Have You Tried the Power of Lunges in Your Routine?

In much the same way as you shouldn’t eat the same foods at every meal, no matter how healthy they are, you shouldn’t do the same exercises every time you do a workout. It’s all too easy with a weight and fitness routine to get into a rut, but if you keep going over the same exercises day in day out, you will actually find that they become less beneficial for your wellness and wellbeing as time goes on.

 

Next time you hit the gym, try to mix it up a bit with some of these great new lunge-based exercises, to increase your chances of building some great, noticeably toned legs.

 

To try lunge variations, you should – of course – start by making sure you are able to do a basic lunge properly, with good form. To do a basic lunge you should stand with your hands on your hips and your shoulders back. Step forward with one leg and then lower your body until your right knee is bent at 90 degrees, making sure that you shift your weight forwards onto the front leg. Pause and then stand up again, stepping back in to the centre.

 

Now it’s time to mix it up and start increasing the complexity of your lunges. One way to do this is by grabbing a pair of dumbbells and holding them down by your sides, with the palms of your hands facing each other. Stand up tall and make sure that your feet are about hip width apart. Step forward onto your right leg and lower your body down into a lunge. As you lower in to the lunge, curl your dumbbells up to both shoulders. Then, as you step back into the starting position, uncurl the dumbbells again, back to their starting position. This added bicep curl will help you to tone your arms whilst also increasing the toning of your legs due to the extra weight.

 

For the next move, hold a dumbbell vertically up to your chest, both hands cupping it. Step backwards with your right leg and lower into what is called a reverse lunge. Pause and then return to the start.

Categories: basic lunge, fitness, hands, legs, lunge, nbsp, starting position, step, time

Strength Training Exercises For Leaner Muscles

Strength training is associated with bulging biceps and bodybuilders, but that’s not always the case. Strength training is as important for runners and other athletes as it is for people who want to bulk up. This type of exercise is important to keep your muscles strong, not just to gain weight. The common fear, particularly among women, is that strength training is always going to add bulk but this is a myth. You will build lean muscles and burn some fat, so the result in the long run is that you will be stronger and also leaner. And who wouldn’t want that? In fact, women are more likely to tone up from strength training than they are likely to bulk up. You need to work your whole body – that’s the trick. Here are some exercises you may want to add to your routine.

Bicep Curl

Begin by leaning against a solid wall with your feet out in front of you, approximately 12 inches and should-width apart. Hold the dumbbells to your side, with your palms facing forward. Slowly lower your body from the hips until you’re at a 90 degree angle at the knees. Hold this position and holding your elbows into the body, slowly curl the dumbbells upwards at the same time. Make sure you keep your shoulders still and just bend your elbows, squeezing at the top and then returning to the starting position. Aim to do two sets with 10 to 12 repetitions each. This exercise works the biceps, quads and glutes.

Crunches

Your starting position is lying on the floor on a mat on your back, with your knees bent and your hands behind your head. Your feet should be flat on the ground – keep a space between your chin and your chest, looking diagonally towards the ceiling. Exhale and raise your chest until your shoulder blades lift off the floor, then inhale and slowly lower yourself back to the floor. You need to use your abs and hips to lift yourself, not your hands and arms. The strength in this exercise will tone up your abs. Your core is important as you derive so much of your balance from this area of the body, and a strong core means you’ll be better equipped to perform other exercises more effectively. This is the perfect starter exercise for building a stronger core.

Forward Lunges

Begin by standing with your feet about six inches apart from each other and your toes pointing forwards. Inhale and step forward with one leg, lowering your body to a 90 degree angle at both knees. Don’t step out too far – there should be a 2 to a 2.5 foot gap between your feet at this stage. Keep your weight on your heels and don’t allow your knees to cross the plane of your toes. Push up and back into the starting position to complete one rep, then repeat all reps on one leg before switching to the other for one set. Be sure to keep your back upright and note that the further you step, the more you work the glutes and hamstrings. The closer you step, the more you work the quadriceps on the top of your thighs. If you’re struggling with balance, you can place your hand on a chair or wall to steady yourself.This exercise works your quads and your glutes, so it’s ideal if you want to strength the muscles in your lower half of the body.

Categories: body, degree angle, exercise, exercise works, lean muscles, starting position, step, strength, Strength Training, training

Butt Workouts: The Best Way For A Shapely Behind

Like every part of the body, the bum is more scrutinised than ever before. We tend to think about our rear ends and the way that they look and worry that we need to improve ourselves. As with every body part there are many different types and they can effectively be broken down into the following categories. There’s the ‘big’ bum that may result from a good shaped bum that has just gotten a little out of a control. The ‘V-shaped’ bum is more squashed into the shape of V. The ‘flat’ bum is self-explanatory. The ‘saggy’ bum droops at the bottom, the ‘double’ bum is like a double-chin only at the rear end and the ‘bubble’ is the pert, round buttocks that are often considered the most desirable sort of bottom.

 

If you want to work out your rear end it is worth remembering that the type of exercise you do should be tailored to the type of bottom that you have. Behinds come in all these different shapes and sizes and you need to make use of the type of exercise that is right for you. So here are some of our top tips for the best exercises you can use to work out your butt and get the shapely posterior you desire.

 

If you have the V-shaped rear end that means that your buttocks will be broader and wider at the top but less so at the bottom and this means that you’ll need to work out the whole of the butt muscle to achieve results. The best way to do this is by using the exercise known as the Step Up. This involves the use of a step or a bench. Stand in front of the bench and then step up onto it, one leg at a time stepping with the right leg first. Then step off the bench, again using one leg at a time. Repeat this exercise 10 times for each leg.

 

Every wondered how top celebrities manage to avoid the ‘saggy’ butt? They do it by using a workout known as the sumo squat. This exercise works out your buttocks and keeps them in shape. To do it you need to stand with your legs a shoulder width apart and then move your leg in a circular kicking motion, landing it back around  a foot wider than you had been in your initial stance. Repeat this move 10 times for each leg and you will be well on course to avoid the saggy bottom.

 

Equally unappealing is the ‘double’ bum, where you have an extra fold of fat on your bum. Cross-country skiing and other exercises such as this are the best way to avoid this butt-based affliction. But if you are stuck for time and need to do something indoors you should do a move known as the prone leg circle. Lay flat on your stomach with your legs together and your toes pointed. Raise your legs slightly off the floor and then use your hips to make a small circular motion.

 

If you have a big butt, this can be a very attractive feature but if things have gotten a little out of hand your bum can become too big and make it difficult to fit into clothes. If this is the case, the best plan is actual to drop a few pounds as this will help you lose some weight from your backside. Doing so ensures that your big bum becomes a more manageable size that is both sexy and healthy –a  fantastic combination.

Categories: bum, butt, double bum, exercise, nbsp, rear, shaped bum, step

How to Make the Most of Your Aerobic Sessions

Aerobics is a fantastic form of exercise for strengthening the muscles, improving circulation and the respiratory system, and building stamina. A typical class lasts around 30 to 60 minutes and usually begins with a warm-up, and ends with a cool-down section. There are several different forms of this exercise, including step aerobics, kickboxing and Tae Bo. Step aerobics is a great platform for strength training, and involves quite literally stepping up onto and down from a portable platform whilst performing the exercises.

 

Kickboxing is a sporting martial art form which is similar to boxing and uses the feet as well as the hands for striking movements. A session of kickboxing involves abdominal crunches, jumping jacks, leg lifts and punching for a total body workout. Tae Bo is a programme which combines Tae kwon do and boxing, as well as aspects of dance, to provide a really effective workout. The name stands for Total, Awareness, Excellence, Body and Obedience. With step aerobics, the fitness level of the person is determined by the height of the step, the leg length, stepping skill and coordination. To begin with, individuals should begin on the lowest step so that they can stay within an appropriate aerobic training zone of 60 to 75 percent of their maximum heart rate. They usually start off with a four-inch step, and as this becomes easier the height of the step can be increased to a maximum of 10 inches. With kickboxing, gloves may be added to the workout for additional resistance and protection. However, once you add gloves to your workout you need to reduce the duration of punches – continual punching for longer than ten or 15 seconds isn’t recommended with the same arm.

 

Regular exercise can have a wonderful effect on your health and wellbeing, and can reduce your risk of developing certain health problems. For example, obesity can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Exercising is one of the best ways of maintaining a healthy weight, so it can help to keep you healthy in a number of ways. It can also build and maintain a healthy skeletal and muscular system, can prevent premature death and lowers the risk of developing depression and anxiety. If you’re new to exercise, taking it slow is important to avoid damaging the muscles or joints, or risking injury. In fact, most trainers or fitness experts would agree that it’s best to consult your GP before undertaking any exercise or embarking on a programme so that you can check that it’s safe for you. This is particularly the case for people with pre-diagnosed health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes, as exercising too strenuously could make the problem worse.

 

Physical exercise can lead to dehydration, so it’s vital that you drink plenty of water before, during and after you exercise. If you’re exercising on a step aerobics programme, the ‘loaded’ knee should never flex beyond a 90 degree angle. This refers to the lead leg that lifts onto the step. Your hip joint should always be a few inches higher than the knee. Even if you’re fit, kickboxing carries a lot of injury risks so you should be wary of these. Overextended kicks, locked joints and exercising when you’re fatigued all increase the risk of damage to the body so it’s advised you train with a professional at least until you’ve learnt how to perform the moves in the correct way. The same risks are attributed to Tae Bo, so seek the advice of a trainer to begin with.

Categories: Aerobic Exercise, aerobics, exercise, fitness, health, health problems, heart disease, kickboxing, risk, step, step aerobics, tae bo