My Baby is a Model!

I'm very proud to say that today our daughter was selected by a baby modelling agency from a large pool of candidates; she is now officially a model! I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of ad she'll be in... I'm assuming diapers, baby food, toys, or clothes. We'll see... if I'm lucky it will be exercise equipment for babies. (o:

I'd like to think I'm somehow responsible for contributing some good genetics, but if you saw my wife you'd know the good lucks are her donation. Regardless, it's nice to know that others think our kid is as awesome as we do.

Josh

StayFit Minute#8: Power Wheel Core Trainer

The Power Wheel is now my favorite accessory for developing core strength, power and balance. Designed to be used with your hands or your feet for a variety of challenging exercises, the Power Wheel is a multi-purpose training tool which forces your core muscles to adapt. This won it the prestigious title of “Best Core Trainer in the World” by the University of California Berkeley.

Check out www.strongestcore.com for more info.

Stay Fit #7: Youth Resistance Training

There's a misconception that strength training is harmful to pre-pubescent youth. In this episode I explain why this is simply not true, and in fact resistance training is recommended for boys and girls. I also recommend you check out www.LTAD.ca, which is a site dedicated to Long Term Athlete Development. It's a great resource I'm sure you will find interesting!

-Speaking of youth, our little 6 month old daughter wouldn't let me sleep the night before I shot this footage... so please forgive the "tired" look! (o:

Start young and stay fit!

Josh

Train the Trainer

One of the best ways to stay motivated with your workouts is to train with a partner. Having a training partner will hold you accountable to show up to your workout in the first place, and a good training partner will also encourage you to challenge yourself during the workout.

This is one of the reasons why people can benefit from working with a personal trainer. Of course, learning to use correct technique, following an effective program, and choosing the most productive exercises are also very important reasons to hire a trainer. But I would argue that once you have learned the basics of using good form, and you understand the program you are following, then motivation becomes a much stronger factor. Working out with someone who won't allow you to "slack off", who reminds you of your goals, and who encourages you to train with greater intensity, will bring you much greater results than going it alone.

I was recently reminded of this as I have now started working with a "trainer" myself. Since our daughter was born I have been sleeping less and training less often. I have also been extremely busy with clients and other aspects of my business (working on producing a training manual and another DVD). Basically, those are my excuses for "slacking"! I had to admit to myself that I needed a kick in the pants, so I asked a friend and colleague to become my training partner. I insisted that he not accept any "excuses" from me, and I agreed not to cancel any of our workouts once we scheduled them. There was certainly some inertia to overcome, but we are both benefitting at present, and I'm starting to feel like myself again.

Some people may prefer to train alone, and some may already be extremely motivated and driven to succeed... that's great! But if at some point "life" is getting in the way, or you think you are too busy, then consider that it might be best to find a good training partner or hire a professional.

Stay Fit,
Josh

The 5 Best Core Exercises

In this video I look at what I consider to be the most effective core exercises. Some of these movements are more advanced, so I suggest you check out our free Fat Loss Report for some progressions to help you prepare for those exercises. (Sign up at StrongerAndLeaner.com).

Here the Five Best Core Exercises:

1.Power wheel rollouts
2.Power wheel pikes
3.Hanging knee raises
4.Resist the Twist
5.Deadlifts

Core Activation

I recommend my clients perform a series of preparatory movements before training, including these isometrics to "activate" the core muscles. By performing a series of static core exercises such as the plank, side plank, bridge, and lying back extensions, you can engage the midsection and prepare it for the workout ahead.

You only need to hold each position for about 15 seconds... not long enough to fatigue it, but enough to get those muscles firing. Watch my video demo "here" for a thorough explanation.

-Josh Hewett