Workouts

A Producer, an Actor and 2 Weeks until Filming!!!!

A Producer, an Actor and 2 Weeks until Filming!!!!

Published by on June 17, 2016 | Leave a response

Santhosh, a long time member at Altman Fitness approached one of our fat loss experts with a challenging task….. He needed his actor to drop body fat and drop it fast in time for shooting his next film.

On September 28th Sudhakar arrived in the U.S. from India.  Santhosh and Sudhakar immediately met with one of our Fat loss experts. The goal was to get to 12% body fat in 2 weeks, just in time for filming his first boxing scene.

Sudhakar’s starting weight 160.4 and body fat percentage 16.8%

Our Fat loss team got to work right away, with dialing in on his nutrition and training…. 12% body fat was in Sudhakar’s future.

Prior to arriving in the U.S. Sudhakar was training his body and increasing muscle size and strength but was struggling to get his body fat low enough to see his amazing  six pack abs.

For the next 2 weeks Sudhakar prepared his meals with precision as directed by staff. He executed his workouts at Altman Fitness with our high intensity Boot Camp classes, peaking his heart rate and increasing his weights to maximize his results.

With the direct guidance of our Fat loss experts here at Altman Fitness and his diligence to stick with the program…. In two weeks Sudhakar went from 16.8% body fat TO 12.6% body fat!

SUDHAKAR

As you can see…. Sudhakar’s results are AMAZING!  And the filming went perfectly.

Have a goal and desire like Sudhakar?

Call us for your 3 “Afterburn Workouts” Absolutely FREE – 612-454-6409

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Booty Building Secrets

Published by on March 27, 2016 | Leave a response

[youtube]https://youtu.be/Bxz7_a4mFQ0[/youtube]

Seems like everyone has been asking how to shape up their behind lately, so I’ve decided to let you in on a few of my closely-guarded booty-building secrets.

Most of my clients have one of the following things to say about their bum: 1) Help! My bum is too big; 2) Help! My bum is too saggy; or 3) Help! My bum is too flat.

Now let’s tackle each of these challenges with solutions that will give you the best booty ever!

1. Help! My bum is too big. 

If you are suffering from an over sized behind then do the following 3 fat-blasting workouts to reduce, tighten and shape your bum.

Fat-Blaster #1: Run

Running is a great way to burn off extra body fat while developing strong glutes. Follow these 4 tips to target your glutes while running:

  1. To target your glutes focus on extending your hips and keeping your chest lifted.
  2. Roll all the way forward onto your toes with each step, in order to engage more of your glutes.
  3. Run up hills, stairs, or on the treadmill at an incline.
  4. Run on a sandy beach or gravel path – the uneven surface forces you to work harder to stabilize your lower body.

Fat-Blaster #2: Elliptical

The elliptical works well for streamlining your behind – but only when used properly. Follow these 4 tips to get the most from your elliptical workout:

  1. Posture matters. Don’t drape your upper body over the front of the elliptical machine – this will bring the focus to your quads and lower back instead of your glutes. Instead keep your back straight and posture good.
  2. Put the incline of your machine higher than seven percent. This will ensure that the emphasis is on your glutes instead of your quads.
  3. Push down with your heels with each stride. Also sink down into a squat for 30 second intervals while striding.
  4. Let go of the handles. This will force your core to stabilize you.

Fat-Blaster #3: Swim

Swimming laps is a sure way to burn tons of calories. Follow these 4 tips to get the most from your time in the pool:

  1. Start each lap with an explosive push from the wall. Place the soles of your feet flat against the side of the pool, bend your knees and explode forward with your legs.
  2. Use flippers. Sounds silly, but try a few laps with a kickboard and flippers and you’ll quickly feel the intense emphasis on your glutes.
  3. Vary your kick. Go from flutter to froggy kicks to target all of your glutes.
  4. Try some in-water squat jumps: stand in chest-level water with feet shoulder width apart, toes turned out. Bend your knees and lower your hips down then explode upward, pushing through your heels.

 

  1. Help! My bum is too saggy.

    The solution to a saggy bottom is to target your glutes. Try the following 3 bum-lifting exercises at home – these require no equipment.

    Bum-Lifting Exercise #1: Hyperextension with leg curl
    Lie facedown on the floor with your arms extended above your head and knees together. Bend your knees and curl your heels toward your glutes, contracting your glutes. Lower your feet back toward the floor, raise your chest and shoulders up and hold for one count before returning to the start position. Do 15 repetitions.

    Bum-Lifting Exercise #2: Plank pull
    Get into a plank position with hands directly under your shoulders and feet spaced shoulder width apart. Contract your core, lift your left leg with flexed foot, then raise your heel up in a quick motion for 15 reps. Keep your core contracted throughout the exercise and back flat. Repeat with right leg.

    Bum-Lifting Exercise #3: Side-lying bicycle
    Lie on your right side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs stacked on top of each other. Bend your right knee back slightly. Lift your left leg about 6 inches into the air, then draw it forward to a 90 degree angle, keeping your foot flexed. Swing your leg back, pointing your toe and extending your lower back. Do 15 repetitions and then repeat with right leg.

  2. Help! My bum is too flat.

    In order to build a shapely behind you’ll need to head to the gym. The following 3 booty-building exercises will give your bum a serious shape-changing workout.

    Booty-Building Exercise #1: Dumbbell Squat
    Place your feet wider than shoulder width apart, and turn toes out. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you squat down, keeping your back straight and tummy pulled in. Exhale as you press up through your heels and return to a standing position. Do 15 repetitions.

    Booty-Building Exercise #2: Dumbbell Lunge
    Stand with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you lunge forward, keeping your lunging knee directly over your ankle. Exhale as you push off with your lunging heel, and return to the starting position. Do 15 repetitions and repeat on the other leg.

    Booty-Building Exercise #3: Straight-legged Deadlift
    Stand with feet shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your thighs. Inhale as you bend forward at the hips, keeping your back flat. Lower the dumbbells down until you feel a pull in your hamstrings. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you exhale and straighten your legs, focusing on contracting your glutes. Do 15 repetitions.

    Want to get your best booty as quickly as possible? Call 612-454-6409 or email office@altmanfitness.com now to get started on a unique fitness program that will get you on the fast track to your best booty ever.

Your Fitness and Fat Loss Guy,

Jay

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Seven Exercises to Get the Most Out of Your 2016 Workout

Published by on December 15, 2015 | Leave a response

The new year is right around the corner, and you’re making plans to finally achieve that beach body in 2016. The problem is, you’re kind of at a loss of where to start. There are literally thousands of exercises out there, and while you know eating well will help you, you really want to tone your body and finally get in shape.

If you’re tired of trying to determine what exercises you should do, read through the following seven simple exercises and give them a go!

 

Walking

You may take it for granted as you get from point A to point B every day, but walking is a complete body workout. In order to walk, your muscles must all work together to propel your body forward. When walking is done in a conscious manner, meaning you’re keeping your speed at a certain level and your form proper, you can burn a lot of calories!

Start your day with a quick 15- to 20-minute walk in the morning in 2016. You’ll feel much more awake and ready to conquer the day! If you can’t do a regular workout routine with weights or at a gym, just take a walk. Something is always better than nothing!

 

Push-Ups

Push-ups are also a fantastic full-body exercise. Although the main strain is on your chest and abs, if you’re actively engaging your muscles, you’ll feel it in your hip flexers, quads and even your shoulders.

There are a ton of variations of push-ups that will target different muscle groups. If you’re starting out, begin doing push-ups from your knees so you don’t strain your back too much if your core is not strong enough yet. As you progress and the exercise gets easier, begin to change up the type of push-up you do to keep those muscles guessing.

 

Squats

When in doubt, squat it down! Squats for some folks can be very intimidating, but they don’t have to be. Even if you’re just using your bodyweight, squats can literally transform your body. They activate your abdominals, hip flexers, quads, glutes, hamstrings and many more muscles to burn a ton of calories.

Whether you’re a pro at squats or a newbie, you’ll want to constantly be focused on your form with this exercise. Squats can cause injuries if you’re not careful in your form. Start out with no weight in 2016 if you’re new to them before piling up the 45s on the bar.

 

Interval Training

So you like to walk, but it gets kind of boring if you’re not in a scenic location. The good news is you can get your heart rate up just by doing some simple exercises. Interval Training focuses on doing two or more exercises which will require you to vary speeds.

An example would be doing 20 squats and then moving into 20 jumping jacks. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is not for beginners, but with a few adjustments, you can do intervals at your level. Our staff at Altman Fitness is well-versed in interval training, so get in touch today!

 

Hip Extensions or Glute Bridges

If you’re looking for a great exercise for your glutes, hip flexers and back, the hip extension (or glute bridge) is the one you’re waiting for. When lying on the floor or with your upper back only on a bench and your feet firmly planted on the ground, you’ll engage your core, legs and glutes to force your feet into the floor, which lifts your butt off of the floor.

This exercise is great for anyone with lower back pain or for someone who wants to tone their glutes and thighs.

 

Superman

A sedentary lifestyle can wreak havoc on your back. Reverse the pain with a simple exercise you can do while lying down!

The superman exercise move is easy and can be modified for your skill level. Lie flat on your stomach and outstretch your arms above your head. Pretend someone is grabbing your arms and legs, pulling them away from one another, elongating your body.

When you’re ready, you can either lift your arms and chest, your feet and legs, or both up off of the ground. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and then release. Your goal should be to get your limbs as high up off the ground as you can. This exercise is perfect for your abs and back!

 

Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are no easy exercise, but they are so worth it! They’re a great upper body workout because they engage every muscle group above your waist.
If you’re not at the point where you can do a pull-up, that’s okay! Use resistance bands for assistance, or perform negative pull-ups or jump pull-ups. Just be careful how many you do when you’re first starting out! You can and will be very sore from these exercises.

If you’d like some guidance on what other exercises to try or if have any questions about form, give us a call at Altman Fitness! Our phone number is 612-454-6409.  We can help change your life and body from the inside out for your 2016 New Years resolution!

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Booty Building Secrets

Booty Building Secrets

Published by on March 15, 2015 | Leave a response

Booty Building Secrets

booty picture

Seems like everyone has been asking how to shape up their behind lately, so I’ve decided to let you in on a few of my closely-guarded booty-building secrets.

Most of my clients have one of the following things to say about their bum: 1) Help! My bum is too big; 2) Help! My bum is too saggy; or 3) Help! My bum is too flat.

Now let’s tackle each of these challenges with solutions that will give you the best booty ever!

I. Help! My bum is too big.
If you are suffering from an over sized behind then do the following 3 fat-blasting workouts to reduce, tighten and shape your bum.

Fat-Blaster #1: Run

Running is a great way to burn off extra body fat while developing strong glutes. Follow these 4 tips to target your glutes while running:

  1. To target your glutes focus on extending your hips and keeping your chest lifted.
  2. Roll all the way forward onto your toes with each step, in order to engage more of your glutes.
  3. Run up hills, stairs, or on the treadmill at an incline.
  4. Run on a sandy beach or gravel path – the uneven surface forces you to work harder to stabilize your lower body.

Fat-Blaster #2: Elliptical

The elliptical works well for streamlining your behind – but only when used properly. Follow these 4 tips to get the most from your elliptical workout:

  1. Posture matters. Don’t drape your upper body over the front of the elliptical machine – this will bring the focus to your quads and lower back instead of your glutes. Instead keep your back straight and posture good.
  2. Put the incline of your machine higher than seven percent. This will ensure that the emphasis is on your glutes instead of your quads.
  3. Push down with your heels with each stride. Also sink down into a squat for 30 second intervals while striding.
  4. Let go of the handles. This will force your core to stabilize you.

Fat-Blaster #3: Swim

Swimming laps is a sure way to burn tons of calories. Follow these 4 tips to get the most from your time in the pool:

  1. Start each lap with an explosive push from the wall. Place the soles of your feet flat against the side of the pool, bend your knees and explode forward with your legs.
  2. Use flippers. Sounds silly, but try a few laps with a kickboard and flippers and you’ll quickly feel the intense emphasis on your glutes.
  3. Vary your kick. Go from flutter to froggy kicks to target all of your glutes.
  4. Try some in-water squat jumps: stand in chest-level water with feet shoulder width apart, toes turned out. Bend your knees and lower your hips down then explode upward, pushing through your heels.

II. Help! My bum is too saggy.
The solution to a saggy bottom is to target your glutes. Try the following 3 bum-lifting exercises at home – these require no equipment.

Bum-Lifting Exercise #1: Hyperextension with leg curl
Lie facedown on the floor with your arms extended above your head and knees together. Bend your knees and curl your heels toward your glutes, contracting your glutes. Lower your feet back toward the floor, raise your chest and shoulders up and hold for one count before returning to the start position. Do 15 repetitions.

Bum-Lifting Exercise #2: Plank pull
Get into a plank position with hands directly under your shoulders and feet spaced shoulder width apart. Contract your core, lift your left leg with flexed foot, then raise your heel up in a quick motion for 15 reps. Keep your core contracted throughout the exercise and back flat. Repeat with right leg.

Bum-Lifting Exercise #3: Side-lying bicycle
Lie on your right side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs stacked on top of each other. Bend your right knee back slightly. Lift your left leg about 6 inches into the air, then draw it forward to a 90 degree angle, keeping your foot flexed. Swing your leg back, pointing your toe and extending your lower back. Do 15 repetitions and then repeat with right leg.

III. Help! My bum is too flat.
In order to build a shapely behind you’ll need to head to the gym. The following 3 booty-building exercises will give your bum a serious shape-changing workout.

Booty-Building Exercise #1: Dumbbell Squat
Place your feet wider than shoulder width apart, and turn toes out. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you squat down, keeping your back straight and tummy pulled in. Exhale as you press up through your heels and return to a standing position. Do 15 repetitions.

Booty-Building Exercise #2: Dumbbell Lunge
Stand with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you lunge forward, keeping your lunging knee directly over your ankle. Exhale as you push off with your lunging heel, and return to the starting position. Do 15 repetitions and repeat on the other leg.

Booty-Building Exercise #3: Straight-legged Deadlift
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your thighs. Inhale as you bend forward at the hips, keeping your back flat. Lower the dumbbells down until you feel a pull in your hamstrings. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you exhale and straighten your legs, focusing on contracting your glutes. Do 15 repetitions.

Want to get your best booty as quickly as possible? Call 612-454-6409 or email office@altmanfitness.com now to get started on a unique fitness program that will get you on the fast track to your best booty ever.

You can do it!  I believe in you!

Your Fitness and Fat Loss Guy,

Jay

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360 Challenge Week #3 motivation and NEW video

Published by on January 15, 2015 | Leave a response

Welcome to week 3 of the Altman Fitness 360 Challenge!

How many of you are still 100% committed to your goals? I hope you are not a part of the 60% of Americans that fall off the goals they set for themselves within the first month of setting them!

The key to being successful is to choose a goal that is attainable.

Do you think that committing to move your body for only 10 minutes every single day is attainable?

We have 144 Ten minute increments EVERY DAY!  Do you think that you can use at least ONE of them to exercise?

Well, when you put it that way….

The next key to being successful is to have support.  Well- DONE! We at Altman Fitness and the other members of this challenge are here to support YOU!

The next biggest key is to have a “Why” and the Motivation.  I hope with some of these workout videos I am able to show you that anyone can do this – you don’t need any fancy equipment- just the desire to start.  I want to motivate you and help you recognize how much better you feel when you move….

Come on! Give us just one of those 144 blocks you’ve got in your day….I promise it will make you feel better for the other 143 🙂

-Kelly

 

[youtube][/youtube]

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Pioneer Press featuring Jenny Flynn

Pioneer Press featuring Jenny Flynn

Published by on April 8, 2014 | Leave a response

jen_jay

You may recognize this picture….. It was posted Sunday April 6th, 2014 in the St. Paul Pioneer press. Our very own Jen Flynn was featured in the “turning point” column of the Pioneer press.  To see the full article click here:

Pioneer Press Article Featuring our very own Jenny Flynn

As you know Jen has lost all of her 100+ lbs here at Altman Fitness and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She has overcome so many obstacles.  Utilizing the programs available: boot camp classes the 28 day nutrition program, and most recently our Master Mind program, setting specific goals and taking action steps is what has made this transformation a reality.

If you’re searching for a place to get fit and lose weight well then you have found it. I am so confident that myself and my team can get you to your fitness and fat loss goals that I have a 100% guarantee. Yes, that means if you don’t make your goal, I give you your money back!

What are you waiting for…. Like Jen says in the article…..take that next step, pick up your phone now and call 612-454-6409 to come in and see what we are about. Or email us at: office@altmanfitness.com and write in the subject line: I’m taking a step!

Even if you do not live near Edina, Minnesota we can still help you in a big way.  We work with people all over the United States and have solutions to not only get you started down the path, but more importantly to keep you going.  After all that’s what it’s all about right?

Come meet myself, Jay Altman, Jen and the rest of our trainers and let us help you get on the path toward success!

Take the first step today.  You will not regret that and you know it.

Committed to your success,

Jay

 

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Have you ever tried this?

Published by on December 18, 2012 | Leave a response

Hey

Have you ever tried pilates for exercise?  Have you ever wondered about it.  Some say that it is easy.  Let me tell you that when you do pilates correctly and as prescribed by my friend Sylvia…

Pilates, is not EASY!

Sylvia, take it away…

It’s true Pilates is a tough workout and THE very best to for getting a tight sexy core.

However, as I mentioned above it’s a challenging workout, sort of a love to hate but can’t wait to do again sort of workout.

The muscles work and burn out to fatigue FAST!

We all know a strong core is important but what I do want to clarify is that doing hundreds of sit-ups wont target the deep abdominals muscles the way Pilates moves does.

Core strength is the key to a strong body, it targets the intricate muscles that surrounds and protects the low back, spine, pelvis and hips.  By keeping your body in alignment the movements are challenging forcing the body to move fluidly and with control.

Not to mention reduced risk of injuries, body weight Pilates targets the deepest layer of the abdominals, the transverse abdominals, when it’s weak the body compensates by making the low back work over time.

Take your fitness workouts to the next level and add in the body weight core exercises and you’ll surprise yourself on how quickly your body will change not only in slimming down the midsection but in leaning the body down to a tight fit physique.

Let me tell you a little story about Tim.

Tim is a hardcore fitness fanatic, he is in the gym four times a week, spends his weekends dirt bike riding and has broken over 14 bones in his body, and by the way is 47-years-old.

His wife challenged him to try something new, a different style of exercises, Pilates, he chuckled and said sure how bad can it be.

Well, Tim isn’t chuckling anymore!  Within 3 minutes of the Body Weight Pilates exercises he was sweating and muscles were firing and burning to the point of fatigue.

He dropped 10 pounds in 2 weeks without trying and his strength training workouts are now even better. He is now addicted in a good way to the Pilates system, a full body workout that targets every single muscle in the body, all without using NO equipment.

Now how can a fit 47 year old be sweating and apologizing to his wife for making fun of her Pilates workout…

You can see for yourself, I asked my friend Justin to help me demonstrate this move, he is a L1 Crossfit Coach and a former Pro baseball player, watch him really feel the burn…Give this quick exercise a try…

[youtube]https://youtu.be/cMTpUeU2Wus[/youtube]

Exercises just like the one you watched in the video above are from the Body weight Pilates System, these movements requires the whole body to move together for defined muscle definition and a strong core.

You are gaining flexibility in the tightest parts of the body, the hamstrings, low back and hip flexors without even realizing it.

Here’s the best part, you can easily add in Pilates to your already existing workouts at home or in the gym.  No one will know you are doing Pilates unless they are up to date as you are with knowing what to do in getting a strong midsection.

The workouts are fun and don’t require any equipment or hours out of your day.  Easily plug in the exercises for a full body experience that will have you feeling every single muscle and quickly fatigue the muscle.

You may find it hard to believe but the body weight Pilates moves will literally have you sweating and feeling your core in less than 3 minutes just like Tim and Justin did. This system has over 53 different workouts to target every muscle in the body.

An overall improved physical performance and endurance from practicing Pilates and adding a variation of the body weight Pilates exercises to your regular routine. The results and increased performance of daily activities greatly improve.

For more workouts and exercises head over to…

==> Body Weight Pilates

Get more out of your workouts and challenge yourself to increase your performance in and out of the gym or on your days off head over to Body Weight Pilates for more body weight works.

Enjoy and have fun!

Sylvia Favela, author of “Body Weight Pilates”
For additional tips and resources visit Sylvia’s blog at www.360PilatesWorkout.com

Happy Holidays

Your Fitness and Fat Loss Guy

Jay Altman

P.S.  Heading to Chicago and Indiana in three more days to see our family!  Can’t wait.  🙂

P.S.S.  Go here Body Weight Pilates to check out Sylvia’s Pilates Program.

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Try This Body Weight Workout Challenge and Let Me Know What You Think

Published by on September 10, 2012 | Leave a response

Body Weight Workout Challenge

This workout is from my good friend and fitness expert Shawna Kaminski.  I was just in Las Vegas with her and I can tell you that Shawna really knows her stuff.  And in addition to that she is a lot of fun to hang out with and learn new ways to help people live better lives.   Anyway here’s a great workout from Shawna.  Click on this link to check out an interview I did with Shawna a couple of days ago:  https://youtu.be/dPUPa_T_Kg4

[youtube]https://youtu.be/dPUPa_T_Kg4 [/youtube]

Hey, I’m Shawna Kaminski, AKA ‘the Pull Up Queen’. I love to do challenging workouts, especially when they include pull ups.

Bodyweight workouts are super fun. They’re a great way to kick your own butt and you really have no excuse NOT to get in a workout when all you need is your own body as a tool.

I’ve got a cool workout for you to try. I like to do timed sets because once the workout is set up, it’s on auto-pilot and it goes by fast. I get so conditioned to hearing a ‘beep’ with timed sets that sometimes if I’m in a grocery store and hear someone’s watch go off I feel like hitting the floor for some push ups.

It’s pretty hard to train your back with any kind of intensity without a pull up bar of sorts. In this workout, I’ve added pull ups. If you can’t do pull ups, you can do inverted rows or assisted pull ups (or any number of modifications I give in my program).

If you have no pull up bar, you’ll just have to go drag your car by it’s bumper to hit your posterior chain (fancy words for you back, bum and hamstrings). Basically, you need to be pulling to be working your back. You push to work your chest. The pull of gravity with your body weight is your resistance. Anytime you can find something to hang off, you’re all set for a back workout. I’ve been known to hang from the rafters in an airport, off a lifeguard tower on a beach, off a low bridge over a creek. Geesh, just look up and you’re sure to find something…but safety first, make sure whatever you grab onto can hold your bodyweight 😉

Here’s the workout:

Set your timer for five sets of 1 min with a 10 second transition time. A gymboss timer works well for this.

Burpee
Pull ups
Squats
Push ups
Box jumps (or bench step ups)

Count your reps for each set and record (during the 5 second transition).

Rest 2 minutes between sets.

Repeat up to 3 times trying to match your reps from the first set.

This is a quick 15 minute workout, but trust me, it’s a tough one. I was totally toasted when I did it.

The next time out when I repeat the workout, I’ll try to beat the number of reps in each set. At least now I have a benchmark.

Now pull ups are a tough move. They’re one of those things that you either CAN do or you just CAN’T. I have some ways to help you achieve your pull up best, it’s not like you can ‘change’ your body weight, so a few tricks are in order. You can find them in my Challenge Workout program.

Shawna Kaminski is a retired schoolteacher of 20 years who’s found her passion in the fitness industry. She’s been a competitive athlete all her life and has competed nationally in three sports. She’s parlayed her ability to teach and her love of training into programs that you can directly benefit from. Shawna is in her late forties, is a mother of two teenagers and understands how busy life can be. Her workouts are short and intense and often can be done anywhere. She’s always up for a challenge and shares her fitness challenges with you. Currently she runs her own fitness boot camps and coaches clients in person and online with her amazing result getting programs.

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