Tag Archives: Kyle

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

kyle, fitness, health, work out, gymAre you experiencing shoulder pain?  Is your workout suffering as a result? Injuries and strains can happen in and out of the gym and taking care of your body means listening to it and not ignoring potential injuries so if you are experiencing discomfort, talk to your doctor and discuss if you need to see a physical therapist.

In the mean time try applying these practices to get some relief.

Rest  Don’t beat a dead horse if it hurts sometimes a few days off will help resolve the problem – note that I said a few days (2-4 days is recommended). While resting add some ice and light compression for relief.

Stretch  On your days off, while you are resting, make sure you are stretching your chest, lats,and back to help increase blood flow and smooth over any knots you may have that are causing pain.

Take it Easy Stay within the 15-20 rep rang for you first day but take extra time to stretch and warm up and use lighter weights.

Be Mindful The pain you are experiencing may be due to body position (e.g. the way you sleep, sitting with your shoulders rolled forward or cradling a phone). Try to maintain good posture through the day.

Like what you’ve read?  Share these posts with your friends and check out some of my previous blog posts for ideas on how to liven up your fitness routine and to stay motivated in 2015.  Kyle’s Health & Fitness posts.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

fitnessNew Year’s Resolution Reset

How far have you come with your New Years resolutions? A majority of people have fizzled out on their fitness goals by now, so I’ve created a list of healthy results from a month of intense exercise for the 2 most popular fitness goals.

Weight loss: 4-8 pounds of weight loss is an amazing pace to lose fat. The 8-10 lb mark is where you will notice your pants are fitting a little better, and people that are close to you are starting to take notice. This pace is ideal in that it is less likely that you’ll lose any muscle with the fat that you are taking off. The quicker you lose it, the quicker it will be put back on. If you aren’t there yet, and you want to be – START NOW!

Muscle gain: Muscle gain norms are dependent on age and exercise history but 1-2 lbs in a month is attainable. Keep in mind, that in order gain muscle you will have to be at a calorie SURPLUS so the buildup of fat is almost inevitable but hopefully limited. If you haven’t gained any muscle this month, and you wanted to – WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Check out some of my previous blog posts for ideas on how to liven up your fitness routine and to stay motivated in 2015.  Kyle’s Health & Fitness posts.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Realm health and fitness tips from KyleCreating your own exercise program

Following last week’s post on creating an exercise program, I wanted to breakdown “The rules” for your Basic hypertrophy (building muscle) program, and then tie in how to make sure you can continue to see results which I’ll share in a later post.

Workout Structure: Hypertrophy (gaining muscle mass)

Choose an exercise of your own preference that focuses on the following and repeat each exercise 3-4 times (each set should include 8-12 reps) and focus on the “eccentric” phase of the muscle contraction.  Eccentric phase is defined as active contraction of a muscle occurring simultaneously with lengthening of the muscle. For example “lowering” the weight on a bench press or controlling the weight as it goes up on a lat pull down machine.

Upper body push/pull hypertrophy structure for building muscle

Bench press

Bent over barbell row

Core exercise

Lat pull down machine

Barbell overhead press

Core exercise

Dumbell flat bench

Straight arm lat pull down

Core exercise

8-12 reps is just enough time under tension stimulate muscle breakdown with heavy weights. Remember, if you are not “failing” out of every set, than you are missing out on valuable break down! Make sure you can not complete your set, and that the notion of one more rep seems “impossible”.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

absCreating your own exercise program

In this post we will breakdown “The rules” for creating a basic weight loss program.  Next week’s post will follow up and tie in how you can make sure you see continued results to hopefully help keep you motivated and committed.

For weightloss do 15-20 reps for each exercise and give your body minimal rest between full body workouts for maximum impact.

Workout structure

Choose an exercise of your own preference that focuses on the following and repeat each exercise 3-4 times (each set should include 15-20 reps):

lower body exercise – upper body pull – core exercise

(rest & repeat 3-4 times)

lower body exercise – upper body pull – upper body push 

(rest & repeat 3-4 times)

The higher repetitions are suggested to help you burn more calories, but still have the benefit of muscle breakdown that will keep you burning 24-48 hours after you’re done with your work out. I recommend doing this exercise AT LEAST 3 days a week to see results, though it is possible to get away with 2 days a week if your nutrition is on point.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Hitting the gymHiring a Personal Trainer

If you have been contemplating hiring a personal trainer to help you stay on track with your personal fitness or to help you get to the next level of fitness you want to make certain you are hiring someone that will be a good fit for you.  Here are a couple things to keep in mind when meeting this person.

  1. Personality When first meeting with your potential trainer, make sure that you genuinely like the person. You will be spending a lot of time with them over the course of your sessions.  Be certain that you can hold a conversation with them and you have good rapport.
  2. Strive to learn A good trainer should have a lot to talk about in the first session. Every movement should be justified and your trainer should have an easy answer to any “why?” if you were to question their exercise choice. Don’t be afraid to ask “WHY” , if the trainer says “because I said so” that is your cue to move on!
  3. Listen to your trainer Be sure to take your trainers advice, mainly because YOU ARE PAYING FOR IT. Get your money’s worth and fully commit see results and make your trainer proud! If you don’t intend on following his/ her advice this may be clue that you are not ready to fully  commit.

Kyle at Realm Fitness

Kyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

fitness, health, work out, Kyle, Realm Health and FitnessEssential lift of the week: TRX Row

The TRX row is an amazing exercise that challenges the core, biceps and every part of your back! This is an essential lift in that it helps strengthen the “posterior chain” which is groupings of muscle along the back of the body. Typically these muscles are to “lengthened” and weak so we end of slouching over with bad posture. Add this workout into your regimen and improve your posture and biceps at the same time!

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

The 4 Promises: It is the start of the New Year and while the gyms may be overflowing with those who have made resolutions I want to encourage you to consider making these four promises:

  1. I will spend at least 4 hours in the gym every week.
  2. I will eat whole foods and have only ONE cheat day a week.
  3. I will drink 8 cups of water a day.
  4. I will get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Print this off and post it at your desk, on your refrigerator and set it up as a daily reminder on your phone or work calendar so you are reminded of these promises. Better yet, have your significant other or good friend join you so you can encourage each other and best of luck to you this year.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

realm health and fitness tips from kyleCarbs, Fats and Proteins:  Your easy guide to reaching your New Years’ resolutions of losing weight

Carbs from breads, pastas, grains, etc…  If you are trying to lose fat you may want to consider cutting back on these types of foods so they only comprise 10% – 20% of your overall diet.  It is best to eat carbohydrate dense foods after an intense workout.

Fats from eggs, meats, nuts, avocados, beef, fish etc…  This should comprise 20%-40% of your intake and can be eaten through out the day as part of each meal you consume.

Proteins from chicken, beef, fish, pork, yogurt, cheese etc..  These should also be a part of every meal and a good rule of thumb for portion control is to have 2 palm sized portions.

In short, always eat sensibly and ensure you have a protein, a healthy fat, and variety of vegetables with every meal.  This combined with exercise will help you lose weight and be healthy.  

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Kyle Realm and Fitness tips TRX workoutWork out of the week: TRX.

TRX is one tool that every fitness freak should have in their gym bag. Due to its unique stimulus and ease in which you can adjust the difficulty of each exercise, I have made the TRX one of my got-to tools in workouts for clients and myself.  TRX is unique in that you can hit every part of your body and scale each exercise in difficulty without adding an additional load or more tools.

This also makes for the perfect stocking stuffer and can help hold us to our cliche new years resolutions to eat better and work out more in the New Year. (Expect some TRX workouts/challenges to be posted in the future.)

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Hot cocoaAs the days get colder, we have more layers of clothing between the world and our naked bodies. This means that we are more apt to pack away the pounds of fat where no one can see them – OUR BELLIES. Here is a simple, 4 ingredient,  hot chocolate recipe the will help you fight the hard battle against the freezing weather.

Start by boiling 1 cup of milk (I use whole milk).  Mix in 2 rounded tsp of cocoa powder and 1 tbs of sweetener (I prefer stevia or honey) and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.  If you want to stay extra warm and have fresh breath, add a shot of peppermint schnapps.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Kyle realm health and fitness tips5 Tips to make sure the Turkey is the only sweaty, thing with a belly full of stuffing.  Follow these tips to ensure that you eat more of the right things on thanksgiving, and less of the bad.

  • Make your first plate nothing but Meat and vegetables – This will make sure you get filled up with low calorie and high nutrient foods first, and will have minimal room left over for the bad stuff.
  • Drink at least 1 large cup of water per plate.  This will not only help keep you full, but also remain hydrated through the inevitably high amounts of salt that you will be consuming.
  • Sugar free pie-If you must have pastries, eat the sugar free one or bring one to the gathering. Anyone with diabetes will love the company, and you can feel a little less guilty while still enjoying the delicious fruits.
  • Get in a KILLER workout in before the festivities begin.  This can be a quick trip to the gym, a game of touch football, or the workout listed in the last post. EARN YOUR FEAST.

Don’t stress, be thankful. Be health conscious, not obsessive and stressed over every calorie. This will put you in a shitty emotional state and actually lead to more weight gain. Relax, be happy, and give thanks!

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Kyle Realm health and fitnessThe Hotel Express workout

Too busy with family or do you happen to travel a lot and don’t have time to get a decent workout in? I’ve designed this workout so that you can do it ANYWHERE at ANYTIME with minimal time commitment, and just like all the finer things in life- all you need for this is a bed.

Here is the breakdown – perform each movement in the order listed, starting at 12 reps per set and countdown all the way to 1 rep. So 12 reps the first round, 11 reps the second round, 10 reps the third round etc. Don’t rest; keep cycling through until you are done!

12 squat jumps

12 push up

12 bulgarian split squats (One leg on bed or chair)

12 v-ups

12 split jumps (per side)

*These are advance movements, not recommended for beginners.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Realm health and fitness tips from KyleThis week’s post recognizes that many of us may be struggling with the colder temperatures  and what is better than warm, buttery pancakes on a cold fall morning? WARM PUMPKIN PROTEIN PANCAKES ON A COLD MORNING!

These pancakes are reasonably good for you and a known deterrent of the dreaded PANCAKE ASS. Liven up your protein shake and cook it!  Here’s the ingredients:

1 Scoop protein powder
½ cup Pumpkin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
2 egg whites
1/2 cup Oats
½ cup    + 2 tbs water
3-5 packets of stevia (Or honey if its post work-out)

Combine in a bowl and then Cook on a griddle like normal, apply butter and low sugar syrup and enjoy.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Realm health and fitness tips from KyleBottoms up kettlebell press

This is just like a kettlebell overhead press, but with the mass of the kettlebell pointing toward the ceiling, and it is a killer workout that helps to build shoulder strength and stability.

Give it a shot next time you’re in the gym.

Kettlebell press tips:

  • Always try to “crush” the handle by squeezing as hard as you possibly can.
  • Make sure to start with a light weight to feel the exercise better and avoid injury.
  • Keep your elbows in front of your torso and close to your body.
  • Keep the elbow under your grip at all times.”PUSH” the kettlebell to the ceiling and slowly “pull” it in.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.

Realm health and fitness tips from Kyle

Feeling down? LIFT yourself back up!

realm health and fitness tips from KyleWhen I have a couple busy weeks that don’t allow me to get my own workout in, I not only feel like something is missing, I feel a little down. This transfers into low energy, lack of focus and ultimately getting less things done and killing productivity.

A new study helps support the phenomenally positive effects exercise has on depression, specifically stress induced depression. This has been proven to work in cases where the subjects did not want to work out, but pushed through the exercise. This means that the physical demand placed on the body can not only make you physically stronger, but mentally too.

Kyle at Realm FitnessKyle is a nationally certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and lifestyle motivator out of Los Angeles, CA. He has been training for 5 years and has experience working with top-tier celebrity and executive clientele. When he’s not in the gym, Kyle is reading philosophy or writing poetry.