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Exercise with Consistency Exercise on a consistent basis at least 3-4 days a week. If your goals are to loose weight, increase muscle definition or gain cardio-vascular strength, then anything less than 3-4 days is good, but, will not be very effective. 3-4 days a week should be minimum on a regular weekly basis without any breaks from the gym with the exception of sick days, vacation days/weeks, holidays or other events that would keep you away from the gym or your regular exercise routine. Each one of those days should include at least 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight training. I often have people tell me that they do not see results in loosing weight or increasing muscle definition or both. And, most of the time it is because they either do not exercise regularly the minimum amount required or they are not consistent with their routine. They may exercise 4 days one week and only 1 the next, 3 the next and none the next, etc. Or, they acquire a great exercise routine for 3 months and then take off for 2. In order to see the results you want and make your goals you need to be consistent forever. Another frustration I see people have with exercise is that they do not see results as quickly as they would like. But, the reality is that there is no quick fix, it takes years to reach goals, not months. Most people think they can come to the gym in January or February to get in shape for the summer, only to get frustrated by April that they haven't made there goal. This is because it takes years to define your body and your muscles, not weeks and not months. If you are consistent weekly, monthly and yearly, you will eventually achieve your goals and see the results you want. If you have been exercising 3-4 days a week consistently for years and you still do not see results or you feel that you are only maintaining, it is time to either add another day of exercise a week, add another 30 minutes to each workout, or increase the intensity of your workout in order to jump start your metabolism and challenge your body again. 3-4 days a week is the minimum, if you want quicker more effective results than a 4-5 day a week plan is better. http://www.weightlossweapons.com/blog/exercise/how-many-days-should-you-exercise-per-week/ http://www.feelhealthyagain.net/exercise-consistency-is-the-key.html http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/burningfat_3.htm How to get muscles that look lean and trim There are two ways that you can build your muscles for overall results. One is to build muscle mass using heavy weights with less reps and sets and the other is to use lighter weights with more reps and sets. Both of these results require different approaches. With heavy weights you should only be able to do a few reps and a few sets. By the time you get to your last rep and last set you should barely, if not at all, be able to lift the weight another time. I prefer the lighter weight approach for women mostly because I can see in my classes when someone has a weight that is heavy their form suffers. They put all of their focus and strength into just lifting the weight and forget about their form. With a lighter weight you can do a lot of reps with controlled motions, such as holding the weight or lifting and lowering the weight slowly without a struggle. And, you can do 2 – 3 different exercises per muscle group. With this approach you don't usually need as much recovery time for your muscles and therefore could do this type of weight training everyday or at least a few times a week working out all muscle groups at the same time. Over time you may be able to use heavier weights as you develop muscle and strength. You can choose to use a heavier weight as your muscles become stronger and the weight that you are using for a particular muscle group becomes too light and easy. Try increasing the weight by 1 or 2 lbs. and see if you can control this heavier weight with several reps and sets keeping focus on your form. The light weight should be challenging enough that you are building some muscle but not too heavy that you cannot control the weight and your form suffers. But, the most important key to getting a leaner and trimmer body is by loosing the fat that surrounds the muscles to reveal the muscle definition underneath. True results come from not just weight training but cardio-vascular exercise and proper nutrition. For tips on eating healthy and for meal planning see my link above in the nutritional tips and information section. Below is a link with some more information on muscle definition and weight training. http://www.intense-workout.com/tone_definition.html Exercise proper form. Good form is extremely important for getting the results you want when exercising, especially during weight training and body sculpting classes. Most instructors will talk to you about proper form when doing exercises. This is not just because we like to talk but, because it is important that you do the moves correctly. The two main reasons to make sure that you are using proper form is for getting the best results from the exercises you are doing and also to prevent injury. If you are doing certain exercises incorrectly you are not only not going to get the results you want, but, you are going to put extra stress on your joints, muscles and body. Here are some tips and things that you should be thinking about when doing weight training or sculpting exercises (I speak about these things a lot in my classes, so to a lot of you these will be familiar): - You should always be breathing through all exercises. You should never be holding your breathe. Make sure that you are inhaling and exhaling throughout your exercise routine. - You should always be thinking about and using your core muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your back. This will strengthen your abs, take pressure off your back and give you better posture. - In any leg exercises your knees should never go past your toes, they should always be behind your toes — for example: in a lunge position you should never move your knee in a forward motion where it is in front of your toe. Rather, you should be bending through both knees straight down not forward, (I see a lot of people make this mistake and this is not only not effective but, it puts a lot of pressure on the knee that can result in damages and injury over time). - You should be using proper weight. The weight should not be so heavy that your proper form suffers because you are only trying to focus on moving the weight at all and it should not be too light that you do not feel your muscles working or getting fatigue. A proper weight should feel like you have control over the weight, your form and the rest of the body, but, as you progress through the reps the weight feels as though it is getting heavier and harder to control. If you get to a point where you feel that you cannot lift the weight anymore without focusing on your form, then it is time to switch to a lighter weight. And, if you get to a point with the weight where you can easily get through the reps without the muscles feeling challenged or fatigued, then it is time to switch to a heavier weight. - Controlled motions throughout the exercise is important. You should be controlling both the contraction and the release of the contraction. For example: in a bicep curl, you need to control the curl as well as the extension downward back to the starting position. You should not curl and then let the weight drop down quicker then the curl (This is why I like to use a lot of slow up and down motions and holds when I do the body sculpting classes. When I do a lot singles I see a lot of lifting and dropping and not as much control of the weight). - When doing exercises in a standing position you should be standing as straight and tall as possible by again pulling in your belly button, head straight and the shoulders pulled back and down off the ears. In conclusion really focus on form when doing your exercises, listen to your instructors instructions and utilize that knowledge to the best of your ability. Often we let the exercise control us and we need to really allow our bodies to control the exercise, the weight and the muscles that we are training. Take each one of the tips and try to incorporate them in your workout. If it is too much to remember, try taking one tip at a time and master that before focusing on the next. Hopefully soon you will feel more in control and you will see better results from your workouts. Below are a few links with some more detailed information on proper: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-training/SM00028 http://www.akiranews.com/2009/12/01/why-is-proper-form-so-important-when-working-out/ Choosing the Right Sneaker for Your Workouts I get a lot of questions as to what type of sneakers to use for the activities that we do in the aerobics room at the gym. Pick a sneaker that you feel supported with. It should have cushion at the heal and the foot should feel supported by the sneaker. I used to recommend a cross training sneaker but, in recent years they have either stopped making or are making less cross trainers because the running sneakers available contain the same features as the cross trainers or fitness shoes. Try several running, fitness or cross training sneakers on and pick a sneaker that is most comfortable for your foot that you can move with. Make sure that you can jump, hop and move side to side comfortably and not just run in them. Another thing that you should be thinking about is how often you are changing or getting new sneakers. If you are exercising at least 3 times a week you should be replacing your sneakers every 6 months to a year. I find that when my knees or shins start to bother me it is time to replace my sneakers and that usually helps. Here are a few links with more information: http://www.essortment.com/family/choosingshoese_swcx.htm 5 moves for a full body workout Even if you cannot make it to the gym you can still get a full body workout at home with little room and no equipment needed. Try these 5 moves to work your cardio, upper body, lower body, core and abs. Jumping Jacks, Full Squats, Push Ups, Sit Ups and Leg Lifts. In this order start out by doing 10 of each, then 15 of each and then 20 of each. Try 3 sets of 10, 15 and 20. This can be done in as little as 10 minutes. You can easily do this before you go to work or start your day and get your heart pumping and the blood flowing, helping your body burn more calories throughout the day. You can also do this before you go to bed or on a break at work. Challenge yourself and try to continue these sets for a certain amount of time from 20 – 40 minutes or longer. You can also do this with a partner and challenge each other to keep the pace together, face each other and slap hands on the way up from squats, alternate slapping hands when coming up from push ups, place feet side by side on sit ups and slap hands when sitting up. See below for full explanation on each exercise as well as modifications for all to make your workout, work for you. From low-impact to high-impact, everyone at every level can get a great workout with these 5 basic moves. Train with these moves and then take the exercise challenge, see Upcoming Events for dates and locations. 1- Jumping Jacks High Impact – hop both feet out at same time as you raise arms up over head, then hop feet back together and lower arms down to side. Low Impact (modified/easier) – step right foot out to side and raise arms over head, then step right foot back in and lower arms down to side. step left foot out to side and raise arms over head, step left foot back in and lower arms back to side. 2- Full Squats High Impact Jump Squat – lower hands to touch floor by bending knees, hop up as you reach arms over head to ceiling, reach back down to floor by bending knees. Low Impact Regular Squat (modified/easier) – lower hands to touch floor by bending knees, extend knees up and reach arms over head standing tall, reach back down to floor by bending knees. 3- Push Ups High-Impact – position body in a plank position with hands underneath shoulders about shoulder width apart or wider and come up on toes, body parallel to the floor. Butt should be down in alignment with the spine and not up towards the ceiling. Pull belly button up towards the ceiling and keep core pulled in tight. Bend elbows to lower chest towards the floor and then extend elbows to push chest up and away from the floor. Body should be like a board going down and up in one straight line without bending in the center. Low-Impact (modified/easier) – position body in a plank position with hands underneath shoulders about shoulder width apart or wider keeping knee on the floor. Bend knees and pull heels towards the butt, upper body should be parallel to the floor. Butt should be down in alignment with the spine and not up towards the ceiling. Pull belly button up towards the ceiling and keep core pulled in tight. Bend elbows to lower chest towards the floor and then extend elbows to push chest up and away from the floor. Body should be like a board going down and up in one straight line without bending in the center. 4- Sit Ups High-Impact – Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat, arms bent, fists in front of shoulders. Bring upper body up to a seated position, keeping feet flat to the floor as you come up. Use ab muscles to bring body up and then use those same muscles to return the upper body back down to the floor from lower back to the shoulders. Low-Impact (modified/easier) – Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat, finger tips behind the ears. Bring just the shoulders and as much of the upper back that you can off the floor, keeping feet flat to the floor as you come up. Use ab muscles to bring body up and then use those same muscles to return the back and shoulders back down to the floor. 5- Leg Lifts High Impact – Lie on back with knees bent, heels on the floor and toes up, arms on the floor at your sides with the palms facing down. Lift both legs off the floor and straight up towards the ceiling as high as you can, lifting the butt and and as much of the lower back as you can off of the floor using your lower abs. Bring legs straight down, bending knees and return heels to the floor. Low Impact (modified/easier) – Lie on back with legs straight up towards the ceiling and arms on the floor at your sides with the palms facing down. Push heels up towards the ceiling as high as you can, lifting the butt and and as much of the lower back as you can off of the floor using your lower abs. Bring lower back and butt back down to the floor. Instead of doing your workout in one space utilize your space by moving through your workout. Place a mat at one side of the room and place your weights on the other side of the room. Do an exercise on your mat and then get up and walk or run to the other side of the room and do an exercise with your weights. For example: do pushups on your mat get up run to your weights and do weighted squats, run to your mat and do situps or crunches, run back to your weights and do shoulder presses. Continue running from your mat to your weights. Do each exercise once, twice or even three times each. By moving from one side of the room to the other you will add cardio and utilize more energy for your workout burning more calories and fat Posture is extremely important in exercise. It can mean the difference in the effectiveness of your workout and the development of the muscles. Good posture is also important in preventing injury. When weight training always make sure you are standing tall, shoulders back and down, chin off the chest and hips shoulder width apart, knees should be slightly bent. Pull your navel into your spine to protect your back and strengthen your abdominal muscles. When doing squats or lunges make sure the knees are not coming past the toes when bending. Practice good posture when exercising and throughout your day. Practicing balance is extremely important. As we age we tend to lose our balance. Many of the injuries and falls that occur as we age come from poor balance. In order to maintain good balance we must practice balance at least a few times a week. To practice balance start easy and as your balance becomes stronger you can increase the level. Stand with feet hip with apart. Lift left foot slightly off the ground and keep other foot on the floor pressing heel downward. You have just transferred more of the weight to your right side. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Switch and do the same thing on the other side. Next time hold that position for one minute on each side. When you can maintain balance for one minute you are ready to make it harder. To make it harder lift one foot slightly off the ground and maintain balance for 30 seconds. Switch and do the same thing on other side. Once you can maintain balance for one minute with foot slightly off the ground raise the leg higher. Every time you can maintain balance for one minute raise the leg higher and go back to 30 seconds. Keep raising the leg higher and higher until you can raise it up to hip level while maintaining balance for at least one minute. Practice this at least three times a week trying to get the leg higher and higher each time. When Summer is upon us everyone starts rushing to the gym and changing their diets trying to get beach body ready. Is it realistic that you will be ready to unveil a new body in just a few weeks. The answer is no! Why? Because, when you start to exercise and eat better the changes do not begin externally. There are so many changes that will be immediate, but, they are mostly internal. Muscle size is beginning to increase, extra calories are being burned, circulation is increasing, toxins are being released from the body. All great things! The problem: You can't see them happening, so, frustration sets in. These internal changes take time to occur and need to happen before you see any external changes. This internal process can take several weeks and months to occur. So, instead of setting the goal of being beach body ready this Summer. Set your goal to be beach body ready next Summer. Take a photo of yourself this year in your bathing suit. Now, you have not just a few weeks to get ready, but, you have 12 months. Take this Summer to enjoy and think about all the internal good and changes you are making for your body. By the time you get to next Summer you will be ready to unveil that new body you were hoping for. Giving yourself a goal that is realistic will help you to be successful instead of being frustrated and giving up. Enjoy the process and know that every time you workout or you eat a good meal, your internal body (the parts you cannot see) is thanking you!
Note: I am not engaged in rendering medical advice. The content and articles in this website are not intended to take the place of such medical advice. I do not assume any liability for the contents of any material provided on this web site. Please consult a physician or physical therapist before using any of this information, advice or any of the services on this web site. This site contains links to other Internet sites. These links are not endorsements or approvals of any products, services, or information on these web sites. I disclaim any liability in connection with the products, services or information listed on these web sites.
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