In NYC and Want Access to Several Gyms? Try Allfit

No longer inspired by the same routine at your NYC gym? Want to try a new exercise class, use a swimming pool, or try new equipment your gym doesn¹t have?

Allfit gives you member¹s access to over 25 of NYC¹s top health clubs. Instead of being stuck within a single chain, you now have access, under a single fully flexible membership, to all NYC¹s top fitness centers.

In an average week, you could be swimming laps in the rooftop pool at Complete Body on Friday, indoor rock climbing at Chelsea Piers on Sunday, and a Sculpt exercise class at Manhattan Athletic Club on Wednesday.  Variety will keep you engaged, motivated, and keen to try new challenges.

The clubs are spread throughout Manhattan, and are among the most exclusive and luxurious in NYC. They include The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers, Complete Body, Athletic and Swim Club, Sheraton Fitness and many more high-end options.

Plans range from 10 visits a month, to unlimited visits, for the truly dedicated athlete. Flexibility is important to us ­ you can cancel at any time, or put your membership on hold at zero charge.

Allfit keeps your workout engaging and motivating, through variety and flexibility.

For more information, check out www.allfitnyc.com. 

Cheers Eights & Weights!

You Can't Do a Full Pushup? That's Okay!

The push-up is one of the most dynamic exercises, working various muscles in your upper body and core. However, building strength to be able to do one or more full push-ups is not that easy. I know you see various people post videos and photos, and you are probably like "Why can't I do that?". Well, it takes time and effort.

Before you jump right into it and give up, start with other simpler variations. Trust me, the variations are tough too and put you to work, but they give you the chance to build your strength. 

One example of a push-up variation is in the video below. It is pretty much a push-up on your knees. Now, as you do it, try to keep your back straight (not curved in or out much), and lower your chest right between your palms. 

It is hard work and you should feel it after a couple of rounds. As you do the variation, also try doing a couple of full push-ups a few times a week. This helps your body slowly build up.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Abs Day: One-legged Jack Knife

Want to work every angle of your abs? Try these! Your upper body lifts and your lower body lifts, really building your core strength. Aim to do 3 sets of 20 (10 on each side). This is tough.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Leg Day: Weighted Wide Deep Squats

Squats are pretty well-known, and easy to do. But varying your squats can help you target different muscles. Check out the video below for the form for wide squats with 10lb weights to work on that booty and those legs.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Are you Cardio-ing for Those Abs

I think the question I get the most on social media is about how to get abs or how to flatten the tummy. It is a very complex question, and you can tell people usually don't get the answer they want. People generally want to do crunches and be over with it, but get very anxious when it is not working.

So here is what I tell people: Crunches alone will get you nowhere. It is a hard message to take because it has been somehow spread across different societies. To flatten your abdominal area, you need a combination of three things:

• Good nutrition: You cannot eat everything, do crunches, and expect abs. Abs are difficult to get; otherwise, everyone would have them. You have to lose the fat on the abdominal area to see any progress, and to do this, you need to be burning more than you are eating. This means you probably should be eating better (fewer calories, more whole grains, less salty food).
• Cardio, Cardio, Cardio: To me, cardio is more important than crunches. This is where a lot of the fat loss happens to burn off the excess. If you are not doing cardio, you should be starting.
• Strength training: This is where crunches come in. But I actually prefer to do non-traditional crunches because they are very repetitive, and most people do not do them right. Focus on building core strength with planks, kick-outs, russian twists, etc.

But remember that it is a slow process usually. Weight did not happen overnight and so getting fit does not happen overnight as well. Take your time.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Are you doing our plank challenge?

If you are following me on Instagram, you may have seen the plank challenge I put up a couple of days ago. I get asked about how to get abs and build a strong core all the time. So I figured I'd turn this into a challenge. Plank for 3 minutes every day for about 5 days. Your 3 minutes can be broken up across the day, but the longer you can hold it at once, the better.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Leg Work: Single Leg Deadlifts

Compound exercises that work a variety of muscles are great, especially for runners as we need a strong core and strong legs. The single leg deadlift works your core as it forces you to balance, but it also works your legs and your glutes with the weight that you are lifting. Check out the video below for how to do this exercise.

Try this with light weights first and progress. As you do this exercise, lift your leg slowly. A lot of people make the mistake of speeding through, which may not put as much emphasis on the muscle they want to attack. So go slow. It hurts a little more, but you can do it :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!