Pump up, slim down

Tired of sweating all over every piece of cardio equipment at the gym and still getting zero love from the scale? You need more iron. And not in your diet—in your hands. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train two or more times a week. What you don't know: When you skip the weight room, you lose out on the ultimate flab melter. Those two sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by about 3 percentage points in just 10 weeks, even if you don't cut a single calorie. That translates to as much as three inches total off your waist and hips. Even better, all that new muscle pays off in a long-term boost to your metabolism, which helps keep your body lean and sculpted. Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea. Need more convincing? Read on for more solid reasons why you should build flex time into your day.

Torch Calories 24/7. Though cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that's 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle. What's more, increasing that afterburn is as easy as upping the weight on your bar. In a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they lifted 85 percent of their max load for eight reps than when they did more reps (15) at a lower weight (45 percent of their max). There's a longer-term benefit to all that lifting, too: Muscle accounts for about a third of the average woman's weight, so it has a profound effect on her metabolism, says Kenneth Walsh, director of Boston University School of Medicine's Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. Specifically, that effect is to burn extra calories, because muscle, unlike fat, is metabolically active. In English: Muscle chews up calories even when you're not in the gym. Replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle and you'll burn an additional 200 calories a day without even trying.

Target Your Trouble Spots. If you've ever tried to ditch the saddlebags and ended up a bra size smaller instead, you know that where you lose is as important as how much. As great as it might be to see the numbers on the scale go down, when you're on a strict cardio-only program your victory is likely to be empty. A recent study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham compared dieters who lifted three times a week with those who did aerobic exercise for the same amount of time. Both groups ate the same number of calories, and both lost the same amount—26 pounds—but the lifters lost pure chub, while about 8 percent of the aerobicizers' drop came from valuable muscle. Researchers have also found that lifting weights is better than cardio at whittling intra-abdominal fat—the Buddha-belly kind that's associated with diseases from diabetes to cancer. Just don't rely exclusively on the scale to track your progress in the battle of the bulge. Because muscle is denser than fat, it squeezes the same amount of weight into less space. "Often, our clients' scales won't drop as fast, but they'll fit into smaller jeans," says Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. And it's the number on the tag inside your bootcuts you want to get lower, right?

Start Pumping. Begin with three weight-training sessions each week. For the greatest calorie burn, aim for total-body workouts that target your arms, abs, legs, and back, and go for moves that will zap several different muscle groups at a time—for example, squats, which call on muscles in both the front and back of your legs, as opposed to leg extensions, which isolate the quads. For each exercise you do, try to perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps with a weight heavy enough that by your last rep you can't eke out another one without compromising your form. To spark further muscle building, William Kraemer, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, suggests alternating moderate-intensity workouts of 8 to 10 reps with lighter-weight 12- to 15-rep sets and super-hard 3- to 5-rep sets. And remember to fuel your workout properly. Too many dieters make the fatal error of cutting back on crucial muscle-maintaining protein when they want to slash their overall calorie intake. The counterproductive result: They lose muscle along with any fat that might have melted away. Sports nutritionist Cassandra Forsythe, Ph.D., co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Women, recommends that you eat one gram of protein for every pound of your body weight that does not come from fat. For instance, a 140-pound woman whose body fat is 25 percent would need 105 grams of high-quality protein. That's roughly four servings a day; the best sources are chicken or other lean meats, soy products, and eggs. Ready to turn yourself into a lean, mean, calorie-torching machine? Then go get pumped!

Source: Womens Health

Hot Fitness Trends for 2009

If you're wondering what are the hottest trends in fitness this year or even just wanting to "change it up" a bit, here's some fantastic ideas that will be sure to make you sweat, burn some calories, and tone your muscle! The list I found is from ACE (American Council of Exercise) and ranks 1 to 10.

1. Boot camp-style fitness programs. Haven't tried it? Look up a bootcamp in your area and give it a try-you're bound to burn 600 calories in ONE class!


2. Workout plans that are less expensive. (With the economy and all.)
3. Specialty classes like Zumba, Bollywood, Afro-Cuban, and ballroom dancing. These classes are set to rhythmic music and aim to increase cardiovascular fitness while folks have fun.


4. The basics. Fitness professionals believe that people will want to return to basic fitness programs.
5. Circuit training. Circuit training blends strength training and cardiovascular activity at different intensities. Another plus: gyms can set up their own circuit for members to follow.


6. Kettlebell training. These iron weights, traditionally used in Russia, aim to develop whole body fitness and core strength. A fun twist to strength training!


7. Boomer fitness. A focus on fitness led by people 50 and older.
8. Technology-based fitness. Using high-tech gadgets like iPods to help keep workouts engaging, plus an increase in interactive fitness video games.


9. Event or sports-specific exercises. A focus on the simple things, like basketball or volleyball games, or day bike rides. Even triathlons!


10. Mixing it up. Low-intensity cardio or weight training on one day, followed by a high-intensity workout on another day

10 Minutes to Rock Solid Abs

If you want to strengthen your core, here's some of my favorite exercises to really engage all those muscles-including your low back, obliques, hip/glutes, even some of your upper body muscles. Do this routine 3 days/week for maximum results. (Oh, and remember, if you've got a "little extra" around the middle, you're going to need to do more than this! :)

1. Stability Ball Pelvic Tilt crunch
Grab a 5- to 10-pound medicine ball. Lie faceup on a stability ball with back and head pressed into the ball, your feet together on the floor, and the medicine ball positioned against your chest (A). Brace your abs and crunch up until your shoulders are off the ball. Then reach the ball toward the ceiling (B). That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps.

2. Walk the Plank and Rotate
Get in plank position with your hands on a 12- to 18-inch step (A). With your weight on your left arm, rotate your body while raising your right arm toward the ceiling (B). Return to plank position and step your right arm down to the right of the bench, then your left arm down to the left of the bench. Step back up, leading with your left arm. That's 1 rep. Do 15-20 reps.

3. Arm Pull Over Straight-Leg Crunch
Grab a pair of 8- to 10-pound dumbbells and lie on your back with your arms behind you. Extend your legs at a 45-degree angle (A). Bring your arms up over your chest and lift your shoulders off the mat while raising your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor (B). Return to start (don't let your legs touch the floor). That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps.

4. The Matrix
Grab a 5- to 10-pound medicine ball and kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart. Lengthen your spine and press the ball against your abs (A). Slowly lean back as far as possible, keeping your knees planted (B). Hold the reclined position for 3 seconds, then use your core to slowly come up to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Do 20-25 reps.

5. Nose-to-Knee Crunch
Get in plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart on a stability ball (A). Draw your right knee toward your chest (B). Hold for 1 second, then return to plank position. That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps.

6. Prone Oblique Roll
Get in plank position with your shins about hip-width apart on a stability ball and your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor (A). Keeping your feet on the ball, draw your right knee toward your right shoulder (the left just comes along for the ride) (B). Return to center.
Get in plank position with your shins about hip-width apart on a stability ball and your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor (A). Keeping your feet on the ball, draw your right knee toward your right shoulder (the left just comes along for the ride) (B). Return to center. Do 20 reps.

7. Back Extension Rear Leg Raise
Rest your hips and stomach on a stability ball. Straighten your legs and position your toes hip-width apart on the floor. Extend your arms in line with your shoulders (A). Lift your right leg about 6 inches off of the floor while reaching your arms as far out as possible (B). That's 1 rep. Do 20-25 reps.

8. REPEAT CIRCUIT

Source: Womens Health

Exercise of the week...side ball squat

Here's a great twist to the side lunge...take a stability ball and put one foot on top (from the side). Next grab a weighted medicine ball and hold at chest. As you push the ball out to the side and squat with other leg, bring medicine ball out in front of you (or up above your head).


This will challenge your core and balance a little more, guaranteed to scorch fat and calories!!!

25 Fast, New Fat-Burners!

First of all, I have to apologize for my lack of posts lately. It's been a very busy month for me with my preparing for my bootcamp class amoungst many other things. Unfortantely, it's not going to slow down these next few months, but I promise to make more of an effort to update this blog more regulary. Remember, if you have any ideas or questions that could possibly go on this blog, please send them to me!!!

Here's 25 small tricks to crank your calorie-blasting way up!!!

1. Linger in the dairy aisle. Women burn more fat and calories when they ate 1,000 to 1,400 milligrams of calcium per day. That's three to four servings of dairy.


2. Break a sweat in bursts. If you can't get an hour/day of exercise, try doing two 30-min workouts. Some studies have even shown that this method can actually burn more fat than exercising 60 continuous mintues. And it helps for those with tight schedules, kids, and whatever else keeps you from fitting in exercise.

3. Eat more meat...and eggs and beans. In a recent study, people who got 40% of their daily calories from protein lost significantly more body fat than those whose diets had only 15 % protein, even though they consumed the same number of calories.


4. Start hard, finish easy. Studies have shown that cyclists who ramped up the intensity during the first half of their workout and slowed down during the second half torched about 23% more fat than those who moved from low to high intensity. Same goes with any other kind of exercise.

5. Start with whole grain. People who down whole-grain cereal first thing in the morning burn more fat during the day and during exercise than those who eat more-quickly-digested fare, like a bagel.


6. Don't hang on for dear life. If you cling to the handrails of your stepper or elliptical, you put less stress on your larger, more powerful lower body muscles-and burn fewer calories. If needed, grip loosely for balance only.

7. Walk with Nordic poles. You'll increase your calorie-burn by 20%-plus, it'll feel less taxing.


8. Interval train. Studies have shown that women who did 20 minutes of intervals on a bike torched three times as much fat as those who stayed at one pace for 40 minutes.

9. Crank it up. Vigorous aerobic exercise for 40 minutes makes your body burn calories at a higher rate for nearly a full day afterward.

10. Pump iron. Resistance training increases your resting metabolic rate by about 7%, so you'll burn more calories throughout the day, even while sitting on your butt.


11. Two words: circuit train. My personal favorite and tried-and-true method for losing body fat. Instead of resting for 60 sec between weight-lifting sets, move straight from one exercise to another to keep your heart rate up and maximize calorie burn. Even better, combine multiple muscles into one exercise thereby maximizing time as well (I call this power circuit training).

12. Drink green tea. Testers who downed a green tea supplement boosted their metabolism by 4%, compared with those consuming a caffeine supplement or placebo.


13. Use more olive oil. People who ate a diet high in monounsaturated fats burned mroe fat over 4 weeks than they did on a diet high in saturated fats, one study found.

14. Strength train last. You'll obliterate more calories if you lift weights after cardio (not before).

15. Go for yogurt. People who included yogurt in their diet plan ditched 22% more weight and 61% more body fat than those who simply trimmed calories. My personal fave-yogurt parfait. Layer low or non-fat PLAIN yogurt with mixed berries (I buy the frozen kind) and granola in a tall glass (and then add another layer). Scrumptous, filling, and a great meal and way to ante up the calcium, not to mention the vitamins and mineral from the fruit too (without all the sugar).


16. Bring your I-Pod. Exercisers who listened to music lost more weight and body fat-and worked out more consistently-than those who didn't.


17. ...and adjust your playlist. Throw some fast-faced songs into your musci mix. You'll work out harder and faster, burning more calories and fat. Plus, it'll feel easier!

18. Wolf some protein. A calorie is a calorie, but your body burns about 25-30% of them while digesting 100 calories of protein versus only 7 of them while digesting 100 calories of simple carbs.

19. Think uphill. Forget flat treadmill walking, crank up the incline and you'll jack up the calories burned.


20. Fidget. Sounds silly, but people who jiggle their legs, talk with their hands, and incorporate small movements into their day can burn as much as 350 extra calories daily.

21. Stand when you take a call. It'll burn about 20% more calories than sitting.

22. Believe it. Take note of all your daily activities-taking the stairs, walking, holding kids, carrying groceries, etc and you're bound to do them more.


23. Add fish oil-and move. A recent study showed that people who took 6 grams of fish oil every day and exercised three times a week lost more fat than those who just took fish oil, or took sunflower oil.

24. Use your arms and legs. A workout that requires coordinating arm and leg movements, such as swimming or step aerobics, feels easier than one that uses only one major muscle group. That makes it more likely you'll do it again tomorrow-keeping the fat burning going.


25. Opt for a Wii. Playing active games on the Nintendo Wii (such as tennis and boxing) knocked out more calories than using the Xbox 360. Even better? Wii FIT.



Source: health.com

Fitness IQ Test Answered

1. C. Strength training. Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories you burn during the day at rest, meaning if you laid in bed all day, this is how many calories you would burn. For most women, this number is between 1200-1600 calories/day. (The best way to find this number is to get tested.) This is an average of course, and obviously will vary. The higher your muscle mass ratio, the higher your BMR is (which is a good thing!). The only way to increase this number is to add muscle. And the only exercise that can add muscle is strength or resistance training. For every 1 lb. of muscle added, add 50 calories to your BMR. That’s more calories you burn everyday doing NOTHING!!!

2. FALSE. A common misconception is that in order to burn fat, you need to stay within the lower range of your Target Heart Rate zone (THR). In fact, any heart rate WITHIN your THR will burn fat. Why? Because the THR is your “aerobic” zone, meaning your muscles are working in an oxygen-rich environment, which is conducive to burning fat. Anything below that range isn’t considered aerobic, and above that range is anaerobic, at which point you are utilizing lactic acid. While it is good to have spurts of intense, huffing and puffing intervals of anaerobic exercise, you don’t want to have an ENTIRE workout in the anaerobic zone. Basically, you want BOTH your heart rate and breathing to be elevated. Here’s how we will figure out YOUR THR.
Take 220-your age=age-adjusted maximal heart rate (220-31 (my age)=189)
Figure out 65% of that number (Multiply 189 X .65=123)-low end of THR
Figure out 85% of that number (Multiply 189 X .85=160)-high end of THR

3. B. How high your heart rate is. A little bit of a trick question. Notice I emphasized BEST. While the other answers can be an indication of how hard you’re working, nothing is better than knowing what your HR is. Why do you think this is the most effective way to know how hard you’re pushing yourself? Because sometimes going by our “Perceived Exertion” isn’t always accurate. How much we’re sweating, how hard we’re breathing, or how fatigued we feel don’t always tell us WHERE we are working along the THR. Just as talked about in the last question. If we don’t own a HR monitor (which I highly recommend buying one-they’re not expensive), we can perform this self-check every 5 min by finding our pulse on our wrist or neck, timing it for 10 sec and multiplying that number by 6.

4. FALSE. Here’s a BIG misconception. Women do not have near the levels of testosterone that men do to build muscle. We aren’t genetically programmed to do that and would have to take anabolic steroids to see any serious amount of muscle mass built. The reason many women feel they appear “bulky” from lifting weights is because they have an extra layer of fat over their muscle! Shed the fat, and what do you see? A lean, mean muscle machine!

5. FALSE. Another big myth. Many people believe that the energy boost you get from exercise is a double-edged sword. It’s a great pick-me-up in the morning, but if you work out at night, you may not sleep well. If this was gospel truth, morning people would rule the world! Fortunately for night owls, there is no one best time to exercise. It’s a matter of what you prefer. Fitting exercise into your daily routine is the main issue. Just remember to wait at least 2 hours after eating before working out. And no, working out is unlikely to keep you up at night. As long as you don’t exercise too close to bedtime, you will probably sleep better on the days you work out.

6. E. All of the above. While many think running is the best way to lose weight, this isn’t necessarily true. It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do. Of course, different exercises might burn more calories than others, but it’s all about intensity here. It might not take much to get your HR elevated up running, but maybe biking it takes a little more effort? Well, then work intervals into your routine-short bursts of speed, hills, or an increase in resistance to get that HR up! Just remember, it’s all about intensity, duration, and frequency. And the bottom line is, you have to ENJOY IT! If you’re not a runner and hate doing it, then why force yourself to do something you dread? It’s best to find activities we prefer, so we can stick to them and maintain healthy lifestyle habits!

7. FALSE. This is a big misconception and something I hear a lot, especially from women over 30! “It just seems like it’s so much harder to lose the weight now!” We’ve all heard or thought this before, right? So, why isn’t this true? The solution is going back to increasing our metabolisms, our BMR’s. While it is true that we start to lose muscle after age 30, that doesn’t mean we can’t stop it or reverse the effects of this! If we add a little muscle mass by strength training (which will also be good for our bones as we age!), continue exercising, and watch we eat, then we are not DOOMED and we can look younger and FABULOUS!

8. FALSE. You might not want to hear this, but you could do all the crunches and stomach exercises EVERYDAY and not see any results. While these exercises are great to strengthen and tone our abdominal exercises, they can’t get rid of the fat. To burn fat and flatten your belly, you need to burn more calories. Once you’ve gotten rid of the fat, your washboard abs will become more visible.

9. D. Any of the above can get results. Another trick question! We hear so many different answers to this one, don’t we? This can be very confusing to those trying to lose weight! How much effort do we really need to put in to see results? The answer is anything! Now, while devoting 2 hrs a day 5-6 days a week might deliver results FASTER, it doesn’t mean that’s what is required to lose weight. The key is consistency and the bottom line is CALORIES IN VS. CALORIES OUT. If we can’t or don’t want to devote too much time to exercise, then just focus more on the nutrition (which is 80% of it anyways). I’ve had clients before that did the minimum (3 days a week) and still lost lots of weight, mostly because of their eating habits!

10. TRUE. While this is actually true, it’s also only temporary. Just keep at it and periodically (every 2 to 3 weeks) “up the ante” by changing the frequency, duration, intensity, even type of exercise you’re doing. You should continue to see results if you continue to challenge yourself.

11. FALSE. Not necessarily. You should be working at your predetermined THR. If you exercise too hard and fast, you may be burning fewer calories than in less intense, aerobic workouts. This goes back to when we talked about our THR or aerobic zone, and the anaerobic zone. Again, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ever go outside and above our aerobic zone, but that we should keep those bursts of high-intensity exercise limited to a few intervals in each workout. (And it’s also good to go into this anaerobic zone because this is how we increase our heart rate zone and capacity to utilize oxygen!)

12. FALSE. Unfortunately, there's no way to “spot reduce” certain areas. Yes, it’s beneficial to do exercises that target our problem areas, but we should be doing compound exercises that utilize more than those exercises so we can increase our heart rate and burn more calories (and maximize our time!). And going back to the question about getting a 6-pack, it’s all about getting rid of the overlying fat, so we can see those muscles!

Test your Fitness IQ

Take this test. The answers and explanations will be given in a few days! Good luck!


1. You can increase your metabolism, Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) by:
A. Running
B. Biking
C. Strength training
D. Any form of exercise


2. TRUE or FALSE If you want to burn fat, it is best to stay in the “fat-burning zone” of your Target Heart Rate (the lower end of your THR) and not the “cardio zone” (the higher end of your THR).

3. The best way to know how hard you are pushing yourself during exercise is by:
A. How tired or sore you are
B. How high your heart rate is
C. How much you’re sweating
D. How hard you’re breathing
E. All of the above


4. TRUE or FALSE Lifting HEAVY weights (strength training) frequently can cause women to get “bulky” and build too much muscle mass.

5. TRUE or FALSE The best time to work out is early in the morning.

6. The best exercise for losing weight is:
A. Running
B. Biking
C. Eliptical/Cross-trainer
D. Strength training
E. All of the above


7. TRUE or FALSE As you age, you lode muscle and gain fat, thereby decreasing your metabolism, no matter what you do.


8. TRUE or FALSE To get ripped abs or a “6-pack”, you should do crunches every day.

9. How much exercise time is needed to lose weight, improve cardiovascular endurance and function, and see results?
A. 3 days a week for 30 min/session
B. 5-6 days a week for 2 hrs/session
C. 3-5 days a week for 60 min/session
D. Any of the above can get results


10. TRUE or FALSE Eventually, your weight and fitness level will plateau.


11. TRUE or FALSE The more intense your work out, the more fat you burn.

12. TRUE or FALSE To get rid of the “arm jiggle”, the “saddle-bags”, the “love-handles”, or the “inner thigh fat”, you must do specific exercises to target those muscle groups/areas in order for them to go away .

5 Ways to Improve Your Core Strength (Without doing a single crunch!)

Seriously??? Yes, people are still in that mind-set of doing crunches to improve strength and tone in their midsection or core. Your core includes all your abdominal muscles, lower back muscles, glute, and hip muscles. These make up your "Powerhouse" and it's very important to do exercises that will strengthen them, in turn leading to fewer joint and posture problems down the road. Try these great 5exercises that don't require any crunches and work these muscles superior!

1. Prone and side planks. While laying on your stomach, position yourself up on your forearms, either on your knees (beginner position) or on your toes (more advanced). Make sure your body is in a perfect line, low back or pelvis is not drooping or sticking up in the air. The key is to hold your abdominals in by concentrating on pulling your belly-button in towards your spine. Hold this position for 20 sec (to start) and then gradually add 10-15 sec as you get stronger. Do 2-3 sets of this exercise. Side planks are done while laying on side and propped up on one forearm, the other hand is on hip or behind head. You can do this either on the side of your knees (beginner) or on your feet (advanced). Push hip off ground as high as you can go, straight up. Come back down and then repeat to 10-15 reps each side (2 sets).



2. Quadruped. A favorite that is great for all core muscles-abdominals, glutes, hips, and low back. You will start by getting on all fours, positioning yourself with hands directly under shoulders, and knees directly under hips (straight lines) all shoulder-width apart. Head should be up as well. While maintaining position, bring opposite arm and opposite leg straight out. It’s very important to tuck belly-button in, thereby activating the abs and other core muscles while making sure pelvis/hips don’t tilt. Do 2 sets of 10 each side (alternating).



3. Dying bug. Laying on back with arms at sides, tilt your pelvis/hips toward ground thereby activating your abdominals and keeping low back AGAINST the ground (there should be no gap). Bring one leg up and down (knees bent), then other leg. For a more advanced exercise, bring opposite arm to opposite leg, all the while maintaining this position (it’s very important that your belly-button is tucked in and abs are contracted the WHOLE TIME.) Do 2 sets of 10-20 each side (alternating).

4. Bridges. Laying on back with knees bent and shoulder-width apart and arms at sides, raise pelvis, hips off ground and hold 3-5 sec. You will want to squeeze your glute muscles as well as keep your abdominals tight (belly-button tucked in) throughout movement. Come back down and then repeat. Do 2 sets of 15-20.



5. Band rotations. Using a rubberband (you can buy these practically anywhere for cheap!), loop band through handle around a post (or some kind of anchor). Standing to side of post/band, place one hand on handle and other overlapping hand. While keeping arms STRAIGHT and feet planted on ground (facing forward, do not pivot), rotate band across body in a 180 degree movement. Make sure to keep belly-button tucked in, and abdominals contracted as to work all of these muscles (great for obliques and low back as well). Keep a loose grip on the handle as to not over-emphasize the arm muscles (so they do minimal work). Do 2 sets of 15 each side.

Finding your BMR and how to increase it

If you've ever wondered what your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is, that is how many calories your body burns AT REST (if you laid in bed all day), then this site is good place to start. You can use this calculator to get your magic number-just keep in mind that it's not 100% accurate. It doesn't take into account your body fat % (the more muscle and less body fat you have, the higher this number is). You take this number, add 200-400 calories you burn just doing your everyday things (which ranges depending on how active or sedentary you are, type of job, etc), and lastly, add the calories you burn from exercise. For most people this final number rounds out to be around 2000 calories give or take (averaged over 7 days in a week). From that you can figure out how many calories you should consume each day to lose body fat. If 2000 is your number, than you should be eating approx 1500 calories a day to lose 1 lb. a week.

To increase that BMR so that you burn more calories, and ultimately, FAT, you need to add muscle. For every 1 lb. of muscle mass added, add 50 calories to your BMR. That's a lot when you think about it! And remember, muscle is denser than fat, meaning it takes up LESS space (making you look thinner). That's why WEIGHT alone can be deceiving-it doesn't take into consideration muscle mass ratio. To add muscle, you should do 2-3 days of strength training into your routine. Make that circuit training, and you're killing 2 birds with one stone-strength training and cardio all in one workout and look at all the benefits you're receiving.

Exercise of the week...split squat

Can I just say that I love this exericse! If you want your glutes and quads, this is an exceptional exercise! Also, I prefer and recommend doing this exercise with an upper body move. To perform:

1. Use a bench, chair, or even ball (harder) and place one leg back. Front leg should be out far enough that your knee doesn't go over your toe. Suggestion: hold 5-10 lb. dumbbells for extra resistance and for upper body combo.

2. Squat down to 90 degrees at knee, making sure front heel doesn't come off of ground. PUSH through heel and squeeze glutes as you come up. With dumbbells, you can either do bicep curls as you go down, or even shoulder lateral/front raises.

3. Do 15-25 reps/leg.

Exercise of the week..the crab walk

Here's a great exercise that works all the lower body leg muscles, called the crab walk. It works the glutes, hamstrings, quads, etc. but really EMPHASIZES the outer thigh/hip muscles (way better than the hip abduction machine which only focuses on that one muscle). I also like to mix it up and add an upper body muscle exericise, like doing medicine or rubberband shoulder presses.

To start have a theraband (preferably tougher resistance) around your calves/ankles with feet spread shoulder-width apart. You should feel resistance the entire exercise, so it's important not to bring feet TOGETHER (hence band should be taut, not loose). Walk sideways (like a crab), in a SQUATTING position by stepping out to side with outside leg (the main leg working). Step inside leg in about half way and repeat for at least 25 reps each leg. To add in medicine ball press, hold ball at chest and press up as you step out.

Exercise of the week...ball tricep push-up

Ball push-ups. Different variation that especially emphasizes the triceps muscles and core/trunk muscles.

To perform, place hands about shoulder width apart on ball, with feet same distance. While keeping abdominal muscles contracted in for stabilization, bend elbows and lower body down towards ball and then back up. Keep elbows in to better work the triceps muscle. For a more advanced variation, bring one leg off ground! Do 2 sets of 15-20 reps.

Buns of steel

Here are just a few of my favorite glute exercises to help tone, strengthen, and lift your bootie! I swear by all of these (plus plenty of squats and lunges too!). Try them out and tell me what you think!


1. One-legged squats with ball. Place ball against wall with your back centered on ball. With one foot off ground (or if that's too hard, place just heel on ground with little to no weight on leg). Perform squat by sitting back against ball (keep hips/pelvis tilted back towards wall), bending leg to 90 degrees. Make sure to keep weight in the heel, not the toe. To increase resistance, hold dumbbells. Do 2 sets of 15-20 reps each leg.


2. Pelvis/Glute lift on ball. Lay on ball and roll out feet, so that only your upper back is on ball. With feet placed about shoulder-width apart, lower pelvis/hips towards ground and then lift back up, holding at top for 3-5 sec. To increase resistance, use weight in between knees/legs or hold on lower abdomen. Perform 2 sets of 20-30 reps.


3. One-legged deadlift. While holding dumbbells, keeping one leg straight (but not locked), lower dumbbell towards foot. While you perform this exercise, make sure to keep back straight, NOT ROUNDED. Also, the other leg will come straight back behind you. You should feel a stretch down the back of the standing leg. This exercise also works the hamstring muscles very well. Do 2 sets of 15-25 each leg.


4. Cross-over step-up. While standing to the side of a step/bench with the opposite/outside leg on step and inside leg on ground, step-up. To increase resistance, hold dumbbells or even perform at a faster pace for an extra burn. Perform 15-25 reps each leg.


5. Cable leg kickbacks. With ankle strap secured around ankle facing a cable machine (you can also do this with a resistance thera-band), pull weight/cable back, keeping leg straight. Perform 20-30 reps each leg.

Exercise of the week...ball hamstring curls

HAMSTRING CURLS ON BALL (2 variations):

This is one of my favorite hamstring exercises, and it's a lot harder than it looks (esp the second one)!!!

1. Laying on ground with arms/hands at sides (preferably on mat) with feet/calves on stablity ball about shoulder-width apart. Slowly lift hips/pelvis off ground (and maintain position), bring feet and ball in towards you SLOWLY. Key is to dig heels into ball, so feet are flexed. This keeps the hamstring muscles flexed the entire time. Make sure you roll back out ENTIRELY to complete one repitition, otherwise, you might feel a cramp!



2. Variation of #1: Same position as above, only stick one leg straight up in air. Other leg is on ball, IN CENTER. Do same exercise as above SLOWLY, 2 sets of 15-20 reps on each leg.

Boot Camp 101

Here's one of my sample "boot camp" workouts that combines multiple muscle groups and keeps your heart rate up at the same time to scorch fat and calories! If you have questions, email or comment me. (Sorry for the lame pictures!)

1. Lunge with dumbbell lateral/front raise combo: While holding 5-10 lb. dummbells, do walking lunges while raising arms out to side shoulder heighth. Do 20 alterating legs and then turn around and repeat only raising arms to front, shoulder heighth. Do another 20 reps.


2. Alternating lunge jumps: While in place in lunge position, jump off ground and switch feet landing back down into lunge. Do for 1-2 min.


3. Plie squat with dumbbell bicep curl: Standing feet wider than shoulder width apart with toes pointed out, squat down to 90 degrees while tilting pelvis/butt back (like sitting in chair). Make sure not to "round" back and to keep heels planted on ground to avoid knee pain. Hold 5-12 lb. dumbbells in between legs and do bicep curl as you come up.


4. Plie jump hops: Same position as above (only without weights), jump in place for 1-2 min.


5. Medicine ball torso rotations: Sitting on ground, lean back with feet off ground (preferably) and while holding 6-10 lb. medicine ball, rotate torso/ball from hip to hip for 1-2 min.


6. Push-up row combo: In a push-up position with 5-10 dumbbells in hands on ground, do a push-up and as you come up, bring one dumbbell up into row while squeezing shoulder blade back. Then do another push-up and switch sides, alternating for 20-30 reps.


7. One legged squat: Standing on one leg, squat down while pointing opposite hand towards toe. Do 15-20 reps each side.


8. Speed skaters: Stand on one leg and then hop laterally (to the side) onto the other leg, while squatting slightly (think Apollo Anton Ohno). Move quickly side to side for 1-2 min.


9. Mountain climbers: In push-up position, step feet in alternating quickly while holding upper body stationary.


10. Step-up with medicine ball/or dumbbell overhead press: With chair or bench and holding 6-10 lb. dumbbells/ball, step-up with one leg while pressing ball overhead at same time. Don't touch other leg to bench, bring knee up and do 20-25 reps each side.


11. Alternating fast step-ups: Step-up and change legs to come down and repeat quickly. Do 1-2 min.


12. Bench dips: While facing away from bench with hands on bench (facing out), lower body and bend elbows to 90 degrees. Do 20-25 reps, holding every 5th rep for 5sec.


13. Wall sits: Sit back against wall with knees at 90 degrees. Hold for 30 sec, then rest for 10, hold for 45 sec, rest for 10, hold for 60 sec, rest for 20.


14. Bench jumps: Standing in front of bench, squat down and jump up on top of bench using legs and momentum. Do 1-2 min.


15. Ball crunches & side crunches: Laying on ball on back, do crunches while squeezing belly button in and holding at top for 3 sec/rep. Do 25-50 reps. Then, lay on side on ball with feet against wall (staggered) and do 15-20 side crunches and repeat on other side.




16. Jump rope: Jump rope 30 sec, double time 30 sec, one leg 30 sec, other leg 30 sec.

17. REPEAT ENTIRE SEQUENCE WITHOUT REST!!!!!!