MUSCLES ACTIVATE
Are you finding yourself going through the motions during your workouts? So many people go to the gym or a group class, and by looking at them they seem to be performing the exercises perfectly. But are they actually engaging the proper muscle groups? If you’re finding yourself going through the motions during your workouts, you’re not alone.
When you are performing any type of exercise, it is important to know which muscles should be engaged in order for the exercise to be effective. If you are unsure, take a moment to look up the muscle group(s) that should be activated, or simply think about which muscles you should feel working as you perform the exercise. By contracting the proper muscle group in each movement, you will get way better results!
When we are able to activate the proper muscle groups during each exercise is when we will see our strength improve. You will not be working at your full potential if your muscles aren’t connecting to your brain properly. There are a few things that you can do in order to make sure that you are activating the right muscles during your workouts.
First, it is important to focus on quality over quantity. This means that you should be doing fewer repetitions with better form rather than more repetitions with poor form. Additionally, you can use resistance bands or weights in order to help target specific muscle groups. Finally, make sure to warm up before your workout so that your muscles are loose and ready to go.
Wake your muscles up before performing your “big lifts.” Before any multi joint movement we should be making sure that all the muscles involved are warmed-up and ready to go. If we are getting ready to deadlift, we should make sure our glutes, hamstrings and lats are all active. We can do this by simply performing a few isolated exercises like a bridge (glutes), Swiss ball hamstring curl (hamstrings) and supermans with scapula retractions (lats). These isolated exercises will get your body to be more powerful and efficient during your workout.
When we properly activate our muscles through exercise, we reduce the risk of injury. By activating the muscles, we increase blood flow to the area and improve our range of motion. This allows us to encourage the targeted muscles effectively and not compensate with other muscles.
If you are having a tough time identifying the proper muscle groups, look up some simple isolated exercises that will allow for you to improve your brain-body connection. Once you are able to contract and feel the muscle working, then move onto bigger movements during your workout routine.
So whether you are new to working out, or have been doing it for years, ask yourself “where am I supposed to be feeling this?”
By Brett Kirkland
FAQ
We certainly do! You can either purchase programs or book personal training sessions and be given your workout at the end of the session.
We have free parking, showers, sweat/shower towels, wifi and toiletries.
If you need to reschedule a session, no worries at all! Just give us a 24 hour heads up and you will not be charged for your workout.
Ideally, you should have some form of fuel in your system before you workout. Eating an easily digested carbohydrate an hour or so before you come to the studio ensures that you’ll have enough energy in the tank to get through your workout. Fruit is always a great option if you are concerned about getting an upset stomach. But once again everyone is different so experiment with what works best for you.
Most likely you will start to feel better before you really see the results. We always remind clients to celebrate everything along their fitness journey- whether it is lifting a heavier weight, recruiting the proper muscle groups or dropping/gaining inches. The more consistent you stay to your workout and nutrition plan the quicker you will see physical results.
There is no magic pill or diet. At the end of the day it is a very simple equation and that is calories in vs. calories out. If you would like to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you are burning. If you are looking to put on weight you want to eat more calories than you are burning.
We definitely believe we are the best gym in Edmonton. With our owner having 15 years of experience in the fitness industry, being named one of the Top 10 Trainers in Canada by Muscle Insider and having owned training studios for over 12 years there is confidence in our team. Every trainer is fully certified and extremely knowledgeable with tons of experience from all types of clientele. Don’t believe us? Come try out a free one-on-one personal training session and find out for yourself.
All of our trainers are fully certified and have the knowledge to help you reach your goals. We are so confident that you will love our team that our first training is always free. We will literally put our money with our mouth to prove to you that we are what you are looking for.
You’ve come to the right place. Zone 105 is a private personal training studio and our only goal is for you to crush yours.
That is a loaded question but weight loss comes down to a simple equation – calories in vs. calories out. If you eat less calories than you burn you should lose weight. Unfortunately sometimes the scale can be stubborn but your body composition will change. That is why we always recommend that you take measurements to also track your progress.
We are a private personal training studio located centrally in Edmonton. All of our clients in the gym can only work out when they are with their trainer so you will never have to deal with a busy, public gym.