Archive for the ‘strength training’ Category
Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool. When days are hot, when days are cold, in the swimming pool. Do you remember that children’s tune?
I can talk about the virtues of swimming all day long because I LOVE to swim.
Many of you who have known me for a few years might remember that I even became lifeguard certified! You might also recall that it was one of the hardest things I ever took on. I also taught water aerobics at a community college and it was a blast.
But enough about me. Let’s talk about YOU and swimming.
Training in the water is a great way to take care of building that essential core strength.
The muscles of your torso stabilize your spine and provide a foundation for all movements. Since water is gentle on your body and it offers natural resistance, it’s a great environment to train in.
Before doing these movements warm up for 5-10 minutes. For this you can walk in the shallow end of the pool. These moves will require water dumbbells and a noodle.
Remember to breathe as you perform these exercises. Perform the movements slowly and make sure you feel the muscles you are targeting actually doing the work. Using the natural resistance of the water, you can make these moves as easy or as hard as you’d like.
1. Abdominal Rolls: Lie face up in the water holding a dumbbell in each hand. Stretch your arms out to your sides and extend your legs. Pull your knees to your chest. As you do this, roll onto your stomach. Now from your lying face down position, pull knees to your chest and roll again. Perform 8-12 reps of this (one rep includes a back and front position).
2. Reverse Crunch: Place one dumbbell under each knee as you lie on your back. Place your noodle under your arms, across your upper back. You are now in the crunch position. Extend your legs and bring them back in. Remember to breathe. Perform 8-12 reps.
3. Deep Water Walking: Hold one dumbbell in each hand, legs directly under your body. Walk your legs under water. Keep walking your legs. Remember, you are in deep water so your legs are not touching the bottom of the pool. Walk slowly or speed up. Start with 30 seconds at a time and work up to one minute.
4. Oblique Side-Lying Flutter Kicks: Holding the dumbbells, lie on one side with good alignment, and flutter kick for a count of 8 to one side. Switch sides and flutter kick for 8 beats on the opposite side. Move back and forth a few times on each side.
So enjoy the water and let me know how you like working with these moves.
shelli
Do you have bat wings?
A woman recently asked me, “How do I get rid of my bat wings?” I didn’t want to laugh but I swear I had no idea what she meant.
Then when she showed me her arms I got it.
It’s the skin that wiggles underneath our triceps!
Want an idea for tightening tricep wiggle?
I read a study that showed that 85% of women who massaged their skin with rosemary oil found it appeared tighter.
That’s because stimulating compounds in rosemary oil increase circulation in muscles and skin, creating a firmer appearance. It usually takes a few weeks for the difference to show.
Rosemary essential oil also contains antioxidants such as carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, which help repair and safeguard collagen for firmer skin.
To make a lotion, mix 3 drops of rosemary oil into your body moisturizer and massage into your arms (or any other area you want) daily.
Of course there’s always tricep dips and other strength training you can do, but when I gave her this idea for using rosemary oil, she was thrilled.
Try it and see what you think!
shelli
I’ve been noticing that more and more gizmos, online tools and fitness books are coming on the market to help people exercise and get fitness results. However, you’d get a huge bang for the buck (actually forget the bucks), if you used your MIND as an exercise and fitness tool.
Your thoughts control everything from how fully your muscles contract to how difficult an exercise feels. You must use your mind to get the best and quickest results from your efforts.
Here’s how!
1. Are you working on your abs or core strength? Set a difficult goal.
You may just achieve more than you thought possible. In study after study on human performance, people who aim for a specific goal significantly outperform those who just aimed to do the best they could. People generally underestimate their own abilities. Aiming high allows you to push past your own perceptions.
2. Do you ever get bored, particularly when you do cardio exercise?
Many people tend to focus on boredom, fatigue or discomfort while they do their cardio routines. That usually leads to those sensations feeling even worse!
Instead, try focusing on unrelated thoughts.
I read about one study where researchers instructed one group to try and recall the names of every teacher they’d had since kindergarten while cycling for 15 minutes. Another group was told to focus on their exertion level. The name game group found their routine to be at least 10% easier.
3. Do you get tired or discouraged while doing your strength training?
While staying focused on what you’re doing, try filling your mind with affirmations. Make up some of your own or use ones like “I can feel my muscles growing.” Positive thinking lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Also, motivational self-talk boosts performance.
4. What do you use your mind for when you’re waiting on line or generally waiting for something or someone?
You can use your mind and imagine yourself doing a push-up, for instance.
Picturing an action activates the nerves that make muscles move and triggers an actual contraction. Please read that again, because it’s a very crucial point in understanding just how important your mind actually is in what you can accomplish.
Studies have shown that people who practiced exercise visualization for 5 minutes a day were able to increase their muscle strength by 35% in 12 weeks, without ever stepping into a gym.
Of course, don’t forget to use visualization when you ACTUALLY exercise! Always imagine yourself using proper form as you move.
5. As you complete your chores, what do you think about?
Try thinking about the muscles you use to do daily chores.
Carrying things up and down stairs, for instance, works your quadriceps, butt muscles and hamstrings. Again, concentration strengthens the neurological connection between the brain and the muscles, prompting the body to use up to 30% more muscle fibers during a movement. This added muscle action helps speed muscle growth while increasing caloric expenditure. That’s a GOOD thing!
So remember that your mind is not only an incredible tool in your health and fitness journey but it’s free and accessible to you ALL the time!
shelli
“Sure, I know I should be working out, but I just can’t find the time”.
I hear it all the time.
How about 15 minutes a week, though?
Don’t tell me you can’t find 15 minutes a week!
How about if I only gave you TWO exercises to do?
OK, here we go.
The PLANK is, in my book, a fantastic whole body exercise.
If you’ve taken a Yoga class, or worked one on one with a trainer, or hung out with me for any length of time, you’re familiar with the PLANK.
Here’s how to do it.
Kneel on your hands and knees. Move into the PLANK position by extending your legs backward and reaching forward through the crown of your head, similar to if you were doing push-ups.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears, and keep your hips up. Don’t allow your back to cave downward.
Hold yourself up, palms flat on the floor, arms extended, up to 90 seconds.
Remember to breathe.
If you have wrist issues and flat palms don’t work for you, bend your arms so you’re supported from your elbows and forearms. There are many variations on the plank, but start here.
WALL SITTING looks much easier than it is.
The WALL SIT works your legs, and strengthens your abs and back as you press your back into the wall.
Here’s how to do it.
Press your back against a wall. Walk your feet away from the wall and then slide your back down the wall until your knees form ninety-degree angles. Hold up to 90 seconds. Remember to breathe.
Do these two 90 second exercises as a set 5 days a week and you’ll have your 15 minutes!!
Enjoy,
shelli
In my last blog post about belly fat loss I mentioned strength training, in other words, adding muscle.
And then it occurred to me that many women (and yes, even many men) are confused about why muscle is so ESSENTIAL.
So we might title this week’s blog post:
MUSCLE: Why you need it!
First, you need time to build muscle so it’s important you don’t get discouraged. You can’t take a linear approach like you can with fat loss. Muscle is built in spurts.
Next, adding muscle will melt body fat faster than any diet plan or cardio workout.
How? It increases your metabolic rate.
Muscle gives you an edge because it requires fuel to burn. It’ll burn up calories and your body will have less calories to store as fat. Another way to say this is that your consumed calories are burned at a quicker rate.
And YES, even over the age of 35 people can still build muscle!
You lose more than a pound of muscle every year past the age of 35, which means keeping muscle and adding more muscle is a MUST.
That’s because muscle (even a POUND of it) melts off body fat. If you don’t pay attention to your muscle mass, you’ll get fat.
Here are some tips to apply to your muscle gaining efforts:
1. Change your routines frequently. Remember, muscle is built in spurts and responds to intense activity. Once your body gets used to what you’re asking it to do, it’s time to change things up.
2. You want to keep your training fresh. Often a three week routine followed by a week of rest and then a new routine for the following three weeks works well. Cycle your routines.
Some people need to gain muscle to look the way they want and some people have enough muscle and just need to burn fat. I rarely come across anyone who doesn’t need to diet down first and then add some muscle. Five to ten pounds of muscle added for most of us is a good goal.
Again, we all should be REALLY serious about adding lean muscle to our bodies. Don’t think it’s not important for you just because you’re not into “bodybuilding.”
I’m talking about having a healthy and lean body look. I don’t like the word “toned” but that’s the image most people think of. When we see a woman who has a healthy proportion of fat and muscle, we often think of that woman as “toned”.
Yes, we need to lose body fat, but adding muscle ensures the fat doesn’t come back!
So I hope this refreshes your memory as to why we need muscle.
If you’re not already doing muscle KEEPING or muscle GAINING activities, I’m encouraging you to start NOW. You have nothing to lose (maybe) and plenty to gain!
shelli
Some research-proven belly fat burning tips for you today.
But first let’s do away with a myth…..or two.
You’re NEVER too old and it is NEVER too late to lose belly fat.
Perhaps you know this, but perhaps you’ve been discouraged and are glad
that I’m reminding you of this. Either way, it’s good to review what I’m sharing with you.
Another myth is that it’s hard to lose belly fat.
While I won’t promise you it’ll be easy, I do know that with these tips it’ll
be a whole lot less struggle and your efforts will be a whole lot more effective.
Yes, you must plan for exercise, shop accordingly and even prepare yourself mentally for the challenge, but it’s well worth it.
So here are 5 tips!
1. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
It’s been proven time and time again that no matter what
diet you’re on, if you eat more fruits and vegetables you will lose
more fat than anyone eating the same diet BUT not as many fruits and vegetables.
In one study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
after 1-year, the low-fat, fruits and vegetables group (LF-FV) lost
more weight than another group of women on the low-fat (LF) diet
only.
Why?
Because the LF-FV group reported being less hungry. They ate more food in the form of fruits and vegetables so they felt more satisfied. Eating more makes sense, right, but it still depends on WHICH foods.
2. Make Sure You’re Utilizing Interval Training
Many studies have found interval training to be best for losing
belly fat.
According to Professor Steve Boutcher, an Australian expert on
interval training, “high intensity intermittent exercise may result
in greater fat loss in the abdomen”.
That means that unlike doing hundreds of crunches which can potentially wreak havoc with your back, interval training can work to burn belly fat better than everything else.
3. There Are Different Types of Cardio
If we separate out interval training from other cardio exercise for fat burning purposes, what do the studies show?
In one study researchers compared high-intensity cardio against
low-intensity cardio. Both groups burned the same amount of calories
in their workouts (400), but the high-intensity group exercised less.
Results?
The subjects in the Low-Intensity Exercise group did not lose fat.
On the other hand, the High-Intensity Cardio group lost a
significant amount of abdominal fat.
How can we interpret this?
The research shows that exercising harder results in more
belly fat loss in less time. This less time factor is great to know.
So it’s not the time spent, but rather HOW you spend the time that counts.
And in fact, slow cardio does NOTHING for fat loss. Yes, it has benefits but is not the best choice for fat loss. If you’ve ever trained for a marathon you can probably attest to this.
All cardio is not the same. First decide on what results you want and then match the exercise choice.
4. Exercise with Supersets Leads to More Calories Burned
The latest research shows that superset training boosts metabolism more than traditional straight set training.
You can read more about what super set training involves or talk with your own personal trainers. I want to bring this to your attention and point you in the right direction. Again, choose the result you want
and then choose routines accordingly.
5. For Calorie Burning Use Lower Repetitions in Your Workouts
Researchers had women do two workouts. One workout was done with light weights and high reps, and the other workout was done with heavier weights and 8 reps per set (this group was called high-intensity).
The study found that the high intensity group burned more calories
AFTER exercise and therefore the scientists recommend high intensity
resistance training rather than low-intensity high rep lifting.
Many women (though very few men) still seem to be stuck on the old outdated way of strength training: light weights and many repetitions.
Let’s move along and use newer more informed knowledge so we are not wasting our time and efforts.
In other words, lift heavy, lift often and learn to love to lift! OK–maybe just LIKE to lift, but lift never the less!
So if you hear yourself saying, “Belly fat be gone,” these five tips will come in handy.
shelli
Three nutritional tidbits for you today!
1. Are you thinking of buying organic fruits and vegetables?
One of the questions I get asked most often is, “If I want to buy organic fruits and vegetables, which ones ARE on the MUST buy organic list?”
So here it is. I suggest printing this list out and posting on your fridge for quick reference.
To avoid pesticides the TOP 10 most contaminated fruits and vegetables are: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, cherries, strawberries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes.
2. Do you need a boost with your math skills?
Chocolate has been shown to improve math skills.
Now I must admit that my math skills are just fine but this study caught my eye anyway.
Researchers from the UK recently showed that “flavonol-rich” chocolate, defined as containing at least 520 mg of cocoa flavonols per serving, significantly improved mentally demanding tasks like arithmetic. You might want to test this theory out yourself!
3. Do you eat breakfast before you exercise?
Researchers report that eating breakfast BEFORE performing resistance exercise leads to greater increases in muscle protein synthesis.
Why should you care?
Because that means you’ll boost your muscle-building power if you eat before you strength train, no matter what time of day it is. You are strength training, I hope?? Eating a small meal (or shake) approximately 30-60 minutes prior to training should do the trick.
shelli
5 Simple Easy Work-Out-in-No-Time Tips!
1. Spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen?
Hold two 14-ounce cans, one in each hand, palms down. Raise your arms straight out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 15 times.
Benefit: Strengthens your shoulder muscles and your grip.
2. Spend a lot of time in chairs?
Do chair squats.
Stand in front of a sturdy chair as if you’re going to sit down; raise your arms straight in front of you. Bend your knees and slowly lower yourself onto the chair; lightly touch down and then stand back up. Repeat 10-15 times.
Benefit: Strengthens thighs and glutes.
3. Spend time at counters or in front of the sink?
Hamstring kicks are fun.
Stand facing a counter (hold on for balance). Shift your weight to one leg, and bring your other heel up toward your buttocks. Hold and squeeze for a few seconds. Return your leg to the starting position, then lift it straight out to the side, and again back down. Repeat 15 times with each leg.
Benefit: Works hamstrings and outer-thigh muscles.
4. Waiting in line at the mall?
Try calf lifts.
Rise up on your toes and hold for 3 seconds. Lower; repeat 15 times.
Benefit: Tones and strengthens calf muscles.
Also try a balance challenge. Shift your weight to one foot and raise the opposite foot (hold on to something for balance if you need to). See how long you can keep your balance. Repeat with the other leg.
Benefit: Strengthens the supporting leg and improves balance.
5. Find yourself standing at the buffet table or in line to order food?
Tighten your abdominal muscles as if preparing to take a punch. Hold and squeeze for 5 to 10 seconds. Release and repeat 10 times.
Benefit: Strengthens abdominal and core muscles.
Try these and let me know what you thin. And always remember to have fun!
shelli
Let’s look at 4 Bone Myths!
1. “Milk builds bones.” False
Women with the highest calcium consumption from dairy products have more fractures than those who drink less milk. The fracture rates are much lower in countries that consume little dairy.
Fact: Mild exercise reduces the rate of falls and fractures by 25%
2. “HRT (hormone replacement therapy) protects you from osteoporosis.” False
While low levels of estrogen are associated with the loss of bone density, it is bone QUALITY that determines the likelihood of fracture. HRT has failed to live up to its promise of building better quality bones.
3. “You have osteoporosis.” Often false.
Under the old standard, fracturing a bone after it experienced just slight stress was the best indication, but not any longer. New diagnostic techniques of bone imaging make it easier to detect osteoporosis. Don’t be bullied into taking unnecessary drugs with long term risks for a disease you don’t have.
Fact: Best protection is to get a bone density test and then use nutrition and physical activity to support your bone structure.
4. “Calcium supplements do the job.” False.
Not antacids, candy supplements or breakfast cereals that say “added calcium for strong bones.” None of them do the job. First, calcium is hard to absorb and needs to be combined with vitamin D. It also needs to be in a specific form to be effective (calcium citrate for example). Second, calcium is just one of many vitamins and minerals your bones need for health.
Fact: For healthy bones you need to have a diet rich in vitamins and minerals and then PERHAPS a supplement that includes minerals such as boron, silicon and zinc.
shelli
I’d like to share with you an email I received from one of the women who reads this blog.
It was in response to the August 21 post on changing your work out strategy when it’s not working. She wrote:
“Hi Shelli
I agree fully with this post. For years I have been feeling tired and too busy to work out in the evening. I’ve been suffering from osteopenia and some osteoporosis and am unable to carry my own groceries. My husband and I joined a gym and commited ourselves to a trainer for 8 weeks. The first 3 weeks were pure hell pain! Now I do every other day cardio and the alternating day I do my circuits. I am currently lifting weight 30-35 lbs and do push-ups (30). Best of all I can now get up from the floor to a standing position without calling for help. I can also carry my own groceries.
I am a 63 year old female. If I can do this, any one can!”
I love hearing stories like these. They are so encouraging!
And she’s 100% right, we all can improve our health and fitness if we commit and stick with a well thought out plan!
shelli
