Introducing Lower Body Burn, Part 1!
One of my YouTube video viewers requested more lower body strength moves, so I decided to create a month-long series dedicated to just that—the legs and glutes. It’s like a lower body strength DVD for free! Hey Acacia, Lionsgate, Anchor Bay…I’m free if you’re looking for new fitness DVD hosts ;)
Let’s get to work on the first segment! Grab a stability ball or a chair/step/bench and get ready to tackle week one’s Lower Body Burn moves. If you don’t have a stability ball, try using a towel on a hard floor or a couple paper plates on a carpeted floor during the roll-in move.
Try these exercises out and don’t forget to come back next week for the next edition with added resistance!
Biceps and bloopers! That’s what you’re in for with today’s video :) The good news: I try to squeeze in a new, difficult move in this clip. The bad news: the resistance band I had nearby was actually too “resistant” for me to use during that move, so I do not succeed. View for yourself to see the humorous results!
One of the fantastic things about biceps exercises is that you can usually see the muscle working with your own two eyes. Glance down during a rep or two to see your “guns” in the front of your upper arms contracting (and working)! Concentrating on the body parts being challenged during strength training, instead of just going through the motions, helps you get the most out of each move.
To try these great upper arm toners, you’ll need a mid-weight set of dumbbells and/or a resistance band, as well as a seat or stability ball.
So I had yet to do a biceps video until today—what other body parts or exercises am I forgetting that you would like to see?
In other workout video news, I had my first guest post ever published on Diets In Review.com this Sunday! To learn more about medicine balls and see three of my choice total body medicine ball moves, click here!
One of my favorite ways to rack up an effective, heart pumping and muscle-sculpting workout? Performing upper and lower body strength moves in tandem! While working several muscle groups at once, your cardiovascular system begins to work a bit as well (in addition to the muscles targeted by the weights).
Grab a medium-heavy pair of dumbbells and join me for three effective exercises! You can use your creativity to meld almost any upper body with almost any lower body move. Do share if you come up with a fun idea!
What are your favorite ways to save time, while still being active, when time is at a premium?
Let’s face it, some days we just can’t make it to the gym or through a full at-home workout. You aren’t resigned to sitting all day, however…and I explain how you can keep moving with the help of a stairwell!
(Image from Fitness Spotlight)
Skipping the escalator on the way to the gym is a good start ;)
So take a look at some ideas I have for quick tips to help you get fit with the help of a few stairs—no other equipment required!
Do you ever need a midday break from your desk? If so, how do you get a bit of activity in?
(Edited to add: As you can tell, I have absolutely no ups. I’m working on that, and so can you with these step moves!)
Standing up straight will do more for you than get your Mom off your back for slouching. Good posture decreases back pain, increases confidence and makes your silhouette appear slimmer. But the computer-based work and school atmosphere today does not make proper posture easy. Strengthening your back and core muscles, however, can help the act of standing up straight be much easier and more natural.
I have four core-focused exercises that are great posture perfecters. You will need a medium to heavy pair of dumbbells (or a barbell) and a resistance band. The band can actually be used in lieu of the weights for the row if necessary—just loop the band around your feet and pull one end with each arm.
Do you find that you naturally have admirable posture or do you have to work at it? Do you have any tips for all of us if you fall in either camp?
While experts have touted the benefits of Tai Chi and Pilates for balance, there are many strength and cardiovascular exercises that test, challenge and build your stability as well. Today, we tackle three moves that will work your core while strengthening your lower body and getting your heart pumping a bit!
To complete these exercises, you’ll need one medium weight set of dumbbells and about a six feet square of open space. Grab your concentration as well—you’ll need it to keep steady throughout these moves!
If you’re looking to spice up your traditional strength moves while boosting balance, try standing on one leg during upper body moves like bicep curls and overhead presses. You can also grab a BOSU ball or stability disk and stand on them (with one or two legs) during your weight workout. And here are a few other strength exercises to try!
Do you have any tips for maintaining good physical balance or any favorite exercises that build body stability?
Medicine balls are terrific tools that can be utilized in nearly any workout (arms, legs, core, even extra resistance/balance tools during particular cardio moves) and for nearly every athlete. Today, I’m giving you a few medicine ball-assisted moves to try that will tone all areas of your core.
Grab a medicine ball—or a dumbbell will work for the first and third exercises—and join me for three waist whittling moves! Feel free to keep your arms on the floor near your lower back to support you, as a beginner, during the weighted reverse crunch (exercise #2). (And feel free to laugh at me when I allow the ball to slip out during this move…my Mom was giggling behind the camera and cracking me up! :) )
Do you have any favorite tools that you keep in your home exercise room or that you gravitate to at the gym?
To tighten you tush, squats pretty much can’t be beat. But after a few months of banging out straight reps (act like you are going to sit in an invisible chair, pop back up to standing), this can get quite boring and your body will soon adapt. That’s why these lower body exercises that require you to move while in a squatting position are fabulous!
The office talk in the video is appropriate for this workout today, as I was feeling awful antsy sitting at my desk at my first day on the job today! I’m not quite well-acquainted enough to whip out my workout moves in the middle of the office, but maybe later in the semester I can have my officemates join me! (I did squeeze in a lunch and to/from train power walk ;) )
I digress…All you need for this workout is about a 6 ft. by 6 ft. area of open space and a good attitude! Remember to keep your knees straight above your toes when performing lunges and keep your core braced throughout these moves.
My sisters used to tease me about having a concave behind—but not anymore after doing these moves for quite some time! :D Do you have any favorite glute tighteners?
With the new Biggest Loser season launching last week, Jillian Michaels is all over the news lately. She’s on the cover of the most recent LHJ, has a new Biggest Loser DVD and is hitting up the talk show circuit as often as she lets her contestants have it during their last chance workouts.
But Miss Michaels is nothing new online; she has been a web sensation for quite a while with her hit workout DVD the 30 Day Shred. Several bloggers and tweeters have taken Jillian’s challenge, completing level one for ten days, level two for the following ten days and level three for the final ten—for a total 30 day plan. Jillian promises that this program will leave your body “shredded” (AKA ripped and toned).
Of course, buying the DVD and giving the program a shot yourself is a great idea. But if you want an at-home, no equipment required, shortcut version of a shred workout, try my segment above!
Warmup with 3 minutes of light cardio such as jumping jacks, jogging in place or air jumping rope, then complete the circuit above three times. Try to brace your core tightly throughout the moves and keep your knee in line with your toes for the lunges. Finish off with some static stretching for a full, well-balanced workout!
(Thank goodness workout moves can’t be copyrighted: shout out to Cathe Friedrich for some inspiration on this post as well!)
Kettlebells seem to be all the rage among certain strength training populations. Why you ask? These odd-shaped power fitness tools work your muscles in a different way than the usual nautilus (or other branded) strength machines. Plus, the exercises that you can do with kettlebells are generally more functional fitness-style moves. That means, the strength that you gain from fluid, active kettlebell workouts translate more to your everyday strength and endurance demands.
Grab a kettlebell online, at your gym or you may be able to do most of these moves—probably all except the second, switching hands exercise—with a dumbbell. I’d recommend doing 10-12 reps per side of each exercise, then go back and do 10-12 reps of each exercise again. As you get stronger, work on adding a third set and/or additional weight. Multiple researchers have found that performing three or so sets of an exercise improves strength more quickly than one set.
Have you tried kettlebells? If so, what do you think? If not, would you be interested in trying them?
