But the sad part is: They’re wasting their time!

You see, sit-ups and crunches are outdated exercises, being replaced by more conventional exercises to strengthen the core and give definition to your abs.

So, if you’re still doing crunches in order to get that six-pack look, then you should seriously consider retiring those exercises and replace them with this one particular exercise.

The PLANK!  You see, trainers all over the world are moving away from crunches and sit-ups for ab development.

Not that they don’t give you a burn, but they put way too much stress on your lower back, leading to numerous overuse injuries or strains in the lower back.  Many people don’t know this but the real function of the core is to stabilize the spine not increase flexion and extension.

Who needs that?  No one is the correct answer!  That’s why more and more people are turning to the plank in order to give their CORE—and their entire body—a much different and more intense workout.

Not sure if the plank is for you?  I would like to give you 5 different reasons why you should ditch the crunches and sit-ups and hit the plank instead.

The 5 Reasons Why the Plank is Better Than Crunches

There are many different reasons why you should move away from doing crunches or sit-ups for ab development and focus more on the plank.

Not only does it help strengthen your ENTIRE body, the plank also does the following 5 things:

1. Develops Your Core

Most people do crunches or sit-ups to develop their core, attack their abs, and develop the six-pack ab look.

However, those aren’t the only exercises you can do.

The plank—which again, focuses on your entire body—stresses your core without adding too much negative strain on your lower back.

The focus of the plank is for core strength—which you will get plenty of the longer you hold this pose.

2. Less Stress on Your Lower Back

If you find that the exercises you’re doing for your core are hurting your lower back, then you may be doing them wrong.

Or shouldn’t be doing them at all!  Crunches and sit-ups, due to the way they are performed, may cause more low back pain and injuries than most exercises.

If you’re looking to attack your core, but don’t want to do crunches, then the plank would be the best option.

Not only will the plank strengthen your core, it could alleviate stress to your lower back, therefore cutting down on low back pain and injuries.

Think about when most back injuries occur….picking something up and your spine bends into a flexed position.  Well then,  does it make sense to be cranking on your neck and pulling your spine into that flexed position?

Think of your spine as a credit card.  You may be able to bend it over and over but you know how your CC eventually gets that white crease and cracks……then you get the picture of what is happening when you are cranking on that neck performing some of those “core” exercises.

3. Faster Metabolism

Most people don’t think they will lose fat just by doing the plank—but you can!

Since the plank is a full-body exercise, there will be more muscles recruited during the exercise.  Doing the plank will help develop a strong core, which could translate to more calories burning during exercise and at rest.

(More muscle mass could increase your metabolic rate so you burn more calories throughout the day. )

4. Better Posture

Have you ever heard of texting neck?  How about forward posture?  Many people who have desk jobs tend to have problems with their posture.

From rounded shoulders and tight chests, to tight hamstrings and hip flexors, sitting for prolonged periods of time really makes an impact on your posture.

Well the plank can help!  Since the plank is a full body workout, your entire body will be strengthened.

That means your shoulders (due to making sure the shoulder blades are locked in the back), arms, legs, back, and core will all get stronger, making it much easier to improve your posture.

5. Flexibility will Improve

Another cause of lower back pain could come from tightness in your hamstrings or other areas of your body.

Luckily, the plank could take care of that problem!  Remember, the plank works all the muscle groups in the body.

But, depending on the position you hold, the muscles in your arms, shoulders, legs, and back may feel quite a stretch.

This could improve your flexibility and reduce low back pain and strain.

Plank to the Rescue

If you’re looking to get stronger…have a rock-solid core…or cut down on simple aches and pains, the plank may be your solution.

This exercise is simple to perform allowing for your entire body to be worked as one unit.

But that’s not all it does…

The plank may also stimulate FAT LOSS by strengthening and building your core, making you a metabolic machine.

And speaking of metabolic machines…

Did you know there’s a simple way to increase your metabolism and burn unwanted belly fat?  It’s true!  But that’s not even the best part…

If you think doing endless bouts of cardio…or even spending a few minutes pushing yourself to extreme levels is the answer—it’s not.

The post 5 Reasons to DO More Planks appeared first on Infinite Fitness Sports Performance.

BUT…

There is some very promising research out there in regards to a dietary supplement you’ve probably been hearing a lot about.

Yes, I’m talking about Essential Fatty Acids. You probably have heard them called something like Fish Oil pills.

How’s this for good news?!

*University of Georgia researchers have found something pretty amazing about Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. Get this: They actually help STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature.

Once a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell, well, there’s no turning back. You’ve got that fat cell for life. Imagine, actually decreasing the accumulation of fat by taking an Essential Fatty Acid supplement containing DHA!

That’s not the only benefit of Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA.

According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement.

How can you not be excited by these research studies??

Now, personally, there are a lot of Fish Oil pills that I don’t like because they cause you to burp like crazy. If you’ve ever taken them you know exactly what I mean. And they aren’t always the highest quality.  The best quality out there is actually krill oil.

So if you’re looking to accelerate your fat loss along results along with all the added health benefits then I recommend you check out Jaylab Pro’s Omega Icon. You can read more about or get it HERE

Committed to Your Success,

Infinite Team

PS – Remember, Fish Oil and Krill Oil are NOT a miracle solution. You will need sound nutrition and exercise. BUT the research is there. It’s definitely, a supplement with powerful fat loss properties.

* Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969

** American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85:1267-1274

The post Winning the Battle Against Fat… appeared first on Infinite Fitness Sports Performance.

Eat breakfast.

Look, you can make fat loss as difficult as you like. You can make it out to be super complicated if you so choose.

But one of the easiest things you can do to start melting the fat off your frame is to start eating a breakfast that boosts your metabolism and sets the tone for fat loss all day long.

Now, there’s a very good chance you’re shaking your head in agreement with me, but saying something like, “That’s great. I know that. But what the heck do I eat?”

Glad you asked

Here are three simple fat fighting breakfasts from Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter:

1- Cottage cheese mixed with real fruit

2- Hard boiled egg and yogurt mixed with real fruit

3- 2 pieces of fruit and a scrambled egg wrap

Seriously, would that be so hard? Don’t you think you can manage that in the morning?

Well, if you can’t Jayson, who is the Head of R & D at Jaylab Pro, has another suggestion. You can use a nutritious meal replacement shake like Lean.

We’ve had lots of people try this over the years and say it’s awesome.

Ok, so there are 4 options for a Belly Fat Blasting Breakfast. Enjoy!

Committed to Your Success,

Infinite Team

P.S. If you want more great recipes here are 51 others that you can try with many of them being desserts.  Click Here

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Why? Well, in addition to juggling his time in the gym, at the cages and studying the Wheeler High School sophomorehad a big decision to make. Baruch received an offer to play college baseball for Boston College – and accepted it.

The Eagles verbal commit is also a product of the Junior Gulls at In the Zone and received looks from multiple DI schools, but couldn’t pass on the chance to verbally commit to New England’s ACC team.

“It’s good to see a kid like Dan – who comes in and works so hard – receive a scholarship offer from a prestigious DI school so early in his career,” Infinite coach Andrew Medeiros said.

It’s no surprise Baruch’s received multiple accolades, being the top-ranked 2019 New England recruit by Prep Baseball Report, earning first team honors as a Rhode Island Interscholastic League Div. 3 all star and helping Wheeler win the Div. 3 state title.

He’s also seen some big jumps since joining the Infinite family, most notably in his exit velocity jumping to 93 mph off his bat.

“What impressed me about [Infinite’s] initial evaluation of Daniel is the way you asked him to articulate his ultimate goal—to play high level baseball at the next level—and then worked with him on establishing concrete, measurable fitness goals to put him in the position to achieve them,” Baruch’s father, Jay said. “To compete on that level, he understood that he needed to become faster and stronger and more flexible, and that involved working muscle groups he didn’t know he needed.

“It takes a village, and the opportunity to play at Boston College is a reflection of the extraordinary baseball staff of the Newport Junior Gulls organization, the work with Infinite’s talented trainers, and Daniel’s work ethic and passion for baseball. As parents, we’re so grateful that Daniel found this baseball family who understood him, pushed him, and put his dreams within reach.”

Baruch still has three seasons of high school baseball . . . one can only imagine what’s still to come for the DI commit.

The post Athlete of the Month is Boston College Bound… appeared first on Infinite Fitness Sports Performance.

But there are a few adult clients out there you’ll see, one in particular who you might not recognize if you haven’t seen her since she joined our Infinite Family.

Why? Probably because she’s nearly lost 100 pounds since then.

And to think, she almost quit before she even started.

“Even when I first made the decision to start working out and set up my assessment here, I wanted to cancel,” Amy Smiddy said. “I had some stupid reason about the weather and just a dumb reason.”

But thankfully, Smiddy, 40, had a voice in her head telling her to make the jump – literally.

“He just called me one day and said ‘You have to do it and stick to it or you can just talk about it for the rest of your life,’” Smiddy said about Infinite Fitness coach Kyle Fernandes. “That was like a life-changing moment for me, that one phone call. As hard as it was to hear that, I was like, ‘You know what, he’s absolutely right.’”

Smiddy – known by some as “Smidds” or “The lady who lost all that weight,” – couldn’t recall one distinct moment where she felt change had to be made, but she was starting to notice a trend and identified a change had to be made.

“I started paying attention to what I was eating just because I had gotten to the point where none of my clothes were fitting,” Smiddy said. “I had to buy larger size, which was totally disgusting me be I had lost weight before. I got the job I have now working midnights and stood all the time and I gained like 20 pounds in like no time, in a month.

“I started thinking, ‘If I keep this up, I’m going to be huge.’ I wanted to feel better and look better. Instead of just talking about it, I actually wanted to do.”

While reaching that 100-pound mark is an amazing achievement it didn’t come simply. There were highs, lows, smiles and tears along the way.

But once she started, there was never a moment where Smiddy thought about quitting – even when faced with the toughest obstacle, changing her diet.

“Eating was a huge challenge,” Smiddy said. “That was a huge struggle for me in the beginning. Even after I started losing weight I was still struggling, I wasn’t eating enough or I was eating too much of the wrong foods.

“Even to this day I still learn things; Like I have a hard time wrapping my head around that I eat more food now, but I still lose weight – which still blows my mind.”

Now Smiddy uses the new Infinite Fitness Nutrition Coaching program, and she continues to see results, moving down to a size 10 in pants and small in t-shirts – the smallest sizes she’s reached in her adult life.  You can imagine the wardrobe change she’s gone through, going from a size 24 in pants to where she is now.

“The fact that I can go to any store and I buy a piece of clothing without even trying it on, and it fits drives me everyday,” Smiddy said. “That was something I was never able to do, or I would see something and go try it on and it would never fit. Now I’m still stuck in the mindset that I’m a 14 or a 16 and I bring things in the dressing room and I’m like ‘This is way too big, what was I thinking?’ That’s huge for me because I like getting dressed now, I like going shopping now and that’s what keeps me going.”

“I can’t wait to get a bathing suit this year – which I’ve never been able to say – just to see what I look like because I feel like I don’t need to cover up as much. That’s just a girly thing.”

Smiddy’s made a remarkable change in how she feels, in her appearance – to her life in general. But by no means did she set out thinking she would get this far, and she firmly believes making these changes are attainable for anyone with the right approach.

“Once you find a program – and I’m going to use it in relation to my family at Infinite Fitness – if you make the commitment to walk in this door and you follow what the coaches tell you to do, you’ll make it – no matter how hard it is,” Smiddy said. “You just keep pushing everyday. Even if it’s a little change, you do 100 more steps than yesterday or your try to do one thing that you couldn’t do before, as long as you stick with it and trust in the process it’s amazing.

“I never thought that I would get to this point. I always thought ‘Yeah I want to look like that,’ but never thought I would get here. If people want to do it, the support system and the resources at Infinite are phenomenal.

Yeah it costs a little bit of money and it’s a lot of investment in yourself, but it is totally worth it because it has changed my life in an unimaginable way.”

The post Smiddy’s Journey to Losing 100lbs appeared first on Infinite Fitness Sports Performance.

The Fairhaven freshman wasted no time making a splash on South Coast basketball, scoring 17 in her first contest. The off-guard has been the leading scorer for the Blue Devils, averaging 12 points per game and leading her team in scoring all but once so far.

“Abby comes through the door every time ready and willing to put in the work that is required out perform other athletes and play at an elite level,” coach Mike Fernandes said. “It’s no wonder why she’s the leading varsity scorer as a freshman.”

On top of that, Abby continues to make progress in the weight room, all while taking honors courses and maintaining a 4.4 GPA.

“The coaches at Infinite Fitness have been outstanding,” Nate Pickup, Abby’s father, said. “Mike and his team have done a great job with Abby developing her goals and then creating an individualized program to help her achieve them. They have strengthened Abby both physically and mentally over the past 6 months.  She has made tremendous strides in her development as a basketball player and Infinite Fitness has been an integral part of her success.”

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In her freshman year Stuessi started at libero for Fairhaven’s varsity volleyball squad, helping lead the Blue Devils back to the South Sectional Finals. Stuessi has 249 digs, 386 service receptions, 38 aces and 131 points won off serves in her inaugural campaign at the center of Fairhaven’s defense.

Her success earned her an Honorable Mention from the New Bedford Standard-Times.

“The improvement Ali has seen while working with the team from Infinite Fitness has been significant,” Ali’s father, Scott Stuessi said. “Mike and the team have set forth a plan that incorporates physical, mental and nutritional/recovery goals for her. This has led to a more confident player on the court.

“Ali’s serving velocity, on the court movement and strength to keep a low position while playing defense have all seen significant improvement.”

On top of all her success, Ali started strong in the classroom, maintaining a 3.9 GPA to start her high school career.

“Ali is a perfect example of a young athlete who knows what she ants to accomplish and the effort required to make it happen,” coach Mike Fernandes said. “With a busy schedule and living almost a half hour away from the gym, Ali still made the time to train during the season because she understands how important it is to her continued growth and success as a volleyball player.”

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In his first year at Nobles and Greenough, the junior running back has been a standout. In his 7 games he’s been handed the ball 63 times and rushed for 552 yards. That’s 8.8 yards per carry. He’s rushed for 100 yards in three games and even managed over 200 once.

“Infinite Fitness and Mike Fernandes have immensely improved my performance on the field and in the weight room,” Medeiros said. “The ambiance in Infinite is both amiable and congenial. I can attribute much of my success to the Infinite team. Mike is passionate about his profession and is committed to every athlete’s success. Mike exemplifies the role of a sedulous person. He altruistically has taken time to observe a few of my football games over an hour away from his home. He pushes his assiduous athletes to achieve their goals. Without the positive influence of Mike and his team, I would not have been able to achieve what I have today. I hope to continue my collaboration with Infinite Fitness in the foreseeable future.”

Medeiros has found the end zone 8 times, as well as converting one 2-point attempt. In fact, he’s in the top-10 in scoring in the Independent School League. He’s also done well on defense, with both a pick and a forced fumble on the year.

“We would like to thank Infinite Fitness and Mike for creating a family environment that has helped Jason pursue his goals,” Jason’s father, Rick Medeiros, said. The mentoring, visibility, and support, he has received from the Infinite Family is extraordinary. Mike and staff have taken personal time to visit and support him at various school events. Jason has taken on his latest challenge at Nobles and Greenough with his typical drive and desire to be the best.  Combined with Mike’s support and leadership it is a recipe for future success. Thanks for all you do and we can’t wait to see what the future brings for Jason.”

Medeiros even earned an invite to visit West Point, where the Division I recruit spent time with Army’s football coaching staff.

The star running back continues his hard work in the weight room despite going away for school, and will be back on the floor at Infinite in the next few weeks.

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