By Antonio Myrie, NYC Personal Trainer

Bruce Lee made it cool. Chuck Norris made you cringe. Jean Claude Van Damme made it sexy. I'm talking about kicking! Yes, whipping that leg at the head of a bad guy, snapping that foot, making him spin around 360 degrees and fall into a useless heap. However, unbeknownst to even we followers of the way of the warrior, kicking can also burn major calories while conditioning several areas of the lower body and abdominals.

For example, the roundhouse kick is a basic kick, always used in kickboxing programs, and capable of toning you up like you wouldn't believe. One common variation of this kick is to stand in a basic boxer's stance but instead of having your hips squared, you turn them so you're positioned in more of a side facing stance.

Using the hip as the trigger point, you raise the leg (firing the obliques), keeping the lower leg bent at the knee, and as your knee raises to the point to that it's parallel with your hip, you snap that leg outwards (activating the quadriceps and triggering the glutes) looking to make impact with the instep (i.e. top of the foot).

Retract the foot by 'hooking' it back towards the glutes (targeting the hamstrings) while bending the knee, then placing it on the ground, landing gently on the ball of the foot before placing the heel down (activating the calves). Now try doing 30 to 50 of those kicks quickly, maintaining a constant speed from the first kick to the last. Next perform the same kick set with your opposite leg.

Ok now repeat two more times per side! That's 300 kicks and, if done correctly, approximately 50 to 75 calories in 5 minutes! 

The goal is not to kick hard, just fast and most importantly, correctly.

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Body fat?!?  You got what?!?  No way.  I don't believe it.  Let me guess, you want to tone up the arms, get stronger and loose five to ten pounds of body fat.  Right?  That's not surprising because no matter where you are on the body fat continuum you want to lose more of it.  When was the last time you heard someone say, "Damn I'm just too thin I'd like to have some cottage cheese on my thighs."?  It just doesn't happen.  Funny thing is how specially designed your body is to gain fat.  Millions of years of evolution have made it so.  Fat keeps us alive in times of famine.  Fat feeds and ensures the growth of the brains of infants.  It's intrinsically linked to the evolution and survival on the human race!  It even pads your seat a little.  Quite useful stuff.  

Nevertheless, people don't like it and want to be rid of it.  They just can't imagine what they could possibly use it for and they will do anything - even get an operation to have it sucked out of their burgeoning skin folds.

Why go to those extremes when you can simply follow my simple plan and begin burning your belly fat right now!  Hello!?!  This is not a diet nor are the following nutritional guidelines.  Below is a list describing a lifestyle in which one avoids the things that promote fat gain while engaging in behaviors that promote fat loss and lean body mass.

So here it is in no particular order, The Way to Fatlessness!

That's it.  It's that simple.  If you can stick to this you can not be fat.  Every time you deviate from this you are getting fatter.  Period.

By Caitlin Venedam, Personal Trainer

Rest days and recovery are SO important for your body to progress. That's why your rest days are REST days, not OFF-DAYS! Off days implies a free-for-all, but a REST day reminds you that you're still moving forward. Remember, it's all just part of the process. And as the weather begins to change, so do our schedules and energy. Suddenly, it gets much harder to choose to lace up and go for a run instead of meeting some friends for a boozy brunch! Here are a few ways I like to keep motivated and keep on keepin on - especially on my rest days!

• Keep your goals in front of you! Decide your ultimate goal and a goal for the week. Then write it down and put it somewhere in your house or office at eye level. I like to keep mine on a white board on the back of my door or my refrigerator that way I see it ALL day!
• INSTAGRAM and TWITTER: we all invest so much time into social media that we forget how to use it to our advantage. Start following some fitness related accounts.
  • @PlatinumFitnessNYC
  • @fitness_meals, @workout.videos, @fitnesspageforall

• Keep things in perspective. Chart your progress throughout the week / month. Keep a calendar or dry erase board where you can map out your workouts. Having a plan makes a HUGE difference between having goals and doing them. Establish long term and short term goals. Busy schedule? Put reminders and alarms in your calendar.

• Accountability even when your trainer isn't around! Don't be afraid to talk about your goals and accomplishments with family, friends and coworkers. When someone says, "Hey, did you lose weight? Say "Hell yeah! And I'm just getting started! 5 more lbs to go!" Every time they ask how your progress is going or how many miles you ran they're holding you accountable, so don't disappoint!

• Show off your hard work! Whether you ran your first mile since grade school, followed your plan for the week or crushed that PR in your last marathon, post it to social media! You'd be surprised how much support you don't even realize you have! Plus, high fives count even if they're virtual!

• Let your progress make an impact on the world! I recently learned of an amazing app called Charity Miles. Whether you're running a marathon or taking a lunchtime stroll through Central Park, your miles earn donations to your favorite charities. With many to choose from, I typically donate to the ASPCA while I teach my morning bootcamp classes, and Wounded Warrior at night!

• Take photos to document your weekly or monthly progress. No one has to see them but you! Week by week we don't always see our changes. We may feel them, but let's face it, we all want to look great AND feel great. Since we see ourselves a hundred times a day, it always takes us a few weeks later than it takes those around us to notice a visual difference. It may be a harsh reality at first, but you'll thank yourself in the end!
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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein The definition of insanity is going to the gym for "insert time frame" and not getting results.

How are results measured?

*How your clothes fit

*Increased energy

*Aesthetics

*Strength gains

*Improved Posture

*Improved Sleep etc.

Top reasons people fail to reach their fitness goals

They don't have a good plan A GOOD plan, accompanied by specific, believable, challenging yet achievable goals. This is SCIENCE. There needs to be a deficit in order to lose weight. 3500kcal/7 days = 500kcal  The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. The deficit must come from changing 2 factors: Current eating habits and increasing your activity rate. Activity rate: if your main objective is rapid fat loss you have no business sitting down and working out or performing isolations movements either. IE; bicep curls/preacher curls with a belly(Bros) Giving a body part it's own day IE: chest day is primarily used for bodybuilding. Not fat loss. You need to perform compound movements.

This is the most effective use of your time FULL body movements. High intensity interval training. IE. squats,deadlifts, squat curl over head presses, Burpees with push-ups, renegade row to push up to deadlift to curl to overhead press. Etc. High intensity interval training. Here's an example of a routine: Do each group of 3, 3 times and move on to the next group. Rep schemes can be 10,15,20. Use challenging weights! Squat curl overhead press Bent over row  Plank  DB lunges DB c.press Eccentric sit-ups  DB/KB swings 30 seconds  Mountain climbers 30 seconds  Russian twists 30 seconds  Free weights are your friend and will get you faster results - learn how to use these tools. They set unreasonable expectations  "To lose 30 pounds in a month" A good goal would be 1.5-2lbs lost per week.

Don't set yourself up for failure 

They believe results come overnight Argghhhhh. This is a process. Nothing worth having in life comes easy. You didn't get overweight overnight right? So give yourself time. They don't correct their nutrition habits This seems to be my clients BIGGEST problem. You can't out train a bad diet.  You are going to be eating until you depart this Earth better to develop a good relationship with food. Eat clean-er. -lean protein  -complex carbs -avoid excess sugar -avoid processed foods -prepare as many of your own meals as possible  - go easy on the alcohol They don't get adequate sleep.  How fitting for the city that never sleeps.

They don't train effectively

Effectively means the BEST use of your time to meet your goal. If your main goal is fat loss and sculpting act accordingly. That means ditch the mundane, repetitive cardio routine.  Our bodies grow accustom to certain movements.

Try running laterally on the treadmill,jogging backwards,do sprint intervals. Ditch the typical fitness class at the big box gyms. Zumba,dance and yoga are great in combination with resistance training.  Working out is not supposed to be a punishment. Movement is life. Find something you like but also find something that WORKS. Don't be scared to lift weights ladies! You don't have the testosterone in your body to "bulk up". Google an image of an endurance runners body and Google an image of a sprinters body.

They overtrain

This is especially true for people that seem to hit a pleateu.  Overdose and overdo it. Get burnt out and then sick and fatigued, slow and steady beautiful people. Be ego-less Get help! There are people out there willing and able to help you navigate the madness.

Find someone you click with. It will save you time(your must valuable asset).

You will learn what works.

You will ensure you perform the exercises properly. Invest in your health and it will pay you back in dividends.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is essentially a height to weight ratio.  Am I a healthy weight for my height.

Remember, speak to your doctor before starting a fitness program and then seek out the right personal trainer for correct program design.  Enjoy your workout!