About Ryan

Major: Doctorate of Physical Therapy Where I'm from: Downstate NY When I graduate: I hope to work as an outpatient physical therapist, specializing in sports rehabilitation.

Six-Pack Abs. Are they possible? A Simple Core Fitness Routine for Time-Crunched Students

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Ryan

In your quest for a rock solid core, the exercises you choose to do are important to consider. Crunches alone will not get you very far in your quest. A variety of exercises are necessary to hit all the major core musculature.

How you accomplish these exercises is important as well. A specific intensity must be met to stimulate the muscles in such a way that they will grow, especially if visible stomach muscles are one of your goals. Notice how distance runners do not have large leg muscles, despite working out their legs for hours each week. For the same reason, doing hundreds of crunches will not cause significant muscle growth. Exercises must be of a certain intensity that fatigue is reached in about 8-15 repetitions, or 20-45 seconds of work for maximal muscle growth to occur.

AND BY FAR, the most important factor to consider if “Six-pack abs” are a goal of yours is body fat percentage. If you’re not down to at least 13% body fat for men and 20% body fat for women, all the crunches in the world won’t be enough. Continue reading →

A Fitness Plan for Time-Crunched College Students

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Ryan

In this installment of Healthy Living, we’re going to build a sample fitness program for time-crunched college students, that can be followed on a weekly basis. This program caters to a college student who: 1) has a very busy schedule 2) wants to lose weight and increase fitness 3) enjoys a variety of fitness activities.

Continue reading →

Clinical Rotations…..You’re Almost There

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Ryan

“When you’re here, you’re almost there.”

Who at DYC has not seen the commercials, read the billboards, and heard others repeat these words? While maybe not the catchiest tagline, it certainly has taken on a more personal feeling with me as I navigate my final year of graduate school in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program (DPT). With two clinical rotations down and two to go, the end of over 20 years of full-time education is staring me in the face. And thanks to the experiences I’ve had thus far on my first two “Clinical Rotations”, when I do finally graduate and enter the physical therapy profession for real, I know I’ll be ready. Continue reading →

Can Exercise Overcome a High Calorie Diet?????

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Ryan

A good diet and regular exercise is not always easy to accomplish as a college student. Busy class schedule, mountains of homework, job, and no money are all roadblocks that prevent us from keeping the body fit and healthy during the college years. But have no fear! Over a series of articles in the coming months, we’ll battle through this together as I attempt to uncover the truth about diet and exercise. I’ll be tackling the tough questions, one at a time, to separate the truth from the lies. I’ll be depending largely on reader questions, so don’t hold back (see the comments section below!).

Today I’ll tackle fitness myth #1 - Exercise Can Overcome a High Calorie Diet