Here are some exercise suggestions for targeted muscle groups:
Legs: (Use your heavier hand weights and begin with three sets of ten, resting 30 seconds in between. Choose two or three of these.)
Squats (with hand weights or a bar)
Plie Squats
Stationary Lunges
Traveling Lunges
Calf Raises
First position plie
Leg Extensions (machine)
Leg Press (machine)
Chest:
Bench Press (bar or machine)
Chest flies (hand weights)
Dumbbell Press
Wide angle push-ups
Back:
Hinged arm rows (using one weight in one arm, wrap that elbow behind the body)
Bent over raises (bent at waist, lift weights up like you're flying to shoulder height)
Wide-grip Pulldowns (on a machine)
Push-ups
Shoulders:
One armed shoulder raise (hand weights)
Double arm shoulder raise
" " with a bar
Upright rows
Overhead dumbbell press
Push-ups
Biceps:
Bicep curls front(bar or hand weights)
Bicep curls with a rotation out (on the way up)
Triceps:
Dips (off of a stool, piano bench, weight bench or chair)
Overhead presses
Narrow stance push-ups (like a grasshopper, hands under shoulders and elbows into ribs)
Tricep kickbacks (cock elbow behind and lift weight straight back)
Abs:
Moving with Modbe DVD
The Hundred
Roll-ups
Ab crunches
Bicycle
Low plank holds
Double leg lower (on back)
Push-ups
Friday, February 13, 2009
Weight Training 101
"I'm afraid I'll get big and bulky and sprout hair out my chin."
Well, no you won't ladies. Resistance training, sometimes called weight training or weight lifting, when done correctly, rarely bulks ups the female frame. In fact, using bars, machines and hand weights will actually lean you out faster than an exercise regime with cardio only.
The more muscle mass you have, the harder your body must work to carry that mass around. That means your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories, will increase. Weight training is one of the only ways to increase your metabolism; the other is interval cardio workouts. Your body burns...drum roll...zero calories carrying around fat. On the other hand, you burn three calories per pound of muscle on your body! Also, weight training is one of the best and only ways to build bone density. So you must lift weights to hit your weight and health goals!
Oh yeah- and your body looks great too! Cut arms and the great cut of a Modbe swimsuit=euphoria!
So how do you get started and how much should you do?
1. Choose a time and place and do it consistently, at least twice a week. Pump up your favorite music to pump up your body!
2. If you're at home, buy some hand weights, 5 and 8 lbs., or heavier if you need it.
3. There are excellent books on exercises for specific muscle groups. I like Body for Life. It's at all of the libraries.
4. Do upper body on one day, lower body and abs on another. Your goal is to fatigue the muscle group completely. This means that by the last five or so reps, you should be wondering if you can finish.
5. Slow and steady will get you more results than fast, out of control movements.
6. Use the mind-body connection you've gained through pilates to isolate the targeted muscle groups.
7. Use your core! Bicep curls- do it balanced on one foot. Tricep overhead reaches- tuck in the abs so that your low back is protected.
8. You can use your own body weight. When squatting, for example, you can concentrate on flexing the quads on the way up, and pushing through your hamstrings if you aren't ready for the weights yet.
9. Don't be embarrassed if you don't know muscle names or exercises. The Internet, Youtube, and library are full of great resources. Almost all gyms will let you have a free two-week membership; get it, and then use the desk folks and trainers. Have them show you around and how to use the equipment.
10. You can do more than you think! Be fearless but wise, and make sure you take ten minutes to stretch.
Well, no you won't ladies. Resistance training, sometimes called weight training or weight lifting, when done correctly, rarely bulks ups the female frame. In fact, using bars, machines and hand weights will actually lean you out faster than an exercise regime with cardio only.
The more muscle mass you have, the harder your body must work to carry that mass around. That means your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories, will increase. Weight training is one of the only ways to increase your metabolism; the other is interval cardio workouts. Your body burns...drum roll...zero calories carrying around fat. On the other hand, you burn three calories per pound of muscle on your body! Also, weight training is one of the best and only ways to build bone density. So you must lift weights to hit your weight and health goals!
Oh yeah- and your body looks great too! Cut arms and the great cut of a Modbe swimsuit=euphoria!
So how do you get started and how much should you do?
1. Choose a time and place and do it consistently, at least twice a week. Pump up your favorite music to pump up your body!
2. If you're at home, buy some hand weights, 5 and 8 lbs., or heavier if you need it.
3. There are excellent books on exercises for specific muscle groups. I like Body for Life. It's at all of the libraries.
4. Do upper body on one day, lower body and abs on another. Your goal is to fatigue the muscle group completely. This means that by the last five or so reps, you should be wondering if you can finish.
5. Slow and steady will get you more results than fast, out of control movements.
6. Use the mind-body connection you've gained through pilates to isolate the targeted muscle groups.
7. Use your core! Bicep curls- do it balanced on one foot. Tricep overhead reaches- tuck in the abs so that your low back is protected.
8. You can use your own body weight. When squatting, for example, you can concentrate on flexing the quads on the way up, and pushing through your hamstrings if you aren't ready for the weights yet.
9. Don't be embarrassed if you don't know muscle names or exercises. The Internet, Youtube, and library are full of great resources. Almost all gyms will let you have a free two-week membership; get it, and then use the desk folks and trainers. Have them show you around and how to use the equipment.
10. You can do more than you think! Be fearless but wise, and make sure you take ten minutes to stretch.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sweet Swim Dreams
Here are some interesting sleep facts:
1. Enough sleep (which is actually 8-10 hours for most adults) aids in the repair of your body's tissues. Muscles rebuilt, wrinkles smooth, and your mind sorts through the stimuli of the day. Without enough sleep, our muscles cannot grow and our brain cells cannot recover. We have trouble with agility, memorizing, coping with stress and being creative on low sleep.
2. Beauty sleep is for real. You've seen the bags, deeper wrinkles and circles on too little sleep. Before you reach for botox, reach for your pillow.
3. Olympic athletes are required to get at least 9 hours of sleep a night.
4. Going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time will help you sleep deeper and begin to repair your body.
5. Eating a big meal,salty or sugary or ice-creamy snacks before bedtime will interrupt your sleep and add pounds.
6. Your brainwaves are more active when you are asleep when you are sleeping than when we're watching T.V.
7. Sleep is not valued in American culture. Many times in the business world you are looked down upon if you retire early and don't pull crazy hours. Keep this obstacle in mind and realize that this perception is incorrect. It is OK to sleep.
8. Sleep deprivation is robbing us of our health, our energy, a healthy appearance and greater cognitive ability.
9. Long naps disrupt the nightly sleep cycle, but if you do swing shift or have a baby, nap until you've caught up to eight hours.
10. If waking up is hard for you, throw open the curtains and expose yourself to a lot of light. Realize that poor nutrition may be playing with your sleep.
1. Enough sleep (which is actually 8-10 hours for most adults) aids in the repair of your body's tissues. Muscles rebuilt, wrinkles smooth, and your mind sorts through the stimuli of the day. Without enough sleep, our muscles cannot grow and our brain cells cannot recover. We have trouble with agility, memorizing, coping with stress and being creative on low sleep.
2. Beauty sleep is for real. You've seen the bags, deeper wrinkles and circles on too little sleep. Before you reach for botox, reach for your pillow.
3. Olympic athletes are required to get at least 9 hours of sleep a night.
4. Going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time will help you sleep deeper and begin to repair your body.
5. Eating a big meal,salty or sugary or ice-creamy snacks before bedtime will interrupt your sleep and add pounds.
6. Your brainwaves are more active when you are asleep when you are sleeping than when we're watching T.V.
7. Sleep is not valued in American culture. Many times in the business world you are looked down upon if you retire early and don't pull crazy hours. Keep this obstacle in mind and realize that this perception is incorrect. It is OK to sleep.
8. Sleep deprivation is robbing us of our health, our energy, a healthy appearance and greater cognitive ability.
9. Long naps disrupt the nightly sleep cycle, but if you do swing shift or have a baby, nap until you've caught up to eight hours.
10. If waking up is hard for you, throw open the curtains and expose yourself to a lot of light. Realize that poor nutrition may be playing with your sleep.
Where Did You Get Those Arms?
From Modbe, girl!
I bet you didn't know that Modbe is in the sexy arm business- but they are! Really and truly, pilates and yoga have built my arms probably more than anything else. The Modbe Move DVD has some great instruction on push-ups, shoulder work and back definition.
Another benefit of push-ups is just that- a push-up. If you are small chested, push-ups will finally give you some muscle up to put beneath the new swim line. If you have a full figure, push-ups will build more muscle and actually lift the girls so that we sag less. All around, push-ups are amazing!
I bet you didn't know that Modbe is in the sexy arm business- but they are! Really and truly, pilates and yoga have built my arms probably more than anything else. The Modbe Move DVD has some great instruction on push-ups, shoulder work and back definition.
Another benefit of push-ups is just that- a push-up. If you are small chested, push-ups will finally give you some muscle up to put beneath the new swim line. If you have a full figure, push-ups will build more muscle and actually lift the girls so that we sag less. All around, push-ups are amazing!
"But Dawn, push-ups hurt..."
Yes, but having orangutan arms hurts worse!
Here are some tips if push-ups aren't on your Valentine's love list:
1. Have confidence that you can do hard things!
2. Angle your hands in slightly, or make fists to give you more wrist support.
3. Do them against a wall or bed frame.
4. Get you fanny out of the air! Drops your hips to the angle of your knee. See the Modbe Move DVD if you are a visual learner.
5. So that hangy stuff off of the back of our arms... we can conquer it! The thing we have to realize, though, is that TRICEPS NEED TO ACHE for you to know that all three muscle heads are engaged. So- no pain, so gain, ladies. Do your push-ups!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Core Bicycle
The Bicycle.
Laying on the floor, bring your legs up to a 90 degree angle and take a deep pilates breath, pulling navel to your spine. With hands behind the head, reach your sternum for the opposite knee, keeping the armpit open. This will force you to twist with the core, rather than the neck. For an added degree of challenge, completely extend the opposite leg as you twist. Perform this ten times slowly, imagining you are wringing out your core like a damp towel. This exercise will not only make your side and legs ache, but will slim them as well!
Laying on the floor, bring your legs up to a 90 degree angle and take a deep pilates breath, pulling navel to your spine. With hands behind the head, reach your sternum for the opposite knee, keeping the armpit open. This will force you to twist with the core, rather than the neck. For an added degree of challenge, completely extend the opposite leg as you twist. Perform this ten times slowly, imagining you are wringing out your core like a damp towel. This exercise will not only make your side and legs ache, but will slim them as well!
Crunch Your Abs, Not Your Neck
Pilates Crunches!
Lay on the floor with feet flat, placing one hand on your stomach and one hand behind the head. Nod your head to lengthen the neck. Exhale the body forward, eyes on the knees, pulling your belly button down away from your hand towards the floor. If you feel your stomach muscles bulging up into your hand, more mindfully apply pilates breathing. Think “navel to spine” on each movement. Inhale the body down, and repeat slowly ten times. You stomach muscles will train themselves to flatten with this movement.
Lay on the floor with feet flat, placing one hand on your stomach and one hand behind the head. Nod your head to lengthen the neck. Exhale the body forward, eyes on the knees, pulling your belly button down away from your hand towards the floor. If you feel your stomach muscles bulging up into your hand, more mindfully apply pilates breathing. Think “navel to spine” on each movement. Inhale the body down, and repeat slowly ten times. You stomach muscles will train themselves to flatten with this movement.
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