Amalfi Fitness Holiday is the first organization in Amalfi coast that deals with 360 degree fitness .
For over 10 years we have been working in the Fitness and Wellness sector. Our mission is to make those who rely on us feel better.
Not only more toned muscles but a new life…
Many people want, even on vacation, to train hard, release adrenaline, relax after a good workout and, why not, to be able to eat junk food serenely
Thanks to our help you will be able to stay in shape even on vacation.
Our Services include:
PERSONAL TRAINING
If you are on vacation in Amalfi or Cilento coast and want to train with a professional of the sector, contact us. Our trainers, thanks to personalized workouts based on your needs, physical characteristics, goals, muscle and joint problems, will help you improve your fitness, athletics and increase your mental well-being. You can train at your hotel, on a beautiful beach or at our Personal training center in Salerno ” STUDIO ELITE” , a few km from the Amalfi coast
OUR ACTIVITIES
During our workouts, depending on where we train, we will use tools such as TRX, Sandbag, Rope, Medicine ball, Bodybuilding machine.
We are experts in creating workouts suitable for every athletic level, from beginner to advanced athlete. Our workouts last for one hour. We will start with a warm up phase and then move on to the central part, the hard one !!! And finally we will conclude with joint mobility and stretching. And if we train on the beach, a nice dip in the sea
Each session will have a specific objective according to the client’s needs. Workouts aimed at fat loss, improvement of the cardiovascular system, improvement of the core through intense pilates sessions ,workout to improve muscle tone through bodybuilding sessions.
We work according to your goals !!!
OOOur Personal Training Studio
BOOT CAMP
If you want to train with your friends on vacation, contact us. Our boot camps are only ideal for keeping fit and having lots of fun. You can train on one of our beautiful beaches. Bodyweight , running , battle rope , medicine ball , kettlebell and FUN !!!
HOLIDAY FITNESS AND WELLNESS TOUR
If you want to spend a holiday dedicated to sport and relaxation, contact us !!!
Our Fitness tours are unique!!!
Each day will be dedicated to a unique experience of its kind. You can practice Pilates on the beach, Kayak and Trekking on the Amalfi coast, Crossfit and Bodybuilding at our center. In addition to a lot of sport, you will visit the most suggestive places in our region. We will go to Amalfi to visit its splendid cathedral and go shopping in its center. You will see Paestum and its ancient ruins and eat some excellent mozzarella. I assure you that you will have fun !!!
Our package includes:
1 Accommodation 5 nights at our BB in the center of Salerno
2 4 workout : Beach workout , 2 Conditioning workout in our Personal training studio , Pilates session
3 Trekking experience on the Amalfi coast
4 Entrance to the SPA
5 A regenerating massage
6 Visit to the Temples of Paestum with tasting of typical local products
7 A day on the Amalfi coast by boat
6 Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner
FLY AND FITNESS EXPERIENCE TOUR
1 Accommodation 3 nights at our BB in the center of Salerno
2 Two workout : Conditioning workout in our Personal training studio
3 Fly experience 1 hour
4 A day on the Amalfi coast by boat
5 Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner
Contact us if you want to live a unique experience !!!
If you want to spend a unique experience, contact us to amalfifitholiday@libero.it and follow us on Instagram and Facebook
OUR TEAM
the COACH … ANDREA !!!
Motor Sciences graduate
Founder of Personal training studio ” STUDIO ELITE”
Personal Trainer for over 10 years
Athletic trainer
Fitness model in many competitions in England
A great lover of sport
the CAPTAIN… MARCO !!!
If you want to spend a unique experience, contact us to amalfifitholiday@libero.it and follow us on Instagram and Facebook
ARTICLES
Here you will find many useful articles to improve your body, to feel better, to train in an intelligent way. You can read them in our blog or click on the article and you will connect to our Facebook page and I recommend, follow us because it’s worth it !!!
Fitness on the beach: Exercises to do at sea when you are on vacation
Diet on vacation, how to organize yourself
Lose weight while walking: the advantages of walking
Features of female training in the gym
Combat water retention by training properly
Cross-Building: How to put on mass thanks to Crossfit
Because running won’t make you lose weight
Benefits and advantages of Pilates
5 mistakes women make in the gym
How to get attractive buttocks without getting your thighs too big
The 5 best exercises for an amazing abdomen
Train effectively in just 30 minutes
3 best exercises for the buttocks
Fitness on the beach: Exercises to do at sea when you are on vacation
Training on the beach is possible. A way to keep in shape even during the holidays, without too many sacrifices. You will thus be able to do exercises in the open air and also in water, where you will stimulate your muscles without putting too much weight and effort on them. A complete workout that will do you good for body and mind. Let’s start with the first point: when to train on the beach?
The best time is early in the morning or in the evening, when temperatures are more acceptable and you won’t suffer too much from the heat.
The second thing to think about is clothing. The technical one is fine, but also the normal one, always reminding you that it is summer and it’s hot, so you prefer comfortable clothing that lets the skin breathe.
Your workout on the beach will need to start with an aerobic stretching session to start warming up your muscles. To walk you do not need special equipment, you can do it barefoot or with a comfortable pair of sneakers to cushion the blows.
Do a 10-minute brisk walk session and then 5 minutes of normal walking and repeat the exercise for up to 30 minutes of exercise. When you are trained, you can also try running on the beach, being careful not to strain yourself too much, because running on the sand strains your muscles and, if you do not run correctly, you can run into contractures, sprains or tears. The advice is to run on the shoreline with your running shoes, but not on a slope, on wet sand that has a greater consistency for the foot and lightens the work of the legs.
Leg exercises :Take advantage of the consistency of sand, which is more resistant than normal soil. Any exercise you do will be more tiring, because you will do it precisely on this more difficult terrain.
Start with front lunges: while standing, with your back straight and your feet slightly apart, step forward and lower yourself keeping your back straight. Now bend the leg forward to form a 90 ° angle and then flex the leg behind without resting on the floor. Return to the starting position keeping your back straight and repeat the exercise with the other leg. Repeat the exercise in sets of 10 for at least 2 times. Then move on to a series of forward lunges and one to the side.
Exercises in the water :Take advantage of the fact that there is water to train more effectively. All the above exercises for legs and arms can also be done in water, to increase the intensity of the exercise without straining the muscles. For a lighter workout, put on your bathing suit, barefoot and enter the water to the pelvis. Take a walk of at least 20 minutes, in order to reactivate circulation and stimulate the muscles of your legs which will also be firmed by the massaging action of the water.
Then know that swimming is one of the sports that burns the most calories ever: from 500 to 600 calories per hour of training. Before going home, do one more stretching session to relax the muscles and avoid contractures.
Good holiday!!!
Diet on vacation, how to organize yourself
Diet on vacation, how to organize yourself? The holidays have finally arrived, but how can we reconcile them with the diet? If during the year you made many sacrifices to find a bikini-proof silhouette, do not throw them away and find a way to continue the diet on vacation.
You know well that summer is the season in which, between happy hour and dinners outside, the pitfalls and temptations at the table are always lurking and it is not easy to juggle. The risk of a diet to be followed by the sea is to give up everything and not enjoy this period of relaxation and carefree at all. Or to let yourself go too much and go home relaxed, yes, but also a little heavy! So how can you avoid gaining weight on vacation?
The first advice to give to those who make a diet is to not be in a hurry and not to think that weight loss diets have a deadline. It is not true that in the summer it is more difficult, indeed it can be useful to take advantage of the lack of appetite due to the heat.
Diet on vacation: how to manage snacks and lunches Snacks: yes to fruit and vegetables in abundance Often, in summer, the need for something fresh leads you to eat three times the fruit expected in the diet: is it wrong? Basically not, because the fruit brings so many mineral salts (in addition to vitamins and fibers), therefore it is very useful for the reintegration of those lost by sweating. Better to increase fruit-based snacks (or better yet raw and unseasoned vegetables) than to go to hungry meals and increase the portions of carbohydrates and proteins. Lunch on the beach: how to organize yourself? Packed lunch is a common habit especially on the beaches. If you follow the diet on vacation, you should bring lettuce salad, tomatoes and fresh carrots, with tuna or a hard-boiled egg, and later, like fruit, watermelon or melon. In this way you bring a good quantity of water and minerals to your body.
What if you go to the restaurant? Often on holiday the chances of being out for dinner increase, which dishes should you prefer on those occasions? To follow the summer diet if you go out for dinner, focus on fish-based main courses and suicontorns. Beware of condiments that are not suitable for a low-calorie diet. Better to ask for a separate dressing in order to regulate yourself, especially in the case of side dishes. Remember that a tablespoon of oil has 90 calories so you prefer vinegar and lemon to season your salads.
Lose weight while walking: the advantages of walking
If you have already read my articles, you will have well understood that I am not a great lover of running especially if it is used during the slimming phase. I am a staunch supporter of the classic workout in the gym to get the body of your dreams and as I have often said, weight loss essentially depends on the drafting of a well-structured food plan. However, if on the one hand I can seem an extremist on the other I am not so extreme. In fact, I believe that one of the ideal activities for losing weight and at the same time sculpting your muscles without losing a pound is simply walking. The quiet walk has now gone into disuse due to the entry into play of the most sponsored interspersed methods, first of all h.i.i.t or high intensity interval training during which the athlete alternates between sections of running at a fast pace with sections of recovery. However, this method for a subject who trains heavily in the gym, which I recommend, represents only an obstacle to his recovery from the weight training sessions. After all, training in the gym is a sort of interval training since, in fact, we are going to alternate high intensity efforts with recovery phases or am I wrong? Still known today as many do not consider this aspect and perhaps for this reason many fail and are on the verge of the notorious overtraining. Let’s see what are the benefits of walking and why I highly recommend it First advantages: it does not cause any metabolic stress Training is a stress for our body to which it responds in certain ways and in particular through the secretion of a hormone or cortisol. Produced within certain limits and with a certain frequency, it will not cause you damage but like everything, if you exceed it then problems arise here. Being a low intensity activity, walking will not represent a stress, on the contrary, therefore it can be used with a certain frequency, you can walk for hours and every day and you will not suffer any damage.
Second advantage: low stress on the joints This is one of the most important aspects. Everyone can practice it even extremely overweight people to whom, normally, I would never recommend going for a run. Many run but do not think about the painful consequences (muscle-tendon injuries, joint damage etc etc) deriving from running especially if you have many kg to lose. On the one hand, in fact, we have the joint stress that is suffered after each impact on the ground, on the other, a running technique that is not always ideal, so I would say that the picture is quite dramatic. Walking will not harm you from this point of view.
Third advantage: walking is ideal for those who practice weightlifting It is now known that an excess of aerobic activity (read running) tends to reduce strength to power levels, factors that an athlete cannot afford to lose or see reduced. Walking will not do all this precisely because of the very low intensity from which it is characterized.
Fourth advantage: it can be practiced daily and for long periods of time Another big advantage !!! You can walk every holy day and if you want for hours, there will be no impact on your body. On the contrary, walking a lot will allow you to burn a large number of calories without affecting lean mass and we bodybuilding lovers are interested in this aspect. In conclusion, if you really want to add an extra activity to your normal gym training program, I recommend you wake up early in the morning and walk for 30-60 minutes every day or almost. I assure you that combined with a good diet, you will finally be able to lose a few kg without suffering the damage that, unfortunately, often forces many people to have to stop their workouts and therefore slow their progress.
FEATURES OF FEMALE TRAINING IN THE GYM
One of the difficulties that many coaches have in their career is when they have to train a woman. Although many say that between men and women there must be no substantial differences in gyms, however over the years I have found that this is not entirely true indeed the fairer sex in some respects must be treated differently. Let’s see what characteristics women’s training has
1 Women can train more frequently than men It seems strange but it is really so. Studies have shown that women recover faster than men after a gym session. This is not because women are stronger (you would like eh: D) but because they do not completely exhaust their nervous reserves; in simple terms their neuro-muscular system will almost never reach the limit whereby this allows them to be able to increase the frequency of their sessions and therefore to be able to hit the same muscle several times during the week. From this we can also deduce that Total body training tables are more suitable for them or in every session we will hit all the muscles. This does not mean that Split tables can also be applied
2 Different anatomical and physiological characteristics. There are two anatomical – physiological characteristics that must be considered. From the anatomical point of view, the woman has wider hips and narrower knees, that is, an angle Q of inclination of the femur with respect to the pelvis, greater than that of men. These characteristics make it possible that problems may arise at the level of the lower limbs, especially in the foot or knee. This implies the need to strengthen areas such as the vastus medialis of the quadriceps as well as, in an important way, the posterior chain (buttocks, hamstrings). From a physiological point of view, we all know that a woman’s hormonal structure is very different from that of men, that is, less androgenic hormones and more estrogens. In addition, these hormone levels vary during the month due to the classic menstrual cycle and based on this you will also need to plan your workouts. Just the fact of having a lower amount of androgenic hormones means that they cannot exceed the volume per session or they will have to perform a lower serial number than the male counterpart.
3 Different objectives To many I believe this point is not clear but we have to make a reason for it: women do not have the same objectives as us men. We want a bigger chest, arms that burst while they, apart from some, do not want it at all. Here then a good trainer must meet the needs of the girls by creating training programs that satisfy them and above all allow them to reach a more attractive body. The emphasis will be placed on the lower part trying to build toned legs, firm buttocks without excesses, but at the same time you will have to repeat the upper part in any case to optimize tone and posture. Here are some of the exercises that I prefer to use with my clients.
Hip thrust: excellent buttock builder
Forward lunges: to hit the quadriceps big
RDL to the low cable: excellent for the hamstrings
I’m not a fan of aerobic activity when you want to lose weight. However, I believe that some methods and means can come in handy when we want to shake up our metabolism. What I will show you shortly is one of the most effective but also the hardest programs you can do. The only tool you will need is a kettlebell. The kettlebell although it does not represent the Holy Grail of Fitness however in some cases it comes in handy and this is one of them. The exercise you will have to perform is the classic swing
You will train 3 days a week during which you will have to grind a good number of repetitions. Next to the Swing I want you to perform 3 exercises that will alternate during the sessions. I will give you an example
First day: Swing + Pull up
Second day: Swing + Push up
Third day: Swing + Dip
Very simple !!!
The method that we will use is the so-called Ladder or a ladder in progression: you will perform 20 swings followed by 5 tractions, rest for 30seconds and you will perform 30 swings going to 5 tractions; rest of 45 seconds and I want 40 swings and 5 tractions and finally rest of 60 seconds and we conclude with 50 swings and our 5 tractions. Rest 4 minutes and repeat everything 3 more times (for the more trained 4 more times) In the case of bends and parallels, I want you to perform 6/10 depending on your athletic level. I assure you that after the last series you will be exhausted especially the first few times but I assure you that by repeating this type of workout you will end up with a few kg less (perfect diet I recommend eh !!!) and with a better physique. Some have asked me how it is possible to combine this type of training with the classic bodybuilding sessions. In this case I recommend you reduce to two sessions with this type of training and insert 2 \ 3 classic sessions. Also do not perform any of the exercises mentioned above, only Swing. Let’s take an example !!!
First day: Upper
Second day: Swing
Third day: Rest
Fourth day: Lower part
Fifth day: Upper
Sixth day: Swing
Seventh day: Rest
Combat water retention by training properly
As I often say, training a woman is not easy. It is not easy because the fairer sex is characterized by a whole series of physiological events which must necessarily be taken into account when planning a workout aimed at improving body composition. One of the great worries of every woman is the famous water retention. Put simply, water retention is nothing more than an accumulation of fluids in the interstitial spaces, between cell and cell. Such accumulation causes edema or an abnormal swelling and generally occurs in specific areas more predisposed to the phenomenon, buttocks, quadriceps it is the lower part that is most affected. The causes of this phenomenon can be various but in general it is a bad lifestyle and incorrect eating habits to be the main causes (excess of sugars, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, excessively adherent clothing in the points mentioned above, profession etc etc) A woman who works as a secretary for work, spends hours sitting at a desk, eats incorrectly, moves little, most likely she will see a greater retentive phenomenon than a woman who trains, walks a lot, eats the right things. From experience, once corrected certain factors, I have always noticed an improvement in the situation (more deflated legs, more toned muscles, improved circulation) Having said that, dear girls you are wondering “So how should we train? “
You must train keeping in mind that, initially but not only, you will have to do a specific job to improve the microcirculation because if we do not solve this aspect first of all, unfortunately we will not see any improvements. If the training is not the correct one, you may see the situation getting worse; a classic example is the poor girl who, after years of inactivity, goes to the gym and in one week takes 3 sessions of Zumba, 2 of Spinninig and 2 in the weight room and then complains that her thighs have swelled. But why will the thighs see them bigger? Simply because he improperly stressed his muscles, totally inflamed them and the body responded by increasing the amount of fluids in the areas most affected by the efforts; let’s say it’s a bit like when you burn your finger, it swells but then the inflammation passes and returns to normal. In fact, just don’t train 3 \ 4 days and they come back as before but the poor girl was still upset and will think “I was right, the gym made my thighs bigger !!! “And he will never return to training and I assure you that I hear so many stories like that. Now I give you some guidelines that you can adopt during your workouts. They are extremely simple strategies. Needless to say, having a competent person beside you who follows you directly is the ideal solution, but if you start following my advice, the situation will improve
I TIP: perform at least 3 cardio sessions per week. When I talk about cardio I don’t mean the classic jog but I want you to walk at a brisk pace keeping an aerobic range or I don’t want you to be out of breath but you must always be able to speak. 45 \ 60 minutes are more than enough but if you want to increase the action times you can very well do it simply because walking is a low impact activity so it can be prolonged longer. Avoid stressful activities or running and jumping that are so fashionable today but that will not take you wherever you want.
II TIP: when you are in the weight room, I want you not to pull the sets to failure especially in the initial stages. The muscle must work but must not be excessively stressed. Always keep 4 \ 5 reps from muscle failure. You will need to feel a sensation of warmth in the buttocks when performing a Bridge or Hip thrust or in the Quadriceps when performing a Squat or Leg press but not burning. As soon as you feel this feeling, do it.
Useful can be circuits with a high number of repetitions with really light loads. Now you could ask me “But like Andrea, they always told me that I have to go heavy with Squats or buttocks bridge and you now tell me that I have to go slowly and do many repetitions? ” Well yes !!! The goal of this training medium is to stimulate microcirculation and not to annihilate it. Once this aspect has been fixed, we can think of doing something else but at the beginning this is not possible. I will give you a simple example but there are many variations
A1 Buttocks bridge 30 \ 50 reps 30sec rec
A2 Squat with fitball x 30 \ 40 reps
A3 buttocks 4 x 10 on the side
A4 Leg curl x 30 \ 40 reps
A5 2 minutes tapisroluant
Rest and repeat two more times
I repeat, you don’t have to “burn” the muscle but heat it up so if you have a burning sensation before reaching the indicated repetitions, stop !!!
III TIP: alternate during the training exercises for the upper and lower body. This can be done by performing, for example, 3 sets of buttocks impulses followed by 3 sets of lat machines for the lats or within a circuit where you will perform a set for an exercise for the lower part followed immediately by a set for one who attacks the back. Put together from 4 to 6 exercises always following this alternation. In this way the blood will be “pumped” from one part of the body to the other and accumulation liquids deriving from the set will not stagnate only and exclusively in the lower part and this is an advantage for the woman who approaches weight lifting. Moreover, it gives the possibility to create a fun and not boring and monotonous workout (Trainer always consider the psychological aspect of the person and do not focus solely and exclusively on the muscular one) I wanted to give you some advice because I realize that still today many women do not know how to behave in the weight room and many trainers are convinced that Squats and Heavy deadlifts are the best solution to change the legs of a poor girl but most of the time it is not so at least in the first months.
Cross-Building: How to put on mass thanks to Crossfit
One of the reasons why many devote themselves to CrossFit is to reduce fat mass, to get their abs out, to be more athletic etc etc. However, I have rarely heard of Crossfit as a means of gaining muscle mass, which we instead seek by practicing bodybuilding.
I believe that, if well set up and adopting specific principles, Crossfit can be a useful activity also to achieve good muscle mass at certain times of the year. In this discipline, what stands out is the setting of the famous WOD or the workouts of the day.
In general, a certain number of exercises are used and made to be performed by the athlete in the form of a circuit. A classic example is the famous Cindy in which 5 tractions, 10 bends and 15 air squats will have to be performed; all for the maximum number of laps in 20 minutes. In other cases we can find more aerobic WODs with the inclusion of machines such as rowers, treadmills or now classic tools such as kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls etc etc. Now the question arises: How can we use this discipline to bring mass? As mentioned above, it is necessary to follow certain principles that dictate the rules of hypertrophy.
The first rule is to perform a good training volume with a certain load without necessarily seeking muscle exhaustion or the inability to correctly perform the last repetitions of a series at each set.
The second rule concerns the duration of a set which must vary between 30 and 60 seconds. This duration can be achieved within a single set or thanks to the sum of multiple microsets.
The third rule is to use exercises that create a large metabolic impact therefore, especially in the first part of the W.O. , we will prefer Multiarticulars such as Bench, Squat, Deadlift, Traction, Military press etc etc
In the second part we will work using single-joint or isolation exercises to attack specific muscle angles or deficient groups.
Putting it all together, we will be able to set up a workout that looks like a WOD but with the intrinsic characteristics of the Body Building. Let’s now see the element that will make the difference and that is the load to be used. As said, the load must be training and stimulating. Performing 20 bodyweight squats, unless you’ve been in bed for the past 6 months, I don’t think it will work well. What I would recommend is the use of a weight that you could lift a maximum of 10 times or 70% “theoretical” of your ceiling. I say theoretical because the load percentages can vary between subject and subject. If you already know how much weight you lift 10 times in a given exercise, good for you otherwise dedicate a session to research this load and then start from the next session Now choose two basic exercises that work diametrically opposite to each other. Let’s take an example:
Inclined bench + Tractions
B Bench + Squat
C Military press + Horizontal tractions
D Deadlift + Parallels
And we could continue indefinitely because there are so many options. When you select the two exercises, make sure that both do not go to work in compression on the column because in the long run, one can deteriorate the technique of both and you can hurt yourself. So better use two exercises in which the first creates pressure, to for example Squat or Deadlift, and the other that goes to decompress it, for example the tractions. Of course, you can also use bodyweight exercises such as push ups or tight bends or hand stands push ups. Needless to say, if in the following exercises you are able to perform more than 10 repetitions, you will have to use an overload in the form of a plate or weighted vest.
Now let’s see how to set up the workout After selecting the load, start by doing 6 reps in the first exercise. Immediately after doing 6 reps in the second and finish with 4 reps in both. Recover 60 seconds and repeat. When you are no longer able to perform 6 + 4, switch to 5 + 3 and go on like this. The next step will be 4 + 2. When you fail to complete this step, the first wod ends here. In practice you will have achieved a good number of repetitions with a stimulating load and this represents one of the foundations for obtaining hypertrophy. During recovery, you can, if you feel like it, do some cardio (running, rowing machine, ball slam etc etc) to make the session more fun. You can also combine 3 exercises to make the session more conditioning. Now I show you an example of how you can set up a week of work. You will train 4 times a week.
First day
A1 Pectoral parallels 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2 A2 Pull up 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2 A3 60seconds rowing machine or rope after completing a complete set for both exercises Perform the 3 exercises in a row resting 30seconds after the third.
B1 Push up 10-8-6-4-2 B2 Fat man chin 2-4-6-8-10 B3 Ball slam x 20
Second day
A1 Deadlift 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2
A2 Narrow parallel bars 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2
A3 30seconds Battle rope
Perform the 3 exercises in a row resting 30seconds after the third.
B1 Tight bends 4 x max
B2 Box jump x 6
B3 Hang leg raise x max
Third day
A1 Front squat 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2
A2 Military press 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2
A3 Tractions 6 + 4, 5 + 3, 4 + 2
Perform the 3 exercises in a row resting 60seconds after the third.
B1 Forward lunges 20-15-12-8
B2 Clean and press with kettlebell or sandbag 12-10-8-6
B3 Horizontal tractions at trx or rings x 10-15-10-15
Fourth day
Aerobic wod Tabata 20 \ 10 – perform each exercise for 20 seconds at maximum intensity, recovering 10 seconds for a total of 4 minutes per exercise
A Burpee 4 minutes
B Battle rope or Ball slam 4 minutes
C American swing or 4 minute kettlebell snatch
Last note: obviously you will have to eat a good number of calories and use the right food Now you just have to train !!!
Because running won’t make you lose weight
I believe that reading the title of this last article of yours you will have asked yourself: “what the heck do you say, how running doesn’t make you lose weight ???” Today as today, I see how many people still, in the proximity of summer but not only, given the need to get back in shape, wake up early in the morning, wear dusty sneakers (often not even ideal for running but it’s okay anyway ….) and you start running with the hope of losing the kilos of too much accumulated in winter. Often you also wear a hot and uncomfortable k-way in order to sweat a lot and speed up the process. Do I have to tell you the truth? It is a scenario common to many but creepy … Unfortunately, today we still live on myths in our sector and one of these is just running to lose weight. So let’s also clarify this aspect so as to make you understand how after all you do not need to run, swim, ride a bike and I will show you why, in the long run, these sports will not bring benefits, in fact they can sometimes sabotage your programs.
First point: running does not bring any more advantage than a well-planned diet As you know, to lose weight it is necessary not only to eat the right things but obviously the right quantities. Sometimes you don’t lose weight not so much for what you eat but for how much you eat. It is necessary, as mentioned several times in my videos \ articles, to implement a calorie deficit or you will have to eat fewer calories than are necessary to maintain your current weight. Let’s take an example: let’s say that to stabilize your weight you need 2000 calories, to lose weight you could take 1800. This deficit can be created either by reducing the amount of food or by increasing the time spent on running. Studies have shown that there is no difference in terms of results by choosing one or the other strategy, the result will be the same !!! So to lose weight you can also not run but simply eat a little less (and you won’t have to wake up at 6 in the morning …)
Second point: the body, unfortunately, quickly adapts to aerobic activities Well yes, our body, after a while, seems to say: “if you want to get more results, you have to make me run more and more” I’ll give you another example to clarify what I mean: let’s say you started a running program. Initially run 30 minutes and you have burned 400 calories. After a month, however, the number of calories consumed will no longer be 400 but let’s say 300 so to get to the previous calorie count you should add a few more minutes and so on.
The body, as you have read, has no longer consumed 400 but 300kcal. The fact to underline is that as you increase the minutes, the energy substrate will not be represented only by fats but also by muscle proteins. So the more you run and the more protein you will lose then the less muscle mass you will end up with (sorry for the rhyme). It is true that when you get on the scale you will jump for joy because you may have lost some kg but know that a good part of those kg is represented by muscle mass, which you must instead preserve.
Third point: sweating does not mean losing weight As mentioned above, often, many pseudo runners wear k-ways, sometimes even terrible plastic bags around the belly believing that doing so you sweat more and therefore you will lose weight even earlier.
No !!! No !!! No !!!
Let’s remember it for the umpteenth time: the lost sweat will be recovered in a few hours thanks to the liquids that you will ingest in the post workout. Indeed, I want to tell you that these practices are extremely dangerous given that a state of excessive dehydration can cause serious damage to health. You can also run shirtless, nothing changes !!! Fourth point: running has no positive effects on muscle mass and therefore on your metabolism Have you ever wondered why marathon runners don’t have the same physique as a centometrist although they both run? The answer is simple: long distance running is extremely catabolic, it steals muscle proteins, reduces strength and power levels, reduces testosterone levels, increases cortisol levels etc etc
All these factors do not contribute to promoting optimal weight loss, i.e. maintaining lean body mass and reducing fat mass. When you choose a sport or anyway an activity that helps you lose weight, do not think only about the number of calories burned but how you burn them. I will give you another example.
First scenario: you have finished your usual 30 minutes of running and burned 400 calories. As soon as you stop running, you will not burn anything anymore, the fireplace has gone out …
As the months go by, you will burn fewer and fewer calories per minute and your body has not improved. Why will you tell me: because lean body mass has not increased so the number of calories consumed at rest has not changed much. Indeed you may find yourself with a few kg less but of muscle as mentioned above.
Second scenario: you did an hour of gym intensively and burned 250 calories. After training, your body is continuing to work, consuming calories necessary to restore the homeostasis disturbed by the training session. Calories are used to promote the processes of recovery and muscle growth so the fireplace continues to heat you….
Over the months, you will have burned more total calories but above all your body has changed for the better:
+ lean mass -fat = Goal achieved !!!
The aspect to underline is that it is not just a matter of how many calories you have consumed but the effect of a sport on your body. This is what matters
In conclusion: if you want to lose weight, there are valid alternatives to running.
Improving your body does not just mean dropping the balance but creating a better body from scratch aesthetically speaking because after all most people are looking for this.
Benefits and advantages of Pilates
One of the activities that we at Amalfi Coast Holiday always offer to our customers is Pilates.
Pilates is a training method designed to promote the elasticity of the joints, the fluidity of movements and the stretching of the muscles. Pilates encourages the use of the mind to control muscles. It focuses on postural muscles and spinal elasticity.
The Pilates method goes beyond the group courses that we can follow in the gym. It is also used in the field of postural rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
Pilates exercises aim to strengthen the muscles of the trunk and to realign the spine. They are accompanied by awareness of breathing. This reinforces both the back muscles and the abdominals.
The main goal of Pilates is to strengthen the muscles of the trunk area, including the abdomen, buttocks, adductors and lower back. This body belt is called the Power House. Pilates teaches you to control body movements and to move smoothly. The movements must be very precise and never abrupt. We go in search of our center of gravity and strengthen the Power House to improve posture. Breathing is well coordinated with the movements.
Choosing to take a Pilates course is beneficial for the aesthetic remodeling of the body and above all for regaining the functionality of the entire anatomical structure, according to one’s health conditions.
This training method is useful for strengthening the core muscles to maintain correct posture, for skeletal alignment and for walking. Pilates, if practiced regularly, has numerous benefits: improves coordination and breathing, is beneficial for muscle and cardiovascular tone, is useful for concentration, defines muscle and lengthens it, helps relieve neck pain and lose weight , because it allows the body to perform physical activity on a regular, gentle and healthy way.
5 mistakes women make in the gym
First mistake: Focusing exclusively on certain muscle groups
Rarely speaking with a client I have heard “Look I want to train the whole body”; generally what I hear is “I only want to train my legs, look how they are !!! “Or” The legs are in good shape so I would like to train only the arms, look how thin they are ”
Generally the first sentence is the most common one however the problem is that you cannot build an attractive physique by focusing only and exclusively on certain muscles. Each muscle has its own why and I am not only talking about aesthetic reasons but also and above all I would say functional.
Let’s take an example: a back developed at the right point and I don’t talk about extreme bodybuilding will not only slim your line but improve your posture. In fact, one of the main deficits that I can find daily when evaluating my clients is just bad posture (a classic is the so-called hyperkyphosis or shoulders projected forward)
First tip: Train each muscle if anything by focusing over the months on certain districts but never abandoning the others.
Second mistake: Always perform the same exercises This I found in many girls as if there was something terrifying about changing exercises from time to time. The main problem is that the body also adapts to the type of exercise or the way it is performed, so it is necessary to change something every 6 \ 8 weeks. For example, in the case of the classic Squat, it could be performed for a certain period of time and then replaced with a variant, Front Squat or Box squat. In the case of the buttocks, you could start from the Hip thrust and then go to the Bridge for buttocks.
I hope I was clear.
Second tip: Do not focus solely and exclusively on certain exercises even if they have repeatedly told you that they are the best because there is no magic exercise.
Third mistake: Always perform the same training routines Other classic; You know the girl who enters the tool room and starts with her ladder: Adductor machine, Abductor machine, Gluteus machine etc etc and continues to do this sequence for an infinite period of time. Just as you have to vary exercises, so I want you to do some variation of the training program. A month you could perform a rep range between 10 \ 12 while the following month you could force a little more and stay on 6 \ 8 therefore increasing the loads. Obviously the discussion is more complex but it is to give you an idea of how you could behave.
Third tip: Every 6 \ 8weeks change the training program by varying the number of repetitions and sets and also changing some exercises or using some different training techniques than usual
Fourth mistake: Do not progress with loads How many times have I seen women always use the usual 2 kg dumbbells without ever trying to take the 3 kg ones…. If you do not put your muscles under ever greater loads, unfortunately the results will be mediocre. Only the beginner can afford something like this for the first few months after which he too will have to raise something more. It is useless to use the same load for an infinite number of repetitions, the muscle will not respond and you will only be wasting time. Not that you have to kill yourself under the bar but try to add a little something every time you always feel that the execution of the gesture is correct Fourth tip: When you can increase the load and get tired from !!!
Fifth mistake: Do cardio first and then do something in the tool room
When I was working out in the gym I don’t know how many times I saw girls take their Step hour and then go to the weight room, take a pair of dumbbells and do a little shoulder or something for the legs. Invert !!! “Pump” first in the tool room and then switch to cardio but not for an hour. After a weight lifting session, 20-30 minutes are enough. When you dedicate yourself to weightlifting, you must be fresh and full of energy, so dedicating yourself primarily to an aerobic activity only weakens you. Warm up for about ten minutes and then off to the weight room.
Fifth tip: When you train, always start from the equipment room and end with a bit of cardio, never do the opposite I recommend !!!
How to get attractive buttocks without getting your thighs too big
I don’t know how many times you women have told me: “Andrea, please, I want nice buttocks, but please don’t let me have huge thighs!” What does this mean?
From an aesthetic point of view, women are looking for objectives that are often very different from us men. In general we proudly show the Quadriceps but never the glutes, muscles that generally fall a bit on the back burner.
The women on the contrary want to show their buttocks proud but at the same time they don’t want our Quadriceps. In short, they seek slender legs and well-shaped buttocks. The mistake that many of my colleagues make is to fill your tables with exercises like Squats, Lunges or Leg press convinced that they are going to attack the buttocks like no other exercise. And unfortunately the donkey falls here.
The exercises mentioned above are, as the Anglo-Saxons often say, “Quad dominant” or exclusively involve the front of the thigh. Of course, the desired buttocks will also take but not 100%.
In the long run, if you follow these tables you will end up with nice quadriceps but with a B side that is not as impressive. Not that these exercises should be avoided, but it is necessary to operate in a slightly different way from what usually takes place, that is, to insert movements that directly attack the buttocks without allowing the Quadriceps to enter excessively. These will obviously be trained but not with the volume that can generally be observed in the classic cards.
The 5 best exercises for an amazing abdomen
Of exercises as you well know there are galore, but really effective and that allow you in a short time to build a screaming abdomen there are very few I assure you. Do not be fooled by the usual burning that you can perceive after 50 crunches done all in a row, you have only produced so much lactic acid, but you can see very little of substance. Obviously, in order to see the classic cubes well, you must also eat well and bring your fat percentage to at least 10-12%. However, as dear Arnold said, to define something it is necessary that there is that thing and then we see these diabolical exercises !!!
First place: crunch on low cable fitball: it is a terrifying exercise if done properly, that is to say with an eccentric phase of 3 \ 4seconds and a faster concentric phase during which you have to exhale energetically in short you have to hunt all air that you have inside, you will see what a difference from doing it quickly and without adequate breathing. I recommend 4 sets of 10 \ 12 rip
Second place: hang leg raise: it’s deadly I assure you. Suspended, you simply have to bring your legs to your chest focusing on “rolling the pelvis” towards the ribs. Try not to swing but perform a controlled movement. In the video it is performed using a simple but very effective tool that will allow you to feel the work on your abs, the ab sling to the maximum. However, you can also do this by being attached to a pull-up bar. Do 4sets for the maximum number of repetitions possible.
Third place: bridge with walk: just like the previous one, I assure you. As you can see from the video, it is a matter of moving forward with your hands extending until the body is perfectly horizontal to the ground. Stay still for a moment trying not to collapse the pelvis and not arch your lower back excessively after which you return to the starting position and then start again. Do a 4 x 6 \ 10 rip
Fourth classified: isometric side bridge with fitball: unlike the previous exercises, this exercise is aimed at the lateral region. It is very simple, in fact, all you have to do is stay still by leaning on one arm and keep a fitball crushed between your feet and in this case also trying not to collapse the side of the side of the floor. If you do not have a fitball available, you can also not use it, the exercise is equally effective. You can also start from the simplest version, the one in which the legs are bent at 90gr and no longer straight. Start from 4 sets to the side for a residence time of 30seconds and then gradually increase.
Fifth classified: russian twist: although it is mainly used for the lateral region, it is an exercise that will make the whole abdominal area work at maximum. In this case, standing with your torso tilted towards the floor, arms stretched out and straight, you must rotate your torso from one side to the other in a slow and controlled way. You can use an overload like a disc or just a medicine ball. Perform 4 sets of 15 rotations per side. If you have never done them, start with the simplest, that is, the last ones in the ranking and gradually go up to perform the most complex but at the same time most effective.
Now you just have to try them !!!
Train effectively in just 30 minutes
Today I want to dedicate this short article to those who give as an excuse the impossibility of training the fact that he has no time or at least would have a maximum of 30 minutes. But you realize that 30 minutes is a long time and your workout can be very fruitful. Obviously the objectives can be the most varied, let’s list some of them: Slimming
Hypertrophy
Strength increase
Conditioning
Have some fun
Even having a little fun could be a goal. You don’t train only to lose weight or tone or otherwise, often, as happens to me, you just want to have fun and try a different workout than usual.
In case your goal is slimming, try one of the most brutal but effective training protocol: the Tabata. It consists of alternating 20 seconds of work of a certain intensity with 10 seconds of recovery, all for at least 4 minutes. You can choose any type of exercise, both free-body, with the use of overloads and a typically aerobic exercise such as exercise bike, running, rope. You can choose 2 exercises for example:
Push-ups for the first tab of 4 minutes;
Front squat with dumbbells for the second tabata.
If each of them lasts 4 minutes, you will have a total work of 8 minutes, few would say but they are of great quality. You could alternate the 2 exercises within the same tabata, namely: 20 sec. bending – 10 sec. recovery – 20 sec. front squat and so on. Obviously the more trained you are, the more you can make your circuit last.
Some guys I train have even made 6 tabs of 6 minutes each. You have dozens of options. In case your goal is to increase muscle mass, the advice I can give you are:
Use basic exercises in the first place (flat bench, pull-ups, squats, read forward);
Use high intensity techniques (rest pause, stripping, super set), in short, remind your body that you are training seriously;
Reduce recovery time between sets: this will stimulate gh production;
You can also use total body cards, not necessarily splits.
Let’s take an example !!!
First day:
Squat 3 x 7-5-3 2 \ 3min rec
Flat bench 3 x 7-5-3 90sec rec
Traction with overload 3 x 7-5-3 90sec rec
Abdomen: 1 exercise of your choice 3 heavy sets
Second day:
Slow forward 2 \ 3 x 6 \ 8 + 1stripping 60sec rec
Leg press 2 \ 3 x 6 \ 8 + 1 stripping 60sec rec
Horizontal pulley 2 \ 3 x 6 \ 8 no rec
Rowing machine with handlebar 2 \ 3 x 6 \ 8 60sec rec
Abdomen: 1 exercise of your choice 3 heavy sets
Third day:
Deadlift 2 \ 3 x 15 no rec
Lunges x 15 per side 60sec rec
Parallel bars for bibs 2 \ 3 x 6 \ 8 rest breaks while supplies last 60sec rec
Parallel socket traction 2 \ 3 x 6 \ 8 rest breaks when exhaustion 60sec rec
If you have 4 minutes left, insert a tabata circuit. Next time we will see how to increase our strength levels or your physical condition when you have limited time.
Good workout!!!
Often in the gym, it has happened to me that some clients asked me why I never did “cardio” ie running, exercise bike or anything else that made my heart work. In fact, I often dedicate a few sessions or even months to such an activity but not in the traditional way in which it is intended, that is to say 30 \ 45 minutes or even more on one of these machines. Mine is actually a “functional cardio”, a cardio that allows me to obtain more advantages at the same time: Make my muscles work intensely; Make my heart work just as intensely; Succeed with a short session of 20 \ 30minutes in maintaining if not building good muscle mass; Be athletic. Let’s face it, body building is a great activity but if you want at the same time to have a good physical condition, athletic, in addition to a toned body, the training must be set slightly differently. This article is aimed precisely at those whose goal is not only to achieve a certain aesthetic but also a certain physical condition. I must say that over the years I have re-evaluated the classic circuit training, that is to say 3 or more exercises in sequence repeated for a certain number of series. Often, however, I see people in the gym who, rather than running a real circuit, go slowly from one machine to another without there being a training effect due to the slowness with which they perform everything. So how to solve the problem?
First thing: choose 2 \ 4 exercises that you can perform in a short space without having to “walk” to reach the next position.
Second thing: choose basic exercises: pull-ups, deadlifts, push-ups, squats, clean and press with dumbbells, lunges, burpees etc etc.
Third thing: work on time, not in series. What does it mean? rather than saying “today I will do 4 laps for each exercise”, you will say “today I have 20 minutes and I want to do these exercises and do as many laps as possible”. Let’s take a practical example.
You can also insert a cardio machine or better yet a very useful tool, very conditioning and above all cheap, if you don’t know how to use the rope, I highly recommend you learn it.
So we can have: 10 detachments or 10 lunges in various versions + 10 push presses with dumbbells or horizontal tractions, the so-called fat man chin + 30sec \ 1minute of rope or other (exercise bike, run, burpee) done at high intensity, all for 20 \ 30 minutes .
End each session with 10 minutes of abs (not 1 hour !!!) and you’re done !!!
As for the loads, do not start in fourth !!!
Keep in mind that 20 \ 30minutes are many for which medium-low loads can be fine, increase them gradually. In this article I have simply given you some indications, it is up to you to choose the most congenial exercises that aim to strengthen your weak points. Deidcatevi for a month at a training like that, fun, conditioning and which I think will make you a little more athletes !!!
Good workout!!!
3 best exercises for the buttocks
Today we will see what are the best exercises to build tonic and powerful buttocks. In fact, if on the one hand, especially female customers, constantly ask me to pay special attention to this area, on the other these muscles are equally important for athletes, especially those who, during their training or match, find themselves having to jump in short, sprint or launch all gestures where great power is required. Let’s see then those that, in my opinion, represent the best for training one of the largest muscles of our body. In this list you will not find exercises such as deadlifts or squats or lunges because although they are high quality exercises, those who perform them are not always able to perceive this area in an optimal way. Instead we will see exercises that attack them directly without wasting energy unnecessarily.
Third place: Hip thrust with feet resting on the bench.
At first glance it may seem quite easy but I assure you how your buttocks and hamstrings will be very sore the day after performing it. Especially for those who experience much of the work on the quadriceps when, especially in the early days, they perform a simple bridge from the ground, such exercises will be of great help. You will experience extremely localized work.
Place yourself as in the video: feet resting on the bench, angle of 90gr between thigh and leg. From here, rise up to have a straight line passing from the knee to the shoulder. Stop for a second and return to the starting position.
Second place: Ground bridge with rocker arm
It is obviously a more intense version compared to the one performed free-body. Now I want you to use an overload as the buttocks need a good load to be stimulated.
Position yourself on the ground with the barbell resting at the height of the pelvis and holding it with your hands. From here, concentrating on pressing your heels into the floor, lift your buttocks. At the end point, contract them for 2 seconds and then return to the starting position.
First place: Hip thrust with barbell
I believe it is the number one of the exercises for the buttocks as long as it is performed correctly and with adequate loads.
Place your shoulders on the bench and the barbell at the height of the pelvis. You can use a towel or a mat on the abdomen if it bothers you to keep the load in this area and therefore limit its pressure. From the lowest position, focusing on the buttocks, rise up to obtain a straight line from the knee to the shoulder. Stop for 2 seconds and maximum contraction of the buttocks and return to the starting position.
Now you know which are the best buttock builders. Both you women and you boys (because you know that women do not look only at the bibs …) insert these exercises in your cards and within 4 \ 6 weeks you will see a side B to scream.
Amalfi Fitness Holiday 