Fast Fitness: How to Get Toned and Trim in Record Time

While fitness is a lengthy process, taking too long to reach your goals can mean you lose motivation, and just give up completely. So how do you get a toned, trim body in record time?

 

1. Tone Up on the Treadmill: Michael George, trainer and owner of Integrated Motivational Fitness, instructs, ‘Save time at the gym with this 10-minute cardio/sculpt session: Hop on a treadmill holding a three- to five-pound dumbbell in each hand, and set the speed to a brisk walk. Do a one-minute set each of shoulder presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions, side laterals, front laterals and standing triceps kickbacks one after another as you walk. I’s an amazing upper-body challenge that also gets your heart pumping. Do this series two or three times each week. As you improve, work up to doing four-minute sets.’

 

2. Power Up Your Runs: According to Mindy Solkin, owner and head coach of the Running Centre, ‘Adding wall sits to the end of every run will strengthen your quads, hamstrings and glutes, improving your speed and endurance. Lean against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, then squat until your knees are bent at 45 degrees. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds; work up to doing 10 sets. Add a challenge by including heel raises: Lift your left heel, then the right, then lift both together twice.’

 

3. Chart Your Progress: ‘Stay motivated using a fitness report card,’ recommends personal trainer Ken Alan. ‘Jot down these subjects: Cardio, Muscle Conditioning, Flexibility and Attitude. Set goals (for example, doing 10 “boy” push-ups) and grade yourself A through F at least four times a year. When you see how much you improve, you’ll want to stay in great shape.’

 

4. Try This All-in-One Toner: ‘A side-step squat with wood chop works your arms, torso, abs, back, legs, inner thighs and butt,’ says David Kirsch, trainer and author of The Ultimate New York Body Plan. ‘Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a three- to four-pound medicine ball in your hands. Bend your arms up so that the ball is at eye level over your right shoulder. As you bring the ball toward your left knee, step out with your left leg and bend it no further than 90 degrees, keeping your right leg straight. Return to the starting position. Do 10 to 15 reps and repeat on the other leg.’

 

5. Work Out During Your Workday: Gregory Florez, personal trainer and CEO of FitAdvisor.com, advises, ‘Sit on a stability ball to strengthen your core, and keep dumbbells or exercise tubing at your desk. Squeeze in 12 to 15 reps of exercises like dumbbell curls, overhead presses and ab crunches; aim for two or three sets of each. This gives you more free time to fit in fun workouts like biking or tennis.’

 

6. Take The Jump-Rope Challenge: Michael Olajide Jr., former number one world middleweight contender and cofounder/trainer at Aerospace High Performance Centre, asserts, ‘The best cardio workout is the jump-rope double-turn manoeuvre. It’s intense: You’ll burn about 26 calories per minute! Do a basic jump for five minutes, then jump twice as high and turn the rope twice as fast so it passes under your feet twice before you land. This takes timing, patience and power. But you’ll get in great shape just by working at it.’

 

7. Give Yourself a Break: ‘You don’t have to be a fitness saint to get results,’ says Maureen Wilson, owner/personal trainer/instructor at Sweat Co. Studios. ‘Follow the 80/20 plan: Eighty percent of the year, you’ll exercise regularly and eat well. Know that you’ll slip 20 percent of the time due to holidays and work deadlines. When you accept that fitness isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition, you’re more likely to stick with it for life.’

Categories: 80/20, feet shoulder, fitness, jump rope, nbsp, Personal Trainer, record time, shoulder width, time, trainer, Treadmill, wall sits

How to Get Those Arms and Shoulders in Shape for Summer

Summer’s around the corner, which means it may soon be time to pack away your cardigans and get those arms out on display. However, if that fills you with thoughts of worry rather than wellness, fear not; we spoke to top fitness experts about how you can make your shoulders and arms more toned and fit.

 

According to fitness trainer Brad Schoenfeld, MS, CSCS,  ‘The shoulders are the most important muscle group of the upper body for appearance as well as function. Even if you have nice arms, you won’t look good if your shoulders are stooped.’ Much in the same way that shoulder pads help to balance you out, well-developed shoulders also give the illusion of a smaller waist. Your main shoulder muscles include three parts. ‘These include the posterior, medial, and anterior deltoid heads,’ explains Schoenfeld. Your workout should include exercises targeting all three.’ In order to do this, try doing the following three exercises three times per week. Aim for three to four 12-15 repetitions (reps) per set.

 

1. Overhead Shoulder Press: This move works your anterior deltoids. Wellness writer Linda Melone instructs, ‘Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold onto dumbbells. Position dumbbells at each side of shoulders, with elbows bent at a right angle, hands stacked above your wrists (think of goal posts), and palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells upward until arms are extended overhead. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat.’

 

2. Lateral Raise: This is a good move for your lateral deltoids. ‘Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and grasp two dumbbells,’ says Melone. ‘Move dumbbells to the front of your thighs, with palms facing each other. Slightly bend the elbows and raise dumbbells up and out to the sides until parallel to the floor. Your pinkie should be higher than your thumb.’

 

3. Reverse Fly: Finally, this move targets your posterior deltoids. Melone details, ‘Grasp two dumbbells and stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist until your back is parallel to the floor (keep knees bent); keep elbows slightly bent with arms towards the floor, palms and dumbbells facing each other. In this bent-over position, raise dumbbells up and out to the sides, moving from the shoulders only, until arms are parallel to the floor at approximately shoulder level. Lower to starting position and repeat.’

 

Once you’ve worked on your shoulders, it’s time to look at your arms and back. Exercise physiologist Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, notes that pull-ups ‘work the back, forearms and biceps.’ However, if you’re not strong enough to lift your own body weight, here’s how to substitute seated pull-downs or seated rows, which work the same muscles:

 

1. Seated Pull-Down: ‘Attach tubing to upper part of a door hinge,’ Melone advises. ‘Sit tall on a stability ball or bench and grasp tubing handles. Keep feet flat on the floor and chest high as you pull elbows down and back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Pause and slowly return to starting position.’

 

2. Seated Row: This move works your back and biceps. Melone suggests, ‘Attach exercise tubing to a door hinge and sit tall on a bench or exercise ball, grasping handles in each hand, palms facing up. Keep chest high and shoulders down (avoid shrugging) as you pull the handles towards you (tubing should be at chest height). Pause when hands reach the sides of your chest, pause and slowly return to starting position. Keep palms facing up to work the biceps; palms down strengthens forearms.’

Categories: arms, door hinge, feet shoulder, knees slightly, palms facing, raise dumbbells, repeat nbsp, shoulder width, shoulders, slowly return, starting position, Workout