Top 15 Christmas Gifts For Fitness Lovers

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Having trouble picking out gifts for your fitness lovers? Imagine knocking their gifts out of the park! Let me help with todays article and video!

I am traveling to 3 popular stores to show you the top 15 Christmas gifts to get for your secret Santa! We’re not stopping there, I am guiding you through online gift shopping for this holiday season!

I took a poll on the gym’s social media page (@Ironstrengthandconditioning) and in the gym with my clients to come up with the top 15 gift ideas they desire for this Christmas!

Let’s get to the real reason you came here; the 15 items!

#1 Massage guns

Massage guns are an amazing gift idea that can help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness from sitting all day or working out. Here’s the only downfall… They get EXPENSIVE. This is why I take you to TJ Maxx to help you find the best bang for your buck!

#2 Workout bands

This is a great option because it is very versatile. You can use bands for stretching, strength training and much more! It is worth noting that closed bands were more asked for than bands with handles.

#3 Workout belts

A good workout belt is vital in any serious lifters bag! These in the video are great options but if you have a serious powerlifter then you may want to look at 11mm or 13mm powerlifting belts. Belts may be a good one to ask them about because some people are picky.

#4 Subscription Boxes

These are such fun gifts! I get a monthly box from Iron Crate , It feels like Christmas every month when my subscription box comes in! They always bring great items I can use in the gym such as wrist wraps, shaker bottles, protein snacks, workouts and more! They even make cool themes each month! Use code “IRON30” at checkout for 30% off your 1st subscription box!

#5 Wrist wraps

I have a lot of younger athletes that ask about these in the gym. I think they can be a useful tool to help do more weight on certain exercises when your grip starts to give. It can be found in most lifters bags!

#6 Dip belts

If you have someone that likes to do pull ups, dips and other body weight exercises then you can’t go wrong with a dip belt to add more weight. If they cant do pull ups or dips yet then this may not be a useful gift right away.

#7 Knee sleeves

These are such a great gift for serious lifters. Powerlifters, CrossFit and anyone that does a lot of leg days will love them! These will keep the joint warm through their leg day to help increase performance! 

#8 Yoga mat

Great for those who do a lot of home workouts, ab workouts and yoga! You may want to get a slightly thicker mat if they are using it for exercise. If they are doing yoga then you can use more of a thin mat!

#9 Dumbbells

This is a great piece of equipment to have in the house. If you have a home gym then people typically like to get adjustable dumbbells to save space unless they have enough space for more. 

#10 Fitness trackers

The amount of people that have these now are crazy! If you are looking for one for your loved ones or friends then this can be a great tool to help them track some of their journey and keep them accountable.

#11 Supplements

This is a tricky one but if you know what brand and what supplements they use then you should be all good! If they are a beginner and wanting to try something for the 1st time then you may want to reach out to someone for guidance. A good starting point is typically a good protein powder, BCAAs, creatine and a good multivitamin.

#12 Meal prep container

This is good for the fitness lovers that really track their meals and always take food with them. It can also be a motivator if they don’t because it’s a new gift and people want to use new gifts!

#13 Bottles

Bottles are a necessity for fitness and nutrition. Shaker bottles, blenders and water bottles all play a big role. In the video, I explain in further detail about what bottle may be the best fit for you!

#14 Bluetooth headphones

These are a game changer and I was late to the party when I invested in bluetooth headphones. With normal headphones, the cord is cold at first if you put it in your shirt and if you leave it out and dangling, it’s always getting caught on stuff in the gym. Having cordless bluetooth headphones will save frustrations and those embarrassing moments when your headphones unplug and your Taylor Swift starts playing out loud.

#15 Fitness games

This was a unique one and really has caught on in the last few years. When I first saw these, I wasn’t impressed but now I have them on my wish list to switch it up and have some fun!

Well, that’s a wrap on our Top 15 Christmas Gifts For Fitness Lovers! I hope this helps! If you have questions, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to help! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

-Alex Costa-

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CHEST TRAINING TIP (FLYS W/ TWIST)

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As you come to the top of the fly, try rotating the dumbbells towards you for a better contraction! I love throwing this variation in!

Try hitting these on incline fly, 3-4 sets of 12 reps! If you experience any shoulder pain or discomfort, stop the movement.

3 Killer Low Ab Exercises You Need To Try

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One of the most common areas I get asked about around this time of the year is the lower abs. This can easily be the trickiest part of the body to work for so many because a lot of us especially males tend to hold fat around this spot so it can sometimes be one of the last areas to have noticeable results. My advice is simple, eat in a caloric deficit, train abs often especially the lower abs with the right exercises like what I am about to show you and stay consistent with this because it will take time but it will be worth it!

#1 – Hanging leg raises


I watch a lot of Jeff Nippard’s YouTube channel and I believe he had an science explained video on abs. He went over how the lower ab exercise that hit the highest on the EMG scale was the hanging leg raise variations.

I enjoy this (not really) because this exercise, when done correctly really works core strength and makes those low abs start to pop. It can be a more difficult exercise for beginners so just start with low reps such as 5 and do as many as 5-10 sets until you start getting better at these, then start doing 10 or more each set.

#2 – Scissor kicks to a leg hold


This is one I started doing when I was in the gym experimenting with core work. I then implemented it with clients and got feedback. Of course they hated it so I kept doing it. They don’t pay me to take it easy on them. They love the challenge though! I like to do these towards the end of the workout to burn out the core. I will typically do 2-5 sets of 20 seconds on scissor kicks then straight to 10 seconds of leg holds. We will do this a few times without rest and then try to push out a couple more sets.

#3 – Hanging scissor kicks

This is one I came up with a while back and it burns the abs like a mo-fo. I like to just hold on to the pull up bar when I do these but you can also use the arm slings if it is more comfortable for you. I like to do these for 50 total reps or for 30-60 seconds. I will do about 3-5 sets of these.

Bonus AB Training Tip

Abdominal muscles are a little different compared to the rest of the muscles in the body because they are constantly firing and being used. I mean think about it, you drop your pen on the ground and go to pick it up and the first thing that fires is your core. With that being said, you can handle more training frequency with your abs then some of your other muscles so you could technically train them everyday, which has been a great tool for me. I have done it before and I know plenty of other fitness experts that have done it.

I would recommend switching the exercises up each day. Have a list of 10 ab exercise you want to hit for a couple weeks straight and split them up evenly through the week. Do a total of 100 reps all together each night for the exercises you picked.

You could also use my Iron Core Challenge to go off of. It is a month of different ab exercises that you do 100 reps each night. They can all be done at home by the way! It has videos and the lay out plan on that page. I loved it, and so did a lot of others around the world that tried it!

Something you could do with these 3 low ab exercises is set it up like the following:

Monday:

-Hanging leg raises 5 x 10
-Hanging scissor kicks 5 x 15 seconds
-Scissor kicks to a leg hold (15 seconds – scissor kicks, 15 seconds leg raises) 5 sets

Wednesday:
4 sets of 30 seconds each – no rest at all, get through it and you’re done for the day.

Hanging leg raises
Scissor kicks to a leg hold (15 seconds each)
Hanging scissor kicks

Friday:
As many sets as possible in 12 minutes

Hanging leg raises — 10
Scissor kicks to a leg hold –(20 seconds each)
Hanging scissor kicks –40 total reps – 20 each leg

Thank you for reading todays article, I hope you found it helpful! If you have any questions, reach out to me and I would be happy to help you out!

Have a great Tuesday!!
-Alex Costa-

Speed Academy COMING SOON

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I am so excited to share more info as this unfolds! I will be hosting my own Speed Academy. It will be multiple days and will be limited spots so that the athletes get the absolute best coaching and critiquing possible!

If you are trying to get faster and become one of the fastest, most dominate athletes on your team then I would 100% keep an eye out for this!!

This is designed to teach proper mechanics to increase speed efficiency and decrease the chances of injury due to incorrect sprint technique. I will also be doing some of my favorite speed drills to increase top speed as well!

The event will be held locally around Newark, if you have any questions feel free to send me an email and I will respond as quickly as possible! I’ll be dropping more details later today!

Much love to everyone and have an awesome day!

 

-Alex Costa-

Get You Some NEW MERCH!

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Yo, hope everyone has had a great week and is starting their weekend off strong! If you didn’t know, I released NEW MERCH this week and the pre sale is going on until the 28th of February. I have the page on the website for you to place your order. Click this link and it will take you straight to the pre sale page:

PRE SALE (GET MERCH HERE)

Here is the items I have out. The pre sale page will have the pictures of the back of the apparel on there. Go place an order or if you live locally around me, message me and I’ll get your order placed and give you a total.

switch offyour lights for earthhour

Thank you for all of those who have already placed orders! I sold a lot the first day, so get yours today and rock some of the most comfortable clothing you’ll ever put on!

Have a great Saturday, much love!
-Alex Costa-

How To: Kettlebell Swing

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In todays video, I want to explain how to perform a kettlebell swing properly. A lot of people do this movement incorrectly and put unnecessary stress on their back. Hope this helps you out! Remember to activate the core and lats. This will help stabilize the spine to reduce the chance of injury!

Have a great day!
-Alex Costa-

Shoulder Burnout

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I am back with another video today! I am going to show you a shouler burnout circuit that will blow those shoulders up! It is 3 simple exercises in a row. I do these for my workouts and some clients workouts here an there. They are a challenge. Do these for 15 reps each exercise then rest. Then do 2 more rounds to make 3 all together!

Hope everyone had a great week!
-Alex Costa-

 

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What Shoes Should You Train In?

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In todays video, I will be talking about what shoes you should train in, why you should train in them and what they will help with the most. I hope this video helps you out on what shoes to wear when training! I’ll catch you tomorrow with another video.

Have a great day!
-Alex Costa-

5 Weight Loss Tips You AREN’T Doing

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Welcome to day #2 of the video project where I am bringing you a video piece of content EVERYDAY for 30 days straight.

TODAY, I am giving you 5 weight loss tips most of us aren’t doing or don’t pay attention to. If you follow these and stay consistent then you have a higher chance of losing weight and cutting a lot faster! With that being said, lets jump into todays video!!

 

 

Thank you for running in today for video #2, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss a video and keep coming back to costafitness.org for more content!

Have a great Tuesday!
-Alex Costa-

Workout Wednesday (Bodyweight Circuit)

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WORKOUT WEDNESDAY-3.png

Hello everyone, welcome back to the website. In todays post I would like to go into more detail with this workout Wednesday. If you are following me on Instagram then you will usually see a post on Wednesday evening which will hold a workout of some type. I will do the same thing today on my Instagram. Follow me on Instagram @costalottamoney1

I will post the exercise videos in this post below. You will perform this circuit of exercises for as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes. So what I will do is set a timer on my phone and whenever it goes off at the end I write down how many rounds I have completed. If I get through 5 the first time, I try to go for 6 the next time I go to take on that workout again. Now just because you want to try getting through the workout and complete more in the same amount of time that next time you do the same workout, doesn’t mean speed through the reps and make them sloppy. I want you to aim for quality repetitions.

This workout will not last very long but will make up when it comes to intensity of the training session. It is important that you implement a proper warm up before starting and a cool down afterwards. I would do about 5-10 minutes on a bike or elliptical for the warm up and for the cool down, I like to do some walking lunges and light stretching.

Now let me give you the exercises in order here below:

 

 

So there you have it, hit up this workout and let me know how many rounds you got through! I have been thinking about doing something big starting in October to help you all out! I am really excited to announce it but for now I have to wait and make sure I have everything ready for it. I also have other announcements I will make when I make that one as well. I hope everyone is having a great week and a good start to fall! Hit me up if you have any questions!!

 

                  -Alex Costa-