of the swiss ball and my butt off the ground, I curld the ball toward my body by using my hamstrings.  15 per leg. Ouch, these hurt.  After 15 per leg, I went to...

Killer Leg Workout Exercise Group #2

Weighted Bosu Ball Squats-standing on the black side of a BOSU ball, my feet shoulder-width apart, I squated while holding 12K kettlebells.  After 15 slow and steady reps, I did...

Leaning Leg Curls-Kneeling on my knees with my arms crossed and hands on my shoulders (with partner holding down my heels), I leaned forward while keeping my back straight, and used my hamstrings to curl back into an upright kneeling position.  5 reps of these was enough before I went onto..

Killer Leg Workout Exercise Group #3

Running Stairs in Place-I climb the lowest stair fast for 15 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and climb the second-lowest stair for 15 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat one more time before I do...

Quick Jumps Over Resistance Band-With a band laying in a straight line on the floor, I jumped with both feet from left-to-right and back for 15 seconds (as fast as I could), rested for 5 seconds, jumped forward to back with both feet for 15 seconds, rested for 5 seconds, jumped left-to-right on my right foot for 15 seconds, rest for 5, then left-to-right with my right foot.

And then I repeated this circuit two more times through!!!  Talk about a tired, sweaty, legs-killed mess.

If you are looking for workouts like this, contact me about "The Little E-Book on Fat Loss and Weight Loss", which you can pre-order today for 40% off!!!  Send an email to adam@keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about "The Little Ebook on Fat Loss and Weight Loss!"

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer (with a nutrition background) who travels the world working with people who want to experience fat loss and weight loss in record-time. He currently resides in Minneapolis, MN and loves to train with people whose health does not match their lifestyle. Adam works closely in the Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Excelsior, Minnetonka, and Edina communities.  Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about his work.

How to Get Your Body To Burn Fat, Gain Muscle, and Lose Weight Again

I met with a new client last week who was looking to get "unstuck" in his current workout routine.  Ron (not his real name, and not that it really matters because there are lots of guys named Ron out there) is a pillar of consistency.  He goes to the gym every day and will do cardio, abs, and then another muscle group (shoulders, back, chest, etc.) for his workout.  Ron could probably do his routine in his sleep and says he is bored in the gym now.  If he is bored with his workouts, his body is bored as well.

Here are a few tricks to help fix boring workouts, get your body working harder, and pushing you into new levels of fat loss, muscle gain, adn weight loss.

Fix My Boring Workout Tip #1: Exercise in the Elements

My training clients have a love/hate relationship with my outdoor workouts.  They love to be outdoors and hate how much harder it can be to exercise in the elements.  Jogging on a treadmill in the air conditioning is nothing compared to an interval workout in a grass field.  Lifting weights in the gym is a far cry from doing a kettlebell workout on a sand volleyball court.  The outdoors can put increased workload demands on your body, which can give your workout an entirely different feel.  If you wan to fix your boring workout, take it outside.  You will put yourself in position to burn more calories and stimulate your muscles in a different way.

Fix My Boring Workout Tip #2: Hold It!

Want to kill your biceps in 60 seconds or less?  Take a full-length bar (a 45 lb. used for bench, squats, etc.), sit at a preacher curl station, and hold the bar in curl position with one hand for one minute.  The elbow of the arm at work should be positioned at a 90-degree angle.  Good luck!

Any sort of hold (bicep curl hold, push-up hold, bench press hold, leg extension hold, etc.) is a shock to the muscle group(s) at work.  The trick is to hold position with a major joint (elbow, knee, or shoulder) at a 90-degree angle to force the muscle to perform an unusual amount of work.  Doing a set of holds will recruit every type of muscle fiber in the muscle being used...a truly unique way to work a muscle group.  If you perform a hold set (or two) for your major muscle groups, you will find this to be a great fix for your boring workout.

Fix My Boring Workout Tip #3: Incorporate Uneven Loads

Have you ever been in the middle of a dumbbell exercise and realized that you had accidentally grabbed two differents (a 25 lb. and a 35 lb. instead of two 35 lbs.)?  Your muscles notice the variable load as you launch into the set.  Your body works harder to compensate for the imbalance of weight.  An uneven load feels very different.

Instead of accidentally grabbing two dumbbells of different weight, why not grab them on purpose?  Make it a 10-20 lb difference if possible.  As you perform your exercises with uneven loads, make sure to alternate the weights back and forth so each muscle group (bicep, chest, etc.) has relatively equal time with each weight.    Incorporating uneven loads will help to fix your boring workout.

To learn more about getting your body where you want it to be more quickly than you thought possible, contact Adam Erwin to talk about where you are today, where you want to be, and how he can help you.

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer who travels the world working with people who want to experience fat loss and weight loss in record-time. He currently resides in Minneapolis, MN and loves to train with people whose health does not match their lifestyle. Visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about his work.

Five Weight-Training Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Dummy!

2009 UPDATE!!!

Before you read this blog, there are two things you need to know:

1) Open enrollment has begun for the Virtual Boot Camp: Total Body Makeover!   Get 28 days of perfect nutrition and exercise (complete with a grocery list, access to videos, and more!) for only $100 (NOTE: This is the very package I charge thousands for...the only thing you are missing is my physical presence!).  Enrollment ends on January 10th, so click to http://keepyourbetterhalf.com/virtualbootcamp.html now!

2) If you would like the free report "The 27 Factors Affecting Fat Loss and Weight Loss", send me an email and I'll get the report to you!

Now, back to the blog...

Would you agree that the gym is a great place to people-watch? It's just as good as the airport, in my opinion. Part of the entertainment is watching ignorance in motion. The gym is full of people who either don't know what to do or don't do what they know.

As a personal trainer, I am ripe with curiosity when I see something peculiar at the gym. Is this person lifting this way because they are compensating for an injury? Are they holding their breath because they hate oxygen? I am slow to judge when it comes to things like poor form, poor execution, or misguided exercise sequence...but I am always curious as to why people are doing what they are doing. Most of the time I ask...because maybe they know something I don't know.

Usually, though, I have learned that many gym members are confused. Victims of information overload...so much information out there today, so little wisdom. Here is my list of the five dumbest things I see in the gym. If more than one of these describes you, please shoot me an email. We need to talk!

Weight-Training Dummy Trait #1: Lifting with Ego Instead of Muscle

Every gym in America has a few guys who grunt and scowl as they try to perform a bicep curl with their 70 lb dumbbell. They use their shoulders, back, legs, abs, and training partner to help that dumbbell travel from A to B. Now, there is nothing wrong with overloading a muscle now and then, doing negative reps, and things like that. What doesn't work is when the muscle you are trying to work isn't getting much work. Perfect form with less weight beats lousy form and more weight every time.

Weight-Training Dummy Trait #2: Working Muscles in the Wrong Order

It blows my mind how many people will start with bicep curls or abs, then go run through some bench press, followed by squats, and biceps again, then go after some back muscles. Working muscles inside-out (chest, back, shoulders, biceps/triceps, core for upper body) is crucial to injury prevention and muscle development. Your core is important during bench press (keeping it tight allows you to push off from a solid foundation and helps protect the lower back), so don't go after abs first! Workout your muscles in order...don't be a dummy!

Weight-Training Dummy Trait #3: Forgetting That Your Body Needs Oxygen

By observing the way most people breathe while lifting, I'm surprised global warming is getting any traction at all. Forget the need for carbon offsets, no one breathes in the gym! The rule of thumb for breathing during a lift is to exhale when you are doing the most work (pressing the bar up during a bench press, lifting the dumbell up during a curl) and inhale during the half of the rep when the body is doing the least amount of work (usually when it is working with gravity).

Inhaling and exhaling at the wrong times during an exercise messes up our body's call for oxygen, increases blood pressure, and diminishes the body's ability to perform. Breathing at the right times is crucial! And when you breathe, make sure to inhale and exhale like you mean it...fog up the mirror!

Weight-Training Dummy Trait #4: Drinking Carbonated Beverages at the Gym

I saw a guy drinking Sunkist orange soda at the gym on 7/17/08. I kid you not. In between sets he was sipping on his Sunkist. I wanted to get the Heineken cartoon guys together to say, "Brilliant!"

The sugar, the carbonation (direct attack on lung capacity over the short-term!). Yikes. Some of you are thinking, "I can't believe a guy drank Sunkist" as you sip on your carbonated energy drink. Seriously folks, carbonation is bad news...carbonated water, soda, carbonated energy drinks, beer. If you cut carbonation out of your life for a month, you would be amazed at how much easier you could breathe. Try it!

Weight-Training Dummy Trait #5: Not Stretching

Nothing blows my mind more than someone who doesn't stretch before their workout (after their warm-up) and after their workout. Breathing deeply and stretching are two essential pieces of the pre-workout and post-workout puzzle. I am amazed at how many people will tear apart their legs with a brave and brutal leg workout and then won't stretch their hamstrings, quads, calves, and groin afterward. And then they wonder why their lower back is sore the next day...because your hamstrings are way too tight, dummy!

I recognize there is more than one way to workout. However, when the above weight-training dummy traits are being demonstrated time and again, it is likely there is a dummy in your midst. If, upon reading this blog, you become aware that you may be a weight-training dummy, please email me to get some help!

Adam Erwin is a personal trainer who travels the world to work with people who want to experience the best health, nutrition, and exercise time of their life. A resident of Minneapolis, MN, Adam is currently focusing on clients in Eden Prairie, MN and surrounding areas. Please visit www.keepyourbetterhalf.com to learn more about Adam's work and how he can help you look the best you have ever looked in a ridiculously short amount of time.