James A. Peterson, Ph.D., FACSM, Nov 14 2011

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1. Exercise for a longer period. One of the simplest ways of increasing the collective demands you place on your body during your physical activity regimen is to extend the duration of your exercise session. To a given point, the longer you work out, the greater the exercise-related rewards you’ll achieve.

2. Lift more. The basic concept underlying sound strength training is progressive overload. In that regard, to properly develop your level of muscular fitness, you must place a demand on your muscles beyond the load that they normally can handle. As yourmuscles become stronger, a proportionally higher level of resistance is required to further stimulate an increase in their strength. All factors considered, the more you lift, the more work you do.

3. Exercise at a higher rate of speed. All factors equal when you exercise aerobically, the faster you move your body, the more you’ll perform within a given amount of time.

4. Increase the distance you cover when you exercise. Regardless of whether you’re walking, running, cycling, or whatever, the greater the distance you movewhen you’re exercising, the more work you’ll do (work = force
distance). As one of the underlying elements of work, distance is one of the relatively easiest factors to manipulate when you want to increase the amount of work you perform during a particular exercise bout.

5. Change your grip. The width and/or type of a particular grip being used while strength training tends to vary with the individual and the exercise being performed. To the degree that your grip increases the range of movement during a given exercise or enhances the level of isolation of the specific muscles or group of muscles being exercised, changing how and where you hold the bar (or lever) can increase the amount of work you’re doing.

6. Change the position of your feet. Regardless of whether you’re lifting weights or exercising on amachine (aerobic or strength training), modifying the placement of your feet when you exercise can alter the degree of involvement of the muscles responsible for the exercise movement. This exercise modification can help increase the training stimulus for the involved muscles.

7. Vary your exercise modalities. Research has shown that some exercise modalities involve doing more work than others. Although a strong argument can be made that individuals should engage in a mode of activity that they personally enjoy, considerable evidence also exists concerning the benefits of both cross training and adding variety to a workout. In that regard, you should occasionally incorporate more physically demanding activities or modalities into your exercise-training regimen.

8. Vary the elevation at which you exercise. One of the most challenging ways that you can increase how hard you work when you’re exercising is to increase the vertical incline at which you are moving your body. Such a step requires your body to overcome the demands imposed by gravity, as well as to meet the basic physical requirements of the exercise modality itself. Two of the more common examples of using enhanced elevation while training to increase the level of work are running/walking hills and exercising on a treadmill that has an elevation feature.

9. Do negative-only or negative-accentuated training. Performing a strength-training exercise involves two types of muscular actions V concentric (positive work where the muscle is shortening) occurs when the weight is being lifted and eccentric (negative work where the muscle is lengthening) happens when the weight is being lowered. Because you can generally lower more weight than you can lift, primarily because of the effects of gravity, one of the most effective ways to increase the amount of work you do while strength training is to perform negative-only training (i.e., do only the negative phase of the exercise). This technique requires that either you have a spotter (partner) to raise the weight for you or equipment that facilitates doing such a method. Negative-accentuated training involves performing the concentric phase with both limbs (arms or legs) and then lowering the weight with only one limb.

10. Avoid off loading your body’s weight while exercising on a machine. Far too many people lean on an exercise machine while working out. Although such a practice usually enables a person to train longer, seemingly harder, or feel more comfortable, it should strictly be avoided because it can dramatically decrease the amount of work you’re actually doing.

James A. Peterson, Ph.D., FACSM, is a freelance writer and consultant in sports medicine. From 1990 until 1995, Dr. Peterson was director of sports medicine with StairMaster. Until that time, he was professor of physical education at the United States Military Academy.

Stressed: Eat Chocolate

The scenario: It’s Friday at 6:30 p.m. You’re hungry, tired and late for your dinner date. You were supposed to be out of work an hour ago, but your boss has asked you for a favor…again. The stress is building, so what can calm you down fast? Now’s the time to pull out the chocolate bar hiding in the back of your desk drawer. Experts say that chocolate—particularly dark chocolate—may help reduce the stress hormones that are swarming in your body. In fact, a recent study by researchers in Switzerland, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, found that eating just a smidge of dark chocolate (about 1.4 ounces) has the power to lower the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamines in the body, reducing your anxiety and giving you a better chance to get the job done—and make your date.

Sluggish: Eat a Spinach Salad

Can’t concentrate? Trouble keeping your eyes open? Skip the coffee and have a spinach salad instead, says Joanna Dolgoff, MD, author of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right. “Folic acid, or folate, helps your body to process and lower homocysteine levels,” says Dr. Dolgoff. “High levels of homocysteine are associated with damage to blood vessels, in addition to interfering with the flow of blood and nutrients to the brain. Impaired blood flow may leave you feeling sluggish or slow to process or recall information.” The best way to get a boost? Eat folate-rich foods like spinach and other leafy green vegetables as well as potatoes, fortified breads and cereals, beans, peas and mushrooms.

Cranky: Eat an Apple with Peanut Butter

Did you snap at your kids…and the telemarketer on the phone? Crankiness can be a sign that your body needs fuel. Just be sure to refuel the right way: with foods that don’t leave you with a blood sugar crash an hour later, setting the crankiness cycle in motion all over again. To blast irritability, “eat combination foods at each meal and snack,” says Dr. Dolgoff. “Combination foods contain a carbohydrate in combination with either some protein or some fat. Carbohydrates are a great source of energy that quickly burns out. Adding some fat or protein will slow the digestion process, causing your sugar and energy levels to remain stable for a longer amount of time. A great example of a combination snack is an apple with peanut butter. The apple is your healthy complex carbohydrate and the peanut butter is a healthy fat. Combining these powerhouse foods tastes delicious and gives you energy that lasts for hours!”

Anxious: Eat a Salmon Burger

Worrying about your finances, your marriage, your kids? If anxiety and worries are consuming your day, consider heading out to lunch with a friend. The conversation will do you good, and so will the meal—if you order salmon, which is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient that may help tame your anxiety. “Regular consumption of omega-3s has extensive research support for both the prevention and treatment of clinical depression. And there’s growing evidence that omega-3s also help reduce anger and irritability,” says Stephen Ilardi, PhD, author of The Depression Cure. While there are plant-based sources of omega-3s, Dr. Ilardi says it’s best to stick with fish: “The specific form of omega-3 that most strongly boosts mood is found most abundantly in coldwater fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel,” he says.

Angry: Sip Green Tea

Maybe your neighbor’s dog barked all night long and kept you up or your coworker took credit for a project you worked on over the weekend. Whatever the reason for the grrrrrrs, if you need to calm down fast, consider sipping a cup of green tea, says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, a researcher, nutrition expert and author of Beat Sugar Addiction NOW! Here’s why: “Green tea contains theanine, which calms you and helps you maintain clear concentration and focus,” he says. Green tea’s modest amount of caffeine won’t send you into an angry rage, either; it’s gentler on your body than coffee.

Sad: Eat Whole-Grain Cereal with Lowfat Milk

Need a happiness boost? While the source of your sadness could be work- or relationship-related, it also may have something to do with a deficiency of vitamin D in your diet. “This nutrient has many different roles in the body, one of which is to help in the production of serotonin,” says Dr. Dolgoff, explaining that serotonin is a neurotransmitter known as the “feel-good hormone” that can help you feel calm, relaxed and happy. If you’re low on vitamin D, you may be affecting your body’s ability to stabilize your mood and reduce feelings of depression. To boost your intake of vitamin D, turn to lowfat fortified milk, fortified cereals or mushrooms. “Depending on your diet, you may also need to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement,” adds Dr. Dolgoff.

PMS: Eat an Egg-Salad Sandwich

If your go-to PMS meal usually comes in the form of comfort food (mac ’n’ cheese, potato chips, ice cream) consider making an egg-salad sandwich instead. In the days before your period, it’s normal for women to begin craving carbohydrates, says Stella Metsovas, BS, CN, a nutritionist in private practice in Laguna Beach, California. And for good reason: Carbs help your body boost its serotonin levels, in turn helping you improve your mood. But avoid high-sugar, high-fat carbohydrates, like doughnuts or chips, which can leave you feeling sluggish—or worse, grumpy—after your blood sugar spikes, then drops. Opt for whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, and for extra PMS-zapping strength, pair them with tryptophan-rich protein such as eggs, sunflower seeds or turkey, which may enhance the release of serotonin, adds Metsovas. An egg-salad sandwich on whole-grain bread offers the perfect carbohydrate-tryptophan combination. Try our favorite tip: Cut the mayo and mix your diced hard-cooked eggs with a teaspoon of fat-free or lowfat plain Greek yogurt and half a teaspoon of whole-grain Dijon mustard.

All photos by Shutterstock.

Read more: Foods to Improve Moods – Healthy Living Tips at WomansDay.com – Woman’s Day

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Brett Carlsen for The Wall Street JournalStudents of the Eastman School of Music throw punches in sync during their workout routine.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—At the Eastman School of Music, students toil away in classrooms and concert halls hoping to one day join music royalty like Yo-Yo Ma and Renée Fleming. On a recent Saturday, however, a group of them filed into an industrial building with much different goals.

“I love having this one hour where I don’t have to worry about anything except punching stuff,” said Danny Ziemann, a 21-year-old senior double-majoring in music education and jazz performance.

Here at ROC Boxing & Fitness Center, a no-frills gym, about 20 music students are subjects of an experiment by Eastman professor James VanDemark, a double bassist who believes boxing breeds better musicians. To test that theory, students are spending about an hour a week this semester with longtime trainer Dom Arioli, who has them work the heavy bag, hone their jabs and bang out push-ups.

Boxing long ago ceased to be confined to dingy gyms in hardscrabble neighborhoods. It has worked itself into fitness centers nationwide, with classes for everyone from kids to suburban moms. Recreational boxing stats aren’t closely tracked, but the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association says participation in cardio-kickboxing classes, a variation, was up 22% from 2008 to 2010, to 3.4 million.

As far as Mr. Arioli is concerned, there’s only one way to teach the sport. “We don’t do any of that aerobic boxing nonsense here,” he said. “We’re old-school boxing.”

The Eastman students say the benefits are manifold, ranging from improved posture and cardiovascular fitness—which help them produce bigger, more precise sounds as musicians—to stress relief.

“It does feel satisfying to hit something,” said Thomas Steigerwald, an 18-year-old freshman who can spend upward of nine hours a day practicing the piano.

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Brett Carlsen for The Wall Street JournalMusic professor James VanDemark, who took up boxing himself two years ago, has been taking students to boxing classes in Rochester, N.Y.

Mr. Arioli, 56, a former Kodak employee, doesn’t expect to produce the next Manny Pacquiao—or even the next Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez, whom he trained to a women’s world featherweight title in 2008. That much is evident when he puts on punching mitts and works with students in the ring. “Every once in a while,” he said, “they’ll miss the target and punch me in the face.”

Despite appearances, safety is emphasized. The first thing new students learn is how to wrap their hands with thick swaths of protective tape. Their hands, after all, tend to be important. The students don’t actually spar with one another, so they avoid absorbing any blows. Instead, they take out their aggression on Mr. Arioli’s various pieces of equipment. He teaches them the fundamentals—hands up, elbows in, step in, step out—and the lessons get more advanced from there.

“It’s go, go, go, go, go,” said Mr. Steigerwald, who has a predilection for Russian music. “You need strong arms and fingers.”

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Brett Carlsen for The Wall Street JournalFreshman Thomas Steigerwald, who plays piano, works out.

Mr. VanDemark, 59, took up boxing two years ago. Early reviews were mixed. “My God, he was awful,” Mr. Arioli said. “But he had desire. He had heart.”

More important, Mr. VanDemark sensed that boxing was helping his performance as a musician. A regular at many of the world’s top music festivals, Mr. VanDemark now moonlights as a 5-foot-7, 134-pound lightweight. He said the sport hinges on rhythm—the one-two combinations, the steady breathing and even the speed bag, which boxers punch in triplets. “Ba-da-dah! Ba-da-dah!” he explained. It became clear to him that boxing and music intersect. “It’s all about muscle coordination and rhythm,” he said.

Last year, Mr. VanDemark introduced a handful of his students to Mr. Arioli and was pleased with the results. The double bass is an unwieldy string instrument that stands more than six feet tall, and it can be physically demanding to play. James Sullivan, a graduate student who gravitates toward esoteric works by such composers as Alfred Schnittke and Sofia Gubaidulina, said he was struggling with tension in his shoulders and in his bow arm before he discovered the unique thrill of throwing a hard right hook. “I’d never heard of anything like this,” Mr. Sullivan said. “Not for musicians.”

This fall, the school opened up the weekly workouts to its entire student body as part of a wellness initiative. On a recent day, Mr. VanDemark patrolled his students’ workout sporting a cutoff T-shirt and the remnants of a fairly spectacular black eye that he’d sustained during an early-morning sparring session.

There is some precedent for this sort of thing. Jazz icon Miles Davis was a huge boxing fan—and even did some training, according to John Szwed, a professor of music and director of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia. “He loved that entire scene,” said Mr. Szwed, who wrote in his 2002 biography, “So What: The Life of Miles Davis,” that Mr. Davis “skipped rope, did floor exercises, and worked the speed bag with bebop phrasing and triple-tongue rhythms.”

Shelly Mammoser, a fifth-year student from Chicago, said the school’s previous recreational offerings of tai chi and yoga felt bland to her. She had tendinitis in her wrists from playing the French horn—”I could barely turn a door knob,” she said—and wanted to do something more active. She got hooked on boxing immediately.

“It’s just more my style,” she said. “I can work out and feel like an idiot because I’m throwing these punches and don’t really know what I’m doing. But I’m working up a sweat and figuring it out.”

That’s important to the instructor. “I’m a stickler for technique,” said Mr. Arioli, who also has coached high school boxing for 31 years. “What happens if these kids leave to go to another gym and they’re asked, ‘Where’d you learn to throw that right hand?’ I want to make sure that when they say ‘Coach Dom,’ they’re doing it right.”

He’s tried out some new moves, too. After Mr. Arioli’s wife surprised him with a conga drum as a gift, Mr. VanDemark urged him to bring it to one of the workouts for a jam session with a student who plays the double bass. Mr. Arioli said he was so nervous he stayed up late the night before, practicing until his hands were raw.

His concerns were unwarranted. “He had great rhythm,” Mr. VanDemark said.

Write to Scott Cacciola at scott.cacciola@wsj.com

- Chris Valasek, Pittsburgh, PA 10/10/11

I was running and using other exercise equipment regularly and needed a change- needed a challenge! When I saw signs for cardio boxing I thought it was the perfect alternative. Three years later, I’m still working with Anthony in cardio boxing class and personal training sessions. Boxing is a great way to work muscles that you never knew you had!

- Rona de la Vega, Pittsburgh, PA 10/13/2011

MB and Denise (WF)

Anthony Colonna is the owner/founder of Warriors-Fitness. He has been around the ring for over 14 years, and has never lost a step. Boxing, Muay Thai kickboxing, and No-Gi submission wrestling are just a few of Anthony’s specialties. With a longstanding passion of combat training and his innate ability to teach others, he brings the ideal set of assets to develop men and women of all experience and age ranges.

The past three years Anthony instructed the Kicking & Punching Fundamentals Class and coached the Pittsburgh Fight Club amateur Competition Boxing team. Anthony assists Owner/Instructor, Eric Hibler, in teaching MMA as well as private seminars in self defense, MMA, and boxing.

Anthony has been training Muay Thai, boxing, and kickboxing for approximately fourteen years. Living in Pittsburgh the majority of his life, he trained with Eric Hibler at Practical Fighting Concepts and was a member of the original Pittsburgh Fight Club, the no hold barred competition team of Practical Fighting Concepts.

During his 4 year stint in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Anthony kept up with his training at South Florida Boxing, located in Pembroke Pines and American Top Team, in Coconut Creek. While in Pittsburgh Anthony Keeps up with his training at East side pal boxing gym. anthony@warriors-fitness.com

Anthony uses the basic fundamentals of traditional aerobics, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, and Self Defense techniques in order to give a unique and effective full body workout. If your looking for one of the best personal training in Pittsburgh, contact me today! We also have openings available for small group sessions with two people or more. Our Personal Training programs are unique in the way we structure them do to the fact we can add more or less Martial arts and increase or decrease the fitness intensity level to make our program geared more toward the individuals needs!