To the body, it’s all resistance training. Your body doesn’t know if you’re using dumbells, kettlebells or resistance bands. That’s why it’s never a bad idea to ditch all of those implements and train using only your bodyweight.
I use some form of bodyweight training in all of my clients’ personal training sessions. And, of course this includes exercises for the core. The most utilized region of the body in everyday activities and during strength training.
In the following three minute videos take a look at what I believe are some of the best and most advanced core and bodyweight exercises that you should incorporate into your training routine today! Give each of them a shot and let me know what you think.
By now I am sure you’ve heard that the Working Body is closing its doors. This is a transition for all of us, and I will miss working alongside the WB team. But one thing the pandemic has taught me is how to be flexible and find new ways to continue doing what I love to do. So, I am pleased to share that I’m currently working on reconstructing my garage to serve as a gym. Once complete, this option will be available in addition to my current virtual and socially distanced outdoor training offerings.
So, don’t worry about how you’ll continue to stay fit. I’m still here for you! My ‘home” gym will include equipment you’re used to finding in most gyms and is yet another way that I can serve you in a safe manner during these most unusual times and beyond. It is a testimony to not only my dedication and service to my clients, but to my love for the human body and all it has to offer us. I can’t wait to share with you the finished product.
If you’re located in Oakland or the surrounding area and are looking for one-on-one personal training via one of the above methods, please reach out to me. Don’t let the pandemic stand in the way of your number one priority – YOU. If you really care about yourself and the ones you love, it is imperative that you stay in the best physical condition possible and Preston Ray Fitness can help you do just that!
Here’s to good health and moving beyond the challenges in front of us. Let’s end 2020 strong!
Listening to music while exercising does not just relieve boredom, it can help improve the quality of your workout by increasing your stamina and putting you in a better mood. The lyrics or catchy rhythm of motivational music might inspire you to exercise longer or work harder during your exercise.
That being said, I thought it would be good to mix it up a little when it comes to my 20-minute workouts. So, I’ve collaborated with my former personal trainer, Leyder Chapman, lead singer of Dos Four, to share my new video with music from his new album, Sabor and Flava.
Watch closely as my wife and I bring you a new dumbbell workout you can do easily and effectively from the comfort of your home. And if you have any questions concerning form or technique, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Squat Thrusters x 10 reps per side Tricep Kickback x 10 reps per side Staggered Stance Deadlift x 8 reps per side Hammer Curls x 8 reps per side Lateral Lunge w/ High Pull x 6 per side Rotational Row x 6 per side
As a father of two children, I am keenly aware of how frustrating our current situation can be for young people. Most summer camps have been cancelled and many parents like me are left with few viable options for them. That is why I am offering a 4-week Off Season Training Program for youth. Please watch this 1-minute video to learn more. Thank you in advance.
Preston
Off-Season Conditioning for Youth
(Foundational exercises such as planks, squats jumps and sprints.)
4-Week Program, 2 sessions per week
(Zoom and/or outdoor at Lake Merritt)
Create your own Pod and Start Date
(Minimum 2 participants)
$499 per participant
(Payment due prior to start date)
We all know that stress can lead people to seek out unhealthy food. And during a crisis like the one we are now experiencing it probably comes as no surprise that according to Bloomberg, the sale of popcorn is up 48%; pretzels 47%; and potato chips 30% compared to this same time last year. And I am convinced that these facts have every bit to do with new terms like “quarantine weight” and “quarantine 15.”
And while weight gain is a major issue, an even bigger issue might just well be isolation from others. I for one really hate being “cooped up” as my mother used to say. I am a big-time extrovert who loves being with others. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of being amongst others. Laughing, shaking hands and giving hugs are all things that I welcome back into my life with a passion.
Now while you probably understand that exercise is the cure for weight loss, did you know that it is also the answer to the isolation blues. Well, yes, it is. In an article titled, Exercise, Immunity and the Covid-19 Pandemic, the American College of Sports Medicine states that exercise can counter the effects of isolation and confinement. Wow! If exercise can do all of this, why not sign up?
Get started today with my most recent 20-Minute Home Workout, Strength Endurance #4, featuring my wife and a pair of dumbbells. The exercises are meant to challenge your entire body from head to toe. Click on the link to start the workout now. And, do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel, Preston Ray Fitness so that you can receive more videos like this one before they are released.
Trust that you are coping with the fact that we are going to be “sheltering in place” until the end of May. I was not shocked when I found out the news and I suppose you were not either. Let us continue to do our part to make the community as safe and healthy as possible.
To-that-end, here is another 20-Minute Strength Endurance workout you can do alone or with a partner. They are designed to not only challenge your physical fitness, but to help you better assess how well you move.
In this week’s workout the movements are meant to challenge you in the “transverse plane.” A dancer performing a pirouette, a golfer hitting a drive and pitcher throwing a baseball are all examples of transverse movement.
Please enjoy the video and like and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Preston Ray Fitness. Here you can find all my videos ranging from 20-Minute home workouts to 1-Minute tutorials on form and technique.
I hope you are continuing to stay safe, healthy, and sane as we make our way through this pandemic. We are all bound to feel stress from time to time, so it is important you offset your anxieties with movement. Hence, another 20-Minute workout you can do at home. This time, with a partner.
In this week’s 20-Minute Strength Endurance workout my wife and I will focus on the side of the body. Movements will be in what is called the frontal plane. Better known as side to side or lateral movement. Last week’s movements were primarily in the sagittal or forward and backward plane of motion.
Please enjoy the video and like and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Preston Ray Fitness. Here you can find all my videos ranging from 20-Minute workouts to 1-Minute tutorials on form and technique.
Like everyone else, the recent Covid19 pandemic has left me searching for new ways to live my life. I work differently, socialize differently, and even exercise differently.
That’s why I have devoted part of my downtime during this pandemic to create exercise videos for you, my loyal clients, that fit our new lifestyle.
In my first ever 20- minute, full body workout I will challenge your strength, stamina, skill and mental toughness.
The movements are to be done in the order they appear in the video, and the only piece of equipment you will need is a kettlebell.
During this video I will be working out with you to create more energy, demonstrate how to properly execute the movements and coach you.
The six movements in the video are listed below along with the number of reps to complete each round.
–Goblet Squat: 10 reps
–Push Ups: 10 reps
–KB Swing: 20 reps
–Shldr Tap Plank: 20 reps, 10 per side, alternating
–Reverse lunge to balance: 10 reps per side
–Bent Over Row: 10 reps per side
I recommend using an 8kg, 12kg, or 16kg kettlebell and going up in increments of 4kg once you can complete 4 rounds in 20 minutes or less.
In my experience, average athletes complete 2 rounds, Intermediate athletes complete 3 rounds and Advanced athletes complete 4 rounds.
2019 was one of the best years of my life. We closed on a home. Vacationed every other month. Connected with old friends and family members throughout the year. Was direct booked for my first ever modeling gig. Took an acting class. And, joined the PTSA at my daughter’s middle school.
But, the boldest thing I did last year was make a public declaration via Instagram to read 60 books in 2019. (I read 50.) And, on December 31 I announced again via Instagram that I had in fact stayed the course but had fallen just short of my goal. (Somewhere I read the average CEO reads 60 books per year.)
So why am I sharing this story you ask? And, how come I consider this goal to be bigger than buying a house? Especially in the Bay Area. It’s because no one knew that I was buying a home. If that fell through, I could keep it a secret. But sharing via Instagram was different. There was social proof.
There wasn’t a week that went by that I was not aware of the statement I made to read 60 books. It was as fresh on my mind in December as it was in January. I knew I had set a lofty goal and I was determined to be a man of my word so to speak. And giving my word is something I don’t take lightly.
The point that I am trying to make here is that goal setting can be powerful. Especially, when you are willing to make a public declaration on a popular social media channel for all to see and hear. Now I am not saying that you need to make a public declaration on Instagram the way I did, but I am saying you better tell somebody.
I want you to consider making a public declaration or at least sharing with a group of friends a BIG goal that you have for 2020. One that will require you put in a little work each day in order to achieve it. Something that’s going to make you a better/different person than you were the previous year. And after all, isn’t that what life’s all about?
Yours in health,
Preston
P.S. I would love for a few of you to make a public declaration to a large group or even to me about something BIG you want to accomplish in 2020. And, if you need me to remind you every month or quarter, I can do that too.
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