Merritt Clubs Blog

   

Exercise Your Options: 4 Strategies to Increase Body Tone

Posted by Sterling McKinley

Jan 27, 2016

Have you hit a rut or reached a plateau in your workout regimen? Then it is time to exercise your options. Try implementing these new strategies in your weekly workout plan to boost metabolism, burn calories, and increase lean muscle.

Sprinting - Sprinting is an excellent way to rev up your metabolism and burn calories. It is simple and effective. The key is quality over quantity; too much sprinting can lead to injuries. Start off slowly and progress over time; try working in one sprint workout a week to start. An example workout might be a 50 meter sprint followed by a 2-3 minute rest. 5-10 sprints is plenty to start, when your conditioning improves, step it up a notch.

Interval Training - Interval training is a popular and effective workout routine. Interval Training can be performed with a simple exercise like walking by varying speeds, for example fast walking for 20 meters followed by slow walking for 20 meters. For a more advanced fitness level, high intensity interval training, or HIIT, can be very effective. Be sure to consult a fitness professional prior to beginning a HIIT program.

Full Body Movements - Compound and Quadrupedal movements (using both hands and feet for movement) make for excellent and effective total body workouts. Start by adding a few crawls to your workout and build up to more advanced movements, it is a creative and challenging exercise that is also effective.

Body Weight Exercises - Utilizing body weight exercises such as squats, push-ups, lunges, or chin ups are very effective exercises to implement to improve relative body strength. By working with our own body weight it enhances coordination, balance, and relative body strength. In addition, the flexibility provided by body weight exercise makes it a great fit for busy schedules or tight budgets.

The key to any effective exercise is proper technique and intensity. Focus on starting slow and improving in these exercises; keep workouts short and intense. When you feel comfortable with them then progress into circuit training or interval training for awesome workouts that will burn calories and build lean muscle for an improved physique. Remember to be patient and progress over time, no exercise is effective with poor technique. It is recommended you consult with a personal trainer or fitness professional to learn proper technique for these programs, contact us to get started!

Read More

Topics: workout, how to tone muscles

Best Way to Burn 500+ Calories

Posted by RaySa

Jun 25, 2013

Photo Courtesy: Ray Salas, Trainer

Tired of your current workout?

Not sure how to lose those unwanted inches or having trouble toning muscles?

Always feel fatigued, never have enough energy, or need help staying motivated?

If you answered Yes to any of the questions, then bootcamp is for You!

“All you have to do is show up and let me take care of the rest” –Ray Salas, Trainer

Each week Ray’s got a new playlist that’s bound to get your body moving. No matter what your fitness level is, this class is made to do one thing, Burn Calories and have fun doing it!

Challenge yourself and try a class!

Read More

Topics: Merritt Athletics, Personal Training, Merritt blog, best gyms in maryland, lose weight, Fitness Tips, best ways to burn fat, merritt bootcamp, how to tone muscles, best gyms in baltimore, build muscle lose fat, Baltimore fitness, Member Success Stories, group fitness