StumbleUpon | fitnessgrl's blog posts

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/14848471/

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:51:29 -0800

Are you lacking the time to exercise? Are you short on money and can’t afford a gym membership? Do you lack workout equipment?
Then bodyweight circuits are the answer to all your exercise excuses!
�

When using body weight circuits, you are getting in a total body cardio workout. All you need to do is pick 2-3 lower body exercises and 2-3 upper body exercises that you do using only your body weight. Alternate the upper and lower body exercises, doing 10-15 repetitions per exercise, with no rest until you have completed all the exercises one time through. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat the circuit up to 6 times. There you have a perfect fat burning circuit in less than 25 minutes!
Not only do body weight circuits burn fat, but they help to boost your metabolism. By using body weight training, you are incorporating both interval and strength training all in one workout and your body will not only burn calories while you are doing your circuits, but long after you are done!
Bodyweight exercises also help build muscle, which helps not only to increase your metabolism, but also makes you look sexy.
Here is a beginner bodyweight circuit workout:

Wall Ball Squat - 15 reps

Kneeling pushups - 10 reps

Hip Extension - 15 reps

Plank on Hands - 20 seconds

Bird Dog - 5 reps per side hold for count of 5 seconds

Here’s an intermediate bodyweight circuit workout:

T-Squat - 15 reps

Forward Lunges - 12 reps each leg

Decline Pushup - 15 reps

Mt Climber - 15 reps

Close grip Pushups - 15 reps

Side plank - 30 seconds each side

You can use the bodyweight circuits in place of your interval training or added to your regular training. Give them a try and start blasting that fat!
�
�
Visit WomensDietandFitness.com for more great tips!

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/14848456/

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:50:52 -0800

It feels so good when you are in a� ‘workout routine’ and sometimes its very hard to take a step back and realize you need to take a break from that routine. Overtraining is when you are working out too much and too hard, without allowing your body to fully recover.�
This past week I took off 5 days from work and I mean ALL work! No computers, no daycare, no training. I did workout 2x, but they were light workouts. It was amazing what a difference it made in my days. I had more energy, felt relaxed and stress-free! I was also able to ‘clear my head’ with all the stuff I usually feel I have to do, and do some clear thinking!
Signs of overtraining include:

washed out feeling, tired, lack of energy

pain in your muscles and joints, general achiness

headaches

insomnia

frequent illnesses (colds, sore throats)

moodiness and irritability

decreased appetite

decreased training ability and muscle strength

a compulsive need to train

increased heart rate

If you have experienced any of these symptoms and feel you are overtraining, you should stop your workouts for a couple of days and get plenty of rest, continue eating healthy and drink plenty of water. When you feel rested, start out slowly with your workouts again. You don’t have to wait until you are experiencing these symptoms to take a break, its a� good idea to lighten your frequency of workouts every couple months to let your body rest. It will not only enable you to work harder after your rest period, but will also help you to look forward to exercising again.
Visit WomensDietandFitness.com for more great tips!

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/14848429/

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:49:50 -0800

Even a personal trainer needs a personal trainer sometimes! So I had my friend, Carmel, make up a circuit for me to do this morning because I am unable to do running intervals for a while.
Just so you know, circuits are just as beneficial if not more, than doing intervals.

�
She gave me the exercises to do and said to go through it 2 times and my response was, ” Only 2 times?” Well, I did it 2 times this morning and literally thought I was going to die. I wish I would have worn my HR moniter so that I could have seen how high my HR was, but I can guarantee you it was WAY higher than it ever gets doing intervals on the treadmill! It took about 10 minutes and felt like 30!
Here is the circuit:
1. Walking Lunges (12 each leg)
2. Jump Squats (15)
3. T - Pushups (12)
4. Mountain Climber (20) I did 20 each leg
5. Jacknife on ball (12)
6. Leap Frogs (12)
(The exercises are linked, so you can find out how to do them)
Go ahead, give it a try! Perfect to use during the holidays when your short on time, but want to get in a good, total body workout!
Visit WomensDietandFitness.com for more great tips!

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/14848420/

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:49:15 -0800

If you are like a lot of women, you hate that flabby skin that hangs under your arm when you lift your arm up. Here are some of the best exercises that you can add to your strength routine to help you get rid of the flab!
1. Dips - When doing dips, make sure to keep your elbows tucked in and keep your body as close to the bench as possible.
http://www.shapefit.com/triceps-exercises-bench-dips.html
2. Dumbell Kickbacks - Again, keep your arm tucked close to your body and keep position your elbow higher than your shoulder.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBKickback.html
3. Standing Cable Tricep Pulldown -Use slow, controlled movements and keep your back straight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2ILDEmRJmE
4. Overhead Dumbell Extension -Try to keep your elbows as close to your head as you can during this lift in order to maximize the stress on your triceps. Also remember to use a full range of motion by fully stretching your triceps at the bottom and locking the weight out completely at the top.
http://www.shapefit.com/triceps-exercises-standing-dumbbell-triceps-extensions.html
5. Lying Tricep Extension-Use slow and controlled movements and keep your elbows in.
http://www.shapefit.com/triceps-exercises-lying-supine-two-arm-dumbbell-trieps-extensions.html
Add 2-3 of these exercises per week while doing 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions and you will have those strong, sexy triceps in no time!
Visit WomensDietandFitness.com for more great tips!

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/14848409/

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:48:42 -0800

My most often question asked to me by my clients are "How can I get rid of this fat on my belly?" They always ask if cardio is better than weight training. I always tell them the same thing, cardio is not the best way to burn fat, you need to be doing intervals for burning fat to help you lose that belly fat.

I have had lots of experience, not only with my own training, but with my clients, and have seen what works and what does not work.

Most people have limited time to workout and devote to exercise. There is not enough time for 6-8 hours of exercise, nor do you need to be doing that much to lose fat and gain muscle. I want to tell you how you can an effective workout accomplished in 60 minutes or less.

Having said all that, I am going to tell you how to get a better body in less than 45 minutes, 3 times per week.

Start with bodyweight exercises to warm-up, move on to strength training supersets to build muscle, and then finish your workout with interval training to burn fat in a short amount of time.

First, 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises to warm-up is all you will need to do. Walking on the treadmill doesn't really prepare your muscles to perform a fat burning strength training workout.

Next, move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This allows you to shorten your workout time, leaving less rest time, which in turn creates better fat burning! 20 minutes of strength training is all you need, if using basic exercises. For more muscle building, you could work up to 30 minutes.

And finally, finish up with 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals, which could be anywhere from 30 seconds up to 90 seconds, followed by short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a 5-minute cool-down and you have a quick, effective, fat burning interval session.

Most people spend 30-60 minutes on the cardio machine, which DOES burn calories, but will not help you to build the body you are looking to achieve. In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise.

So, if you are looking for the most effective way to burn belly fat, use a combination of strength training and interval training- a fast, effective and fun way to workout!

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/14848391/

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:47:54 -0800

Are you struggling to get through your workouts and feel physically exhausted after your workouts? Are lacking in energy every day? This might be due to lack of carbohydrates.

The past couple months, I have felt this way. After my workout, I would have my protein shake with water and within 30 minutes, I was ready to go back to bed! I was so physically exhausted I hardly had the energy to do anything! I chatted with some other fitness professionals and we figured out that I needed to add more starchy or complex carbs to my diet. Not only around my workouts, but in my first 3 meals also.

Why starchy or complex carbs? These carbohydrates take longer to break down and offer a more sustained supply of energy for the body.

complex carbohydrates

When choosing complex carbs, choose foods that are wholegrain, such as breads, oats and brown rice. Other foods you want to choose are sweet potatoes, yams, beans, and lentils. These complex carbs should be eaten in the first 3 meals of your day or before 3pm.

fibrous carbohydrates The remaining meals should contain fibrous carbs, such as asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, salsa, cucumber or green beans. These are all fine to eat throughout the day, but should be the only carbs you plan in your meals after 3pm.

Using these tips will not only help with your energy level, but will also help to aid in your weight loss goals.

http://fitnessgrl.stumbleupon.com/review/11468781/

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:13:07 -0700

You can check out my blogs at :

http://womensdietandfitness.com/WDF

http://blog.bodybuilding.com/angie5