Toloza Strength & Conditioning Group Session Schedule

Toloza Strength & Conditioning Class Schedule

Here is a monthly schedule of group session classes taught weekly. If interested in training with us please feel free in contacting me about our low rates =) Thank you for your time! Keep a look out for the next topic: TRUTH BEHIND CREATINE!

2 Major Movements that separate the Men from the Boys.

When I train clients who have a goal to gain more lean body mass, their program will always have the Deadlift and Squat movements incorporated in it. To me, these movements are very important for anyone to know when engaging an exercise program.

These lifts are BIG lifts and BIG movements. They require more muscles to be used in order to execute the movement. These movements demand your whole body to work together in order to perform the movement flawlessly. The key thing is that studies show an increase of testosterone produced within the body after performing these lifts, which help aid in lean body mass gain, fat reduction and increases in bone density.

It is unfortunate that many guys don't perform these movements. When I work out at some commercial gyms, there are only 2 lifting plat forms (Squat racks, Deadlifting platforms, etc.) at most and 10 Bench presses. What a waste of space. Most guys want to get that buff muscle look that is optimally shredded however go about it the wrong way.

Every guy wants to work on the cool stuff first. God forbid doing a lower body exercise; chest, abs and arms is where its at! Just stop. This is why sometimes I find it hard to work out at some gyms, because there are too many people doing the wrong things.

As a strength trainer I WANT TO HELP THEM, however I don't want to be a douche and go "Hey umm, I see you're trying to gain muscle, so why don't you stop Benching your ass off and work on your chicken legs." It's not my place because it's not MY gym. People who have trained with me know I take lower body movements seriously, especially the lumbo-pelvic-hip region. Ask anyone who I have trained, I always made sure they learned a proper squat and a proper deadlift.

Below I will display 2 daily work outs. One will be of a typical workout you may see at a commercial gym of guys always do day in and day out to gain muscle mass and the other will be similar to what I prescribe my clients who want to gain lean body mass.



Typical Day 1

5 minutes of "cardio"

Bench Press 3 X 10 (15min) 5 minute each set (30 seconds of actual lifting, 4:30 of "resting")

Incline Bench Press 3 X 10 (15min) (30 seconds of actual lifting, 4:30 of "resting")

Decline Bench Press 3 X 10 (15min) (30 seconds of actual lifting, 4:30 of "resting")

Arm Curls 3 X 12 (15min) (30 seconds of actual lifting, 4:30 of "resting")

Tricep Extensions 3 X 12 (15min) (30 seconds of actual lifting, 4:30 of "resting")

10 minutes of "cardio"

Total elapsed time: 1 hour 30 minutes. (22:30 minutes of actual activity, 67:30 minutes of "resting" and by "resting" I mean watching TV, texting, or just waiting too long).


(Don't get me wrong, this typical day one work out may look similar to a basic chest and arms day for a bodybuilder, however bodybuilders do NOT do this same work out EVERDAY. They do split routines and a specific progressive program where they hit each body part in a certain way including LEGS. The intensity they train at far exceeds those who try to imitate their programs. Their rest periods are way shorter than the perceived time on this current example. I stress that I see many guys, some who are good friends of mine, do this same work out 3 to 4 times a week at HALF the intensity and THAT'S NOT GOOD.)

Prescribed Day 1

Static to Dynamic stretching of major muscle groups (Arm circles, Quad pulls, Glute Twists, Body squats, High Knees, Butt kickers, Ankle circles, Calf raises) all with body weight. (10 min)

Deadlifts (or Squats) 4 X 12,10,8,6 (8 minutes) 2 min each set (30 seconds of lifting, 90 seconds of rest)

Bench Press 4 X 12,10,8,6 (8 minutes) 2 min each set (30 seconds of lifting, 90 seconds of rest)

Overhead Press 3 X 10,8,6 (6 minutes) 2 min each set (30 seconds of lifting, 90 seconds of rest)

Pull-Ups 3 X 10,8,6 (6 minutes) 2 min each set (30 seconds of lifting, 90 seconds of rest)

Cool Down static stretches (Samson stretch, groin stretch, Pec stretch, Lat stretch, Glute and piriformis stretch, stc.) 10 min

Total elapsed time: 48 minutes (27 minutes of actual activity, 21 minutes of recovery time).

The difference is in the efficiency of the work outs. Typical work out one only focused on the Pecs, triceps and biceps for an hour and a half, with most of it being rest.

The prescribed work out worked most of the primary movers, which were the glutes, pecs, lats, quads, as well as secondary movers and stabilizers such as the deltoids, triceps, biceps, forearms, teres minor and major, transverse abdominus, you get the picture. We basically got more down in a shorter amount of time.

ALL IN NUT SHELL, its the quality of the work outs. Don't focus on upper body so much! Lower body work outs are very important, which is why Deadlifts and Squats are crucial to making gains. To learn these 2 major movements properly, please ask a professional trainer for assistance. I understand there are magazines and videos people can watch and learn from, but it is SAFER to learn in person and know exactly what to do on the spot instead of trying to learn on the fly and then hurting your back or blowing out your knee.

Burning Calories

Ever wondered what you would need to do to burn off that Big Mac you just ate? What type of workout you may need to do to eliminate that burrito you just had, or how many miles to run in order to burn off some french fries?

The average person should be consuming 2000 to 2500 calories a DAY in order to maintain or lose weight depending on what activities they are doing.

The KEY to losing weight is controlling what YOU EAT! NO EXCUSES. You want it that "six pack", that "slender look," well excuses ain't gonna get you their. Its DISCIPLINE, HARD WORK, and CONSISTENCY.


Eating right and being active will make losing weight easy. EATING WRONG will just make things just THAT MUCH Harder....



By making a few adjustments towards foods you may eat everyday, the fight for weight loss may not be so hard in the long run. 

[Exercises based on average woman weight (160lbs) and average man weight (190lbs) which means if you are lighter, you may need to ADD MORE to the workout.]

Lets start with a number 1 at McD's
BIG MAC (540cals), Medium Fries (380cals), Medium Coke (210cals) = 1130 calories 

To Burn 1130 Calories= A WOMAN may need to do 2 hours and 20 minutes of High impact Aerobics. A MAN may need to Run 7.5 miles in 45 minutes.

Make these adjustments to reduce the calories

BIG MAC w/out cheese and onions (490cals), Small Fries (230cals), Medium Diet Coke (0cals) = 720 calories

You just cut out 410 calories which equals to a MAN doing moderate push-ups for 60 minutes straight, or a WOMAN jumping rope for 45 minutes.

How about a Venti White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks

Venti sized (20oz) of White Chocolate Moca= 580 Calories just for ONE DRINK!?

To Burn 580 Calories= A WOMAN may need to Rock climb for 45 minutes straight. A MAN may need to Weight lift for 2 hours straight.

Make these adjustments to reduce the calories

Tall (12oz) Nonfat milk, No whip White Chocolate Moca= 270 Calories.

You just cut out 310 Calories which equals to a MAN swimming moderately for 40 minutes or a WOMAN playing intense Rugby for 25 minutes.

More to come in the future, but for now, let this be a little reality check. Today's society has a busy lifestyle, which may result in choosing more convenient foods. However, it does not mean we can't make smarter choices. It's all about portion control.

I don't believe in any diets because they just don't work. I believe in my clients to just eat right and make smarter choices, because once they get that down, everything else is EASY.

Inspiration!

From years of training, I've had various clients. Out of the masses, I have identified 2 types of people who a trainer will undertake; the one who quits on themselves, and the one who will strive to succeed. People may argue that there are grey parts in this black and white metaphor, however at the end of the day one either tried or quit.

Those who have given it everything they had, and took the training program seriously show it. I will be displaying those I have helped surpass even their OWN expectations. Their accomplishments are 100% them, which is the awesome part! All I did was provide them a plan and some tools and they did all of the work! Because of their success, my job as a trainer is just that much more complete =)!

This person below kicked ASS every work out. He parties a shit load, however some how he managed to lock down his eating habits and progressed in the strength program 3 times a week.

 
GOOD SHIT WILL.I.AM ESCOBAR!


                  MARCH 2008

 

 

                    AUGUST 2008

5 exercises women should STOP doing!

 
The sitting adductor, abductor machine.

Other than looking like you’re on a machine at the gynecologist, these machines only have you open and close your legs. The myth is that it will help you burn fat between your legs. Truth of the matter is it has you sitting in an uncomfortable position doing an awkward movement. Doing this movement on this machine will NOT burn fat but only strengthen the adductor/abductor muscles.  When one is sitting down they are burning MINIMUM calories.

Arm Curls

“But I want to tone my arms! I want to get rid of this arm flab!” Even though arm curls may be a key exercise in the sport of Body Building, just focusing on the biceps will NOT get rid of the fat around the arms. Arm curls will only help improve hypertrophy (size) and strength (force output) of the bicep muscles.

Seated Chest Press

If one is going to work out, why is one going to sit while doing a movement? When seated, calories are burned MINIMALLY. Women usually do the chest press to try to reduce the fat under the arms. Not only is one not burning as much calories as they would like to, but also focusing on the chest and arm forward motion. The average woman has a forward slumped posture. It is usually due to many motions in everyday life that require women to engage in forward movement, such as driving, working at a desk with a computer, lifting materials either around the house or work, carrying children etc. Repeating this motion again in exercise lacks benefit and may worsen ones posture. 

Ridiculous amount of sit ups (3 sets of 200 sit ups)

Doing infinite amount of sit-ups will NOT melt away that belly. It will just strengthen the muscles of the abdominal muscles. There are actually some studies claiming that spinal flexion exercises in general may be bad for the body. Constant flexing of the spine may promote bad posture since many of our everyday activities in today’s society require sitting with a slightly flexed spine (hunched over) such as driving or being at a desk. It doesn’t make sense to exercise in a motion and position that may worsen one’s posture.

1 Hour of straight cardio on exercise equipment

People always tend to think one must spend HOURS at the gym in order to see results. “Just do cardio and you’ll lose weight!” is the common belief. It is true I that one does burn calories via running, swimming, or biking every day, however it’s not that simple. People set goals with great expectations but do minimal work possible. The body will adapt to the continuous aerobic exercise and will start burning fewer calories doing the same amount of work. One will need to start weight training for body composition change, and start other methods of training such as varied intensity bouts like sprinting for 10 seconds and jogging for 50 seconds. Once one is comfortable with an exercise, the body is too, which suggest time for change in exercise regime. 

 

5 Exercises Women SHOULD do

Squats

This is a full body exercise that will not only help burn more calories with less time, but also aid in toning the lower part of the body. This exercise can also be done with weights as long as one is taught proper technique. Do not be afraid of asking any fitness professional in the gym for help with a squat. When done right, one can get a great work out. This exercise actually burns more calories than a sit down abductor/adductor machine.

Lunges

The movement of a lunge focuses on active stretching of the hip flexor as well as contraction of the gluteus. Women who want a firm ass and tone legs MUST master this exercise. This movement can also be done with weights as long as ones form and technique is flawless. This exercise also burns more calories than a sit down abductor/adductor machine.

Bent Over Row

Women can help improve posture by working on the upper back muscles. By standing and doing a mid rowing motion either with a resistance band or a machine, one will not only help strengthen underactive postural muscles, but also burn a lot more calories than just sitting on a chest machine.

 

Assisted Under hand Pull-Ups

Underhand Pull-ups help functionally develop a women’s upper body strength. When pulling underhand, the movement helps emphasize the bicep muscles along with the back muscles associated with the pulling action. Assisted underhand pull-ups can be done either with a band or a machine found in commercial gyms. This exercise actually burns more calories than doing arm curls.

Front Planks

Holding a front plank is a great full body exercise that emphasizes on the abdominals. This exercise helps engage many muscles throughout the body which intern will burn more calories. It is an isometric exercise which means there is no movement, just a static hold. Doing this exercise for 3 sets 30 to 60 seconds at a time is better than doing 1 set of 200 sit-ups.