What can we learn from professional athletes?

What can we takeaway from professional athletes in terms of fitness? Most people see professional athletes of any sport and we see fit.  Now there are always a few exceptions, but to play at the level they are playing at night in and night out they are in pretty good shape.  They eat healthy, travel a lot and get lots of fitness in an average week.  What can we do to model their behavior?  Only modeling their fitness behavior not their social behavior.

1. Intervals- Athletes are on the court running full speed for a short period of time than resting for a period of time. So add some intervals into your workout this week.  Sprint or run as fast as you can for 30 seconds-1 minute than rest/walk for 30 seconds to 1 minute and repeat for a 30 minute workout!

2. Watch what you eat-  To athletes nutrition is key.  What you eat 2 days before a competition is what affects your body.  So think about what it is doing to you if you don't eat well and than try to work out all week long.  After a workout do you binge yourself with junk food?  How does that affect you when your doing a hard workout?

3. Lift weights- To be the best athlete in any sport the athletes lift weights.  They lift to be stronger, faster and a bonus is the defined and tone muscles you see.  If you don't know where to start ask a trainer for help or check out SaFire Training website for free workout videos.

4. Rest Days-  Yes even professional athletes need a day of rest.  Whether they go to a light yoga class, or take a complete day off varies.  But you need a rest day as well.  That is your bodies best chance of toning those muscles and gaining strength.  Plus it will keep you from burning out.

Sleek arms in no time!

Well how do you work those arms so you don't have the saggy waving action that everyone dreads.  Well below is a great workout to get your arms in tip-top shape!  Since the triceps make up 70% of your upper arm that is why I have quite a few triceps moves. Watch my youtube channel at Andrea Eilertson for the workout video coming soon.

Perform below exercises 2 times a week.  3 sets and 10-12 reps of each.

Equipment Needed
-Stability Ball
-Light & heavy dumbbells

1. Dips- shown in the picture above.  (Leg raise is optional)

2.  Triceps Kickbacks- Bend at the waist slightly, kick arms straight out behind you hold for a second and bring back into sides keep repeating this motion for allotted reps.

3. Bicep Curls to shoulder press (wrists facing inwards)- Perform a bicep curl at the top of the curl push arms upwards towards the sky.  Keep wrists facing your face the entire time and bring down to finish bicep curls.

4. 3 way delt-raises- Raise arms straight forwards than to lateral raise and bend slightly at the waist to finish with a rear delt raise.

5. Diagonal Triceps extension on stability ball- Rest shoulders and head on stability ball, hips high in the air.  Take one arm above head and lower at angle close to ear and pull up over head.  Repeat.

6. Triceps Push-ups- You will perform push-ups with elbows tucked in close to sides rubbing the ribs with your arms.  Can perform on knees this is quite a difficult move and hurts the front of the shoulder.

7. Concentration Curls- Sit on stability ball with back of the arm on the inside of the leg.  Curl arm up towards your face and lower.  The entire time keeping your elbow on the leg.

8. Chest Press to triceps extension- Resting your head and shoulder on the stability ball lower and raise arms out to side to push-up and hold weights above the chest and than lower weights to the sides of the ears and pull back up using the triceps (back of your arm) than perform another chest press to triceps extensions.

Check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness videos!