Articles
Time Out Workout
Published: October 11, 2007
Pizza and chicken wings? Check.
Twenty hours of football? You better believe it.
If you find yourself huddled around the TV during most of your waking weekend hours, you’re not alone. But what if you want to watch your waistline while you’re watching the game?
Get moving — in your living room. For every TV timeout, you’ve got two minutes to squeeze in 20 reps of five exercises. With about 10 commercial breaks per half, that’s 2,000 reps for the game!
Don’t worry; it’s easier than it sounds. Take it from certified personal trainer Rob Zulkoski, owner of RobZFitness in Valrico. He helps clients mainly with weight loss, toning and body conditioning.
Zulkoski, 39, is a die-hard football fan. He roots for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the University of South Florida Bulls and the Tampa Bay Bucs.
To break up the strength training, Zulkoski suggests taking a brisk walk or jog around the neighborhood during halftime. Hey, his game plan could have you burning 300 to 500 calories. That could earn you three Michelob Ultras (95 calories for a 12-ounce bottle), a slice of a supreme Pizza Hut pizza (390 calories per slice of a large hand-tossed pie) or five hot wings from KFC (350 calories).
“The important thing is you won’t miss a second of the game while hitting all your major muscle groups: the chest, legs arms and, of course, the abs,” he says.
You might want to try this workout, which Zulkoski already has some of his clients doing during weekend games.
Kick It Off
For the first half, you’ll do squats, crunches, push-ups, lateral raises and bicep curls — 20 of each — during each commercial break. All you need is a set of dumbbells.
Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side. Lower your body, bending at the hips and knees as if you are going to sit in a chair. Put more weight on your heels than your toes, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor. Don’t let your knees extend beyond your toes. Return to start and repeat. Your glutes and quads will thank you.
Crunches
Lie on your back with your legs bent. Plant your feet about shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms straight out in front of you with one hand on top of the other. Crunch up, reaching your hands between your knees. Return to start and repeat. Feel the burn in your abs.
Push-Ups
Lie face-down on the floor with your hands under your shoulders and your toes planted. Straighten your arms and lift your body up, keeping your head in line with your body. Lower until your elbows are bent 90 degrees and repeat. Think about chiseling your chest.
Lateral Raises
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Raise your arms up and out to the side until they reach ear level. Return to start and repeat. Your palms should be facing down during this shoulder-sculpting move.
Bicep Curls
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells in each hand. Curl your arms toward your chest, keeping your elbow under the shoulder and next to your body during this move. Welcome to the gun show!
Halftime
“Instead of putting your hand in the nacho dish, go out for a 10- to 15-minute run,” Zulkoski suggests. A brisk walk will work, too. Take Fido if that will help motivate you.
Second Half
We’re going to mix it up a bit for the second half. You’ve still got 20 reps of each exercise: lunges, crunches, push-ups, frontal raises and tricep bench dips. You’ll hit 2,000 reps before you know it.
Lunges
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a set of dumbbells at your side. Step forward with your right leg into a lunge and return to start. Lunge forward with your left leg and return to start. Repeat for 10 reps on each side. If you want to make this more advanced, instead of alternating legs, do 10 reps on one side, then 10 reps on the other. This will rock your glutes and quads.
Crunches
Lie on your back and put both hands behind your head. Bend your left leg with your left foot on the floor, and raise your right foot off the ground at a 45-degree angle. Crunch those abs. Raise your left leg on the next set.
Push-Ups
You know this one.
Frontal Raises
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart gripping dumbbells in each hand. Start with the dumbbells in front of you, with your palms facing your body. Raise both arms to eye level, return to start and repeat. This is all about sculpting the front of your shoulders.
Tricep Bench Dips
Sit on the edge of a couch with your hands next to your hips, palms on the edge. Push your butt off the seat, straighten your arms and bring your legs out until they are slightly bent. Lower your body until your elbows are bent 90 degrees, and return to start. Keep your elbows back during this move. To make it more advanced, straighten your legs to really work your triceps.
FEEL THE BURN
How much could you burn while watching your favorite matchups — all from the comfort of your own living room?
A 180-pound guy who does 10 two-minute strength-training bursts during the first half would trim about 160 calories. Ditto for the second half. He would walk off about 78 calories during the 15-minute halftime, or jog away 163. That’s 398 to 483 calories gone.
A 140-pound woman on the same plan would burn 140 calories during each half of the game, as well as walk off 60 calories or jog off 127 calories during halftime. That’s anywhere from 340 to 407 calories zapped.
We used the activity calculator at health.discovery.com to compile these stats.
For more information about Rob Zulkoski or RobZFitness visit www.RobZFitness.com or call 813-571-3700.
Train With a Higher Purpose
By Derek Maul of The Brandon News
Published: April 9, 2007
At nearly 40 years old, personal trainer Rob Zulkoski is a great advertisement for fitness. Mind you, it doesn’t hurt one bit that he runs his own gym.
“Dec. 1, 2006, I expanded my business and opened a fitness studio in the Lithia Crossings shopping center,” Zulkoski said.
The 2,400 square foot facility provides everything necessary for the serious workout – including, of course, motivation.
“Now I can give more personal attention,” Zulkoski said. “Hands on one-on-one. I’ve got the experience, the education, the referrals and the testimonies. It’s a custom program. No one comes in the door and does their own thing.”
Needless to say, Zulkoski is serious about fitness. But it’s an earnestness that is wrapped up in a genuine passion for people. And it is an enthusiasm that has been cultivated since his childhood in Nebraska, where Zulkoski grew up the oldest of five children.
“My dad was the oldest of seven and he wanted to be in the best shape,” Zulkoski said. “And he always was. He was always active. So I started messing around with it.”
Playing in the outfield and batting cleanup for the Wayne State University baseball team, Zulkoski used fitness to enhance his natural ability.
“Fitness was always in the back of my mind,” he said. “I was good but never got picked up or drafted.”
So he walked away from the baseball diamond, taking an internship with a large Tampa business.
“Corporate fitness,” he said, “a nice facility but a little too stuffy for me.”
Still, he quickly fell in love with the area.
“I didn’t want to leave,” Zulkoski said. “I got a job with Lifestyle Family Fitness in 1991 as corporate fitness director and managed one of their Lakeland clubs.”
But Zulkoski didn’t stop there. He later took a job at the Harbor Island Athletic Club, where he worked as a fitness director.
“I left in1997 and started my own personal training business in Brandon,” he said.
He has called Brandon home since 1993, when he married Amy Dziamba.
“I love the weather here,” he said. “And I love the sports. It’s a fitness area and a pretty decent place to raise a family.”
Still, fitness area or not, Zulkoski is worried by the statistic that 66 percent of Americans are either overweight or obsess.
“Not only adults but a rising trend in children,” he said. “We’re in the day of processed foods and sugars. My philosophy includes, diet, weight training and cardiovascular. We apply wholesome techniques for eating, body fat loss, and toning.”
Still, Zulkoski understands that what is needed for the average American to lose weight while gaining a healthier lifestyle will probably require a proactive response. And he believes he can help there, too.
“Changing paradigms,” he said. “People eat three times a day and I feel that’s vastly wrong. Eat more often and spread it out. My goal is to maintain muscle mass. Then we can more easily control fat. I could care less about scale weight, I want people to feel more comfortable in their clothes, get better quality of sleep and reduce the need for medication. It all falls together.
“God has given you a body, take care of it.”
According to Zulkoski, everything is working as planned, too. For example, the new business is taking off.
“I hired Davvy Ferraro,” Zulkoski said, “I’m getting ready to hire a female trainer, and I’ll be hiring a fourth person in May. Things are continuing to grow. I’ve been in this business quite some time, people believe in what I’m doing.”
For Zulkoski’s business, as in exercise, the goal is progress.
“People motivate me,” he said. “I love seeing people make changes and improvements.”
But this trainer has a vision that extends well beyond the gym.
“I do a men’s boot camp at church Monday and Thursday evenings,” Zulkoski said. “Consistency is the key. Even for myself I need that extra push.”
That’s why he believes so strongly in the studio.
“I see fitness as a mission,” he said. “People come here because they don’t know what to do.”
As for free time, Zulkoski’s focus is on spending as much free time as possible with his wife and girls.
“We go to Disney,” he said. “Plus I’m very much into sports, and I’m interested in graphology (the study of handwriting).”
As for his customers, Zulkoski wants them to know that the first and toughest step to fitness is to start.
“You don’t have to be in shape to come in,” Zulkoski said. “We can help you with that. Everybody needs to be focused on their health – for their family, for their kids, and their grandkids.”
Contact Rob from RobZFitness at (813) 571-3700, or visit www.RobZFitness.com
Derek Maul is a writer who lives in Valrico. You can reach him at derekmaul@gmail.com.
‘It’s About Getting Your Metabolism Working For You’
Published: October 18, 2007
Marie Gilmore, 32, Lithia
Height: 5-foot-8
Starting weight: 265
Current weight: 165
Why I did it: Basically I was a mom to two children and had a business and husband and house and family. Everything was really good in my life, but there was this one thing I couldn’t handle and get control of that made me feel less than successful: my weight.
It was something I’ve always battled since I was a young teenager. I tried everything, and I just got to a certain point where I needed to do something for myself. Something so I would have more energy, have more fun with the kids and husband.
I wasn’t comfortable with myself, and I wore the largest plus size carried in stores — a 3X. Where do you go when you’re the largest plus size in a store? I said, “I’m not going to let myself get to that point. It’s time to make a change.”
How I did it: My trainer Rob Zulkoski of RobZFitness and I started in July 2005.
After one month of working out with Rob, I knew he was the real deal. He knew the processes of strength training, muscle gain, fat loss and speeding up the metabolism to where he was going to be a success. I wanted to stay in the program with him until I lost 65 pounds.
He had me in a strength-training workout three times per week, and he prescribed cardio on my days off. I usually do the elliptical and the treadmill. He encouraged me to get on the treadmill three times a week. Working out with Rob taught me what my heart rate levels were and to wear a heart rate monitor. I know what that feeling is like when I’m in the right zone.
He started slowly, and each time we talked about a weight-loss nutritional plan. The plan was not difficult for me to follow. It was high-protein, low-carb, low-fat, and I was eating six times a day. Right away I thought this doesn’t sound too bad.
Working with Rob educated me that I was in a sugar-burning state and had been for many years. I would get highs and lows every day. He said, “We’ve got to turn you into a fat-burner.” I had to eat proteins and fats in the right calculations to fuel and feed my body throughout the whole day.
It’s about getting your metabolism working for you instead of against you. I still eat six times a day, which is great because I’m always looking toward the next meal. It’s funny because people will see me and I’m always eating, but I’m eating the right things.
I think I’ll be following this plan for the rest of my life. I’ve never really felt better or more energized. I never get sick. I’m just doing really well. I envision this is the life I’ll follow forever.
I’m still seeing Rob three times a week, and I plan to continue. I need that accountability.
Hurdles: I would say I hit plateaus, but I could always attribute them to being off the eating plan. If I ever went on a holiday or vacation and indulged too much in holiday baked goods, I would notice a difference. But it was never anything that didn’t easily come back off. I would get right back on the plan with Rob, and bang, it would come off.
Going the distance: I set my new goal to lose 15 pounds and get to 150. I used to be a size 26-28, and now I’m a 10-12. It’s exciting for me because I can go shopping at cute stores that I could never shop in before. It’s emotional when you can’t fit into normal size clothes.
I’ve had to replace my wardrobe about four different times. My favorite day was when I took all my plus-size clothes to Goodwill.
My family has been very supportive, and my 6-year-old son, he’s hilarious. He knows the difference between what a carb is and a protein is. I just started to teach him good eating habits.
I have neighbors and friends that I’ve made workout dates with, which has kept me accountable for showing up. That’s really kept me from not wanting to do it.
I’ve run two 5Ks, and I’ve committed to running two more.
Best advice: Don’t be afraid to tell people that you want to start a program to lose weight and get healthy. I had to tell my family, friends, co-workers, everyone. Now people don’t put bad things in front of me, or they consider me if they’re bringing snacks to the office. They’ll bring something healthy.
Make a schedule for yourself and make a commitment to yourself that you’re going to do one activity for 10 minutes this week. The next week, do two. Write out your goals and do it.
I think there’s a huge epidemic in America. Weight issues are causing medical problems, children are more overweight, and it’s something we need to be more conscientious of and make a difference. We’re not focused on the health and wellness of our families because we’re so preoccupied with other things in our lives, but I think we need to make it a priority.
For more information about Rob Zulkoski at RobZFitness visit www.RobZFitness.com or call 813-571-3700.
RobZ Fitness Now Open In Valrico
By Lauren Curts (Osprey Observer)
January 2007
At the mention of personal trainers, most people immediately think of the rich and famous. Images of beautiful people instructing other beautiful people usually pop into your head. Well, you too can be one of those beautiful people, both inside and out, here in Valrico. Rob Zulkoski, a certified personal trainer opened his training studio on January 1, and is ready to take on everyone’s fitness goals.
In the Stein Mart-anchored Lithia Crossings plaza on Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Zulkoski has opened a 2,400-sq.-.ft.-training facility, RobZ Fitness, equipped with dumbbells, barbells, cardio equipment, showers, dressing rooms and a children’s area.
For the past ten years of his training career, Zulkoski has been working with clients at their homes as Personal Best Fitness Training, but he is pleased to be able to offer a unique experience at his brand new training studio. “I have always wanted to own a gym and here in my studio, I can really give personalized one-on-one training,” he excitedly states. The facility is available to a select number of clients/members as of January 1.
Zulkoski is a certified fitness trainer with a degree and more than twenty years of fitness and training experience behind his name. But not only is he a trainer with knowledge and experience, he has a true passion for fitness, which is infectious. “I have loved fitness and nutrition since I was 21 years old. It has always been in me. I really want to help people,” he says.
That passion flows through to his clients and inspires them to accomplish their goals and do their best. Osprey Observer editor, Marie Gilmore, has been a client of more than a year and has experienced great success through his nutrition and exercise plans.
Zulkoski has been in Florida since 1991 and has worked as the corporate fitness director for Lifestyle Family Fitness and fitness director/personal training coordinator for The Harbor Island Athletic Club prior to branching out on his own. He is used to working with a variety of clients ranging from age 16 to 92, each with specific goals. And just to prove it is all in the family, his wife, Amy, is an aerobics instructor as well.
Zulkoski is in the process of changing the name of his training services to RobZFitness but until then, go online to www.RobZFitness.com. He can also be reached by phone at 571-3700.
