Personal trainer helps achieve spring break goals

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) Spring is almost here and that means spring break for many. A local personal trainer has nutritional tips, ab workouts and stretches to help stay on target.

Nutrition: Eating properly and smaller portions throughout the day is key.

"The biggest misconception is people think that to try to lose weight or drop some inches in the mid section is to hold back or restrict your calories and actually it's the opposite, " Mike Castellano said.

Meal prepping for the week helps for better choices. Castellano recommends cooking food like chicken, vegetables like sweet potatoes and rice to have it ready and measure out the portions.

Ab workouts: Tired of crunches or sit-ups? Try these.

"A lot of people don't like to do regular sit-ups because they have low back issues and things like that. They just do them incorrectly. So, we've come up with a couple different varieties, something they can do at the gym or at home."

Ball slam- Using legs and core, pick the ball up and slam a weighted ball side to side. This exercise works abdominals, entire core, legs and cardiovascular, upper body and shoulders.

Heal reach- On your back, raise shoulder blades off the floor and reach your hands to your heals. The side to side motion hits the sides of your abdominals which can be hard to work.

V-Up- Bring knees to your chest and elbows to your knees. This works the entire abdominal wall.

Stretching: Basic stretches help alleviate soreness, which can prevent you from going to the gym and be detrimental to progress. Here are some exercises to keep you coming back.

Shoulder stretch- Bring arm across your chest to stretch shoulder, triceps and upper part of your back.

Leg crossover- Reach down to your toes, flattening back. This stretches hamstrings, glutes and low back. The biggest part is breathing. Hold for at least 20 seconds before switching feet. As you get older, you'll want to hold the stretch longer.

Quad stretch- Bend leg back and touch with opposite hand. This works the front of the legs.

Stretches involving a foam roller- This helps break up the outer part of the muscle to make it more pliable.

For tutorials, click on the videos above.

Powerhouse Gym is located at 12001 Shelbyville Road in Middletown. For membership information, call (502) 245-9893. To schedule a meeting with a personal trainer for single or group sessions, call (502) 777-6548.

Some group sessions are offered through Victory Fitness at Powerhouse Gym.

For the first ten people who call Castellano, he will give an hour of his time, free of charge.