fitness

What's the Plan, Man?

What's the Plan, Man?

New year, new you, right? So you’ve committed to hitting the gym and eating healthy. Unfortunately, many people who have made this life-changing decision quickly give up because it’s too challenging or boring. Changing your fitness lifestyle is like quitting cigarettes: some people can quit cold turkey while others need a firm game plan.

Building the perfect workout plan can be difficult, and your eyes will surely glaze over looking at the thousands of  plans that are detailed online. Which plan is right for you? Reduce the mental strain by focusing on some basic fundamentals of building an appropriate workout plan that will help you get and stay on track.

Escape and Stay in Shape

Escape and Stay in Shape

Has the cold weather confined you to your tiny apartment? Although you may make brief trips to the gym to ogle buff guys, you find yourself desperately needing to escape the anxiety cloud looming over you. In the mornings, as you prepare to venture into the frozen wasteland of the city and try to wash away an expression of dread, the warm splash of water across your face floods your mind with thoughts of waves crashing on a sunny beach. So you pull out your phone and book the first flight to Puerto Vallarta.

Sure, that vacation sounds amazing, but you can’t neglect your workout routine as easily as your New York City responsibilities. Here are six ways to make sure you stay in shape on your great escape.

Workout: Go In With a Plan

Time is precious when you live in a city that never sleeps. This is especially true during the holiday season. Between parties, bar crawls, family gatherings, brunch, and even holiday hookups, many of us find very little time to spend at the gym.

So how do you squeeze in gym time during the holidays? Go in with a plan! Here are five tips to help insure that you’re effective with your time and stay in shape all season long.

Finding Time for Fitness

After hitting the snooze button for the 10th time, you wake up 30 minutes before you have to be at work, take a power shower, throw on your least wrinkled outfit, and run out the door, barely leaving enough time to grab a coffee. Then you get to work and realize you have five meetings, four conference calls, 100 emails, lunch with a client, and a networking event that evening. Sound familiar? 

Body Talk: Staying Fit After 40

Turning 40 is often viewed as a crossroads. For some, that means a midlife crisis, and some turn to binge drinking. With our culture’s glorification of youth in fashion and media, it’s not hard to see why a lot of people fear the big 4-0. So what’s a 40-plus-year-old man supposed to do? Get in shape and own your fantastic, well-earned age! That’s what fashion influencer Paul Margolin, president of Marc Bouwer, does. At 49, he’s ripped and hot as hell. So how does he stay in such great shape? Let him tell you in his own words. —DW

Weight Watchers

One of the top questions I’m asked as a personal trainer is whether it’s better to lift heavier weights with lower reps or to lift lighter weights with higher reps. The answer is neither. Both methods have their purpose and both can help you meet your fitness goals. Which one you should focus on depends on your particular goals. Are you trying to gain muscle mass? Do you want to lift more than most humans? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to get jacked? All of these will have an impact on which end of the spectrum you should focus on.