Mind Exercise

Consider isometric exercise. First, place your left hand flat across your right chest and shoulder. Take your right hand and extend it to the side. Make a fist and imagine that you are pulling a beautiful new Mercedes in front of you. The car is heavy, imagine the brakes on, but pull with all your might—if you can pull that monster 5-series hard enough, it will be yours.

In reality, there is no car, no handle, and no brakes. But if you put your mind into that visualization, your pecs were rippling under your left hand and if you were in front of a mirror you saw the pump.

But you never touched a weight.

That was your mind working the muscle. And that’s the only way a muscle works to achieve the anaerobic effect that builds strength and size.

Mind Exercises

Mind Muscle Control

This is nothing new to weight lifters. The mirrors in gyms are not for the benefit of looking at beautiful bodies, the mirrors are there so lifters can better focus on the muscle they are working. The mind, not the weight, creates the catalyst for a chain reaction that is anaerobic (without oxygen) and creates ultimate strength. It only lasts a minute or so, which is why boxing rounds are so short.

My brother used these techniques to break handcuffs, pop tennis balls in his hands, bend quarters and even survive hanging. Crazy? No, there’s plenty of evidence, in first hand witnesses, video and print.

Exercise with No Results

If you’ve been working out on a regular basis with no results, then you are not truly making the mind-muscle connection. Sometimes I call this ugly face exercise: it’s the point when you are exercising where you grit your teeth, your eyes are not really focused and you may not for the moment know where you are or what you’re doing, other than giving it 110%. That is when you’ve your anaerobic range. That is when you’ve told your body to deliver more nutrients for muscle tone and strength and for bone density. Your body is devouring carbs and you’ve also sparked your metabolism to stay on the ready for the next 24 hours, thereby burning more calories.

So, want to exercise brainless or do you want to incorporate some mental muscle?

By Laura Dayton

Home Exercise Routines

This workout will combine quick bursts of cardio to get your heart rate up in the right target zone (to find out what this zone is for you check this article out on calculating your target heartrate and then incorporate strength moves to get you lean and toned.  The best part is you can do this routine virtually anywhere, even while catching up on your favorite TV shows!

Jog in place for 5 minutes—it’s always best to warm-up into any routine

15 push-ups—drop on the floor and pump these out without a break

15 chair dips—keeping the momentum, place your hands on a stationary chair or chair step and extend your feet in front of you; lower yourself until your arms are bent at the elbow at 90 degrees and parallel to the floor, and then raise yourself back up until your arms are straight

Jump rope for 5 minutes—if you don’t have a rope, just jump in place keeping your heart pumping

Home Exercise Alternatives

30 lunges—hands on hips and feet together, extend your right leg and drop into a deep lunge until your left knee is almost touching the floor and then push yourself back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg in front. Do 15 on each leg for a total of 30 lunges

15 bicep curls—grabbing either 5 or 10 pound weights, or you can get creative and use filled water bottles or even canned goods; as long as you feel the burn my the last few

Stair stepping for 5 minutes—finding either a step or raised surface alternate stepping your feet one at a time up onto the stair and then down; you will stay in the same place, but with one foot on the stair and the other under you as you quickly switch the positions of your feet

15 squats—squat down low and work to keep your weight balanced on your heels

Home Exercises

15 upright rows—grabbing your weights or water bottles stand with your feet shoulder width apart and arms hanging in front of your hips; pull your arms upward in front of your torso until your upper arms are at shoulder height and bent at the elbow.  Lower your arms and repeat.

Scissor step for 5 minutes—place your hands and feet on the floor and bend at the waist so that your bottom is toward the ceiling.  Alternate hopping your right foot forward and then switch positions so that your left leg jumps forward as your right goes back

30 second plank—placing yourself in the push-up position, hold yourself up concentrating on pulling your abs in and keeping your back straight

30 crunches

5 minutes sideways hops—facing forward with your feet together jump first to the right and then the left; keep yourself working and sweating!

15 side arm raises—with a weight in each hand and your arms at your side, keep your arms straight and lift them until they are shoulder height and parallel with the ground.  Lower your arms and repeat.

30 front punches—with the same weights alternate punching one arm in front of you and then the other for a total of 15 punches on each side.

5 minutes running in place—gradually work yourself into a cool-down

You’ve just done a perfect total body workout while getting your pulse moving and lungs working.  The strength moves will help build muscle and the combined cardio will help you torch calories, and the best part is you didn’t have to spend a penny!

By Caitlin Chock

'The Pistol' - One Legged Squat

Before Getting Started

The one legged squat is a lot like a regular two legged squat except that you are standing on only one leg. I’m sure that seems pretty obvious, but my point in stating that fact is to remind you that the same elements that make for good form during a regular squat must still be considered. Maintaining good posture, keeping your knee (on the squatting leg) from tracking forward in front of your toes, and achieving parallel depth are all essential components of any safe, effective squat–regardless of if you’re using one or both legs.

One Legged Squat

If you are going to be working towards single leg squats, there are a few prerequisites that you ought to have out of the way to ensure a solid foundation. You should be able to perform a proper two legged squat with resistance that is equal to your body weight (ladies this goes for you too!), or if you aren’t into going for one rep maxes, you should be comfortable squatting at least 65% of your body weight for multiple reps. Additionally, you should ensure that your form while doing these is safe by having a qualified supervisor watch you and look for any red flags. For example, if your heels come off the ground while you do your squats then you are probably not ready to try a single leg squat yet.   Also keep in mind that while one legged squats are great for building your legs, but they also require a ton of core strength.

Bottom Up and Top Down

Now that we’ve gotten that taken care of, there are a few ways to approach training your body to do a one-legger. One method is to start from the bottom up. While sitting down on a bench, lift one foot off the ground. Lean forward and use the heel of your other foot to push into the floor while squeezing your abs tight, puffing your chest out, and reaching your arms out in front. Once you get to the top, try to lower yourself slowly and repeat. You will likely lose control during the lowering phase and wind up plopping down onto the bench at the bottom. That’s fine for now. In time your control will improve to the point where you no longer need to sit on the bench.

Another One-Legged Squat

Another method to employ while practicing towards doing a one legged squat is to practice from the top down. Stand on a bench, a bit off to the side with one foot hanging off the edge. Squat down so that one leg drops below the level of the bench. Make sure you stick out your hips and butt, and lean forward a bit–otherwise your balance will be off. If you are having a hard time balancing with this, hold onto something to guide you. A resista-band that is securely in place or a cable machine balanced with a full weight stack are great options. A broom handle works well too if you are doing these at home. If you have a training partner, have them assist you by either holding your hand or standing right by you so that you can grab them if you lose your balance. This is an exercise that I will literally hold my client’s hand through the first time they try it!

Other Variations

In time you can progress to doing them on your own. Then you can try coming down off the bench. When you’re standing on the ground, you’ll reach your other leg farther out in the air and hold it as close to parallel with the ground as you can. This is commonly referred to as a pistol squat. A lot of people find holding the other leg out to be the real challenge of performing a solid pistol.

Another variation is to perform them with your secondary leg crossed over the squatting leg. This gives extra stability and is sometimes easier for beginners. However, for those of us with tight hips, this position adds a flexibility challenge that isn’t a concern with the pistol squat. Each variation will be a unique experience on your journey, and a unique challenge to you as an individual. As always, experiment with as many variations as you can. And of course, don’t just sit there reading this–get out there and live it!

The importance of your Back

We cut and split wood for fire, pulled crops from trees, planted and harvested gardens, hunted and killed game, and some people still today wash clothes by scrubbing them on rocks. For women there was the milking of cows, kneading of bread and churning of butter, while men used their larger upper body strength to build roads, streets and towns.

For the most part, everything I mentioned involves the muscles of the back, the upper body’s largest muscle group. For the most part, many Americans do not perform any of the aforementioned daily chores. If you don’t have a job that involves a lot of physical labor, run a farm or own horses, you most likely do not to enough work for your back. We have so ignored these important muscles in recent history that back problems and even spinal deformities are on the rise. The Dowager’s hump at the base of an old lady’s back can now be seen on teenagers.

Put Your Back on Top!

In a few more million years we may evolve into a slug-like creature that requires only minimum movement to survive. Until then, we need to work our bodies the way they’ve been working for the last million years. That means walking—every chance you can. It means doing squats, properly with knees over your feet and back straight. It means lunges and some stair or hill climbing.

We still use our biceps for carrying, and guys like to give those guns some extra work. The triceps, unless you’re into fighting sports, probably needs some work. Dips are great and if you want to really get the job done, push-ups can’t be beat for chest and triceps. Do them off your toes, your knees or put your toes on a bench or chair for a real burn.

Back Exercises

The problem lies in the largest upper body muscle group, the back, which is difficult to work without specific exercise. The best exercise is the pull-up. A pull-up bar, even if you only hang to start is a great beginning. Eventually work up to pulling your body up in a chin.

The other thing you need is a rowing movement. Tennis and swimming are great, so is golfing and basketball. If you don’t participate in those sports, you’re going to need some rowing either in a kayak or with some exercise bands. Lifting properly, keeping the weight close to your legs, back and arms straight and using your leg power to stand up right will save your back from injuries.

Put your back training on the top of your list of body parts. Train it at least three times a week, and don’t forget hyperextensions, Cobra moves and pelvic raises to keep that lower back muscle in tune.

By Laura Dayton

For more weight training exercises, especially for women, refer to Laura Dayton’s total guide to women’s weight training, available at www.lauradayton.com.

If you wear a rigid boot or shoe that changes your regular gait, strap them on and spend a few hours walking around on the carpet. Bind them just like the real thing and you’ll find any potential blister spots ahead of time. Your ankles and shins will also be getting in some practice runs.

Skiing Lunge

If you’re not a cardio fiend, you aren’t going to have much fun. You should be able to hold the mid-high level of your target heart rate for at least thirty minutes. Work the legs extra high and throw in some classic calisthenics, like Squat Thrusts: Squat down hands on the floor and in the same motion kick both legs behind you (show-offs might do a push-up at this point) then spring your knees and feet back under and stand (or better, jump) and repeat again in a continuous movement. Get up to 20 of these and you’re ready for jumps and moguls.

Resistance Moves
Bands and bodyweight work are excellent because they mimic the way your muscles work during the sport better than machines. You want light weights, and high reps. Light doesn’t mean easy, it just means you aren’t going for a one rep max—you’re lifting for exhaustion, just like you ski. On most of the exercises you’ll go to the point you can’t do one more, or you’re bored. BTW, if you’re bored, add more resistance next time. For starters you’re going to need extra work on the back, biceps, quads, hams and calves. Power generates from your core, so you need and lower ab exercises along with some sidebends.

Upright from Lunge Position

Elbow-to-Opposite-Knee drills are a great warm up for your ski workout. So is jumping rope for about five minutes, even if you have to take breaks. Pull ups, even partials, are good for the back as are any type of rowing movement or side lateral raises. Some shoulder shrugs and neck rolls are also called for.
The rowing exercises go hand-in-hand with bicep pulls. You can use a tight band or even a towel around your feet for these—pull ‘til ya can’t pull no more.
I do most of my ab work with the ball. There are plenty of exercises to choose from, just be sure you do some low back stretching as well.

Your legs do the lion’s share of the work, unless your sport is snowmobiling. I like Ballet-style squats where you pulse down to the count of 4 (as close to thighs-parallel-to-the-floor as possible) hold until you want to scream, then pulse back up. Now do the same thing on your toes.

My other exercise of choice is the lunge. I wish this exercise was called the long-step, because the biggest mistake people make is to lunge forward with their torso as well as their forward leg. Your torso should remain upright and allow your quads, hamstrings and glutes to do all the work. Your step should be as long as possible so that your trailing leg’s knee is about 4-6 inches from the floor. If you loose your balance or, Heaven forbid, hit the ground with the trailing knee, shorten your stride. For ski tune-ups I prefer walking lunges, and walking up a slight incline (10%) and down is a real plus. Perform until you get the first real burn, but then give it a break. Add more steps each time you lunge, and never work a sore muscle on consecutive days.

Starting three to four weeks out on this routine is ideal. Don’t start it the day before you ski. If you’re doing these moves with ease, you are ready for many great days of skiing.

By Laura Dayton

But things are what they are, and everyone seems to feel like if they want to be fit that joining a gym is the only way to do it. It doesn’t have to be like that though. There are methods of getting in shape that have been around a lot longer than gyms and there are lots of exercises that require very little or no equipment. I bet you’ve already even done a lot them.

Pushups at Home

The pushup is probably the best and most classic example of an exercise that requires no equipment. This one exercise alone can make a noticeable change to your chest, shoulders, and arms. There are endless ways to vary it up as well. Putting your feet up on a wall at an angle will make them harder because you are putting more weight on your arms. You are changing your position and therefore you have less leverage. You can gradually progress to walking your feet up the wall all the way until you wind up doing handstand pushups! On the other side of it, if you keep your feet on the floor and walk your hands up on to a ledge, step, or any other sturdy surface that it higher than the floor, you can give yourself better leverage. This is a good technique to use in order to train towards doing one armed pushups. By doing a one armed push up on an angle you can get better at the technique and gradually build towards doing them on the floor. Experiment with different variations on the push up and it can stay fresh and challenging for you.

Pullups for Fitness

Pull-ups and chin-ups are also among the best exercises for building the upper body and they require very little equipment. If you don’t have a pull-up bar then try to find a park or playground with monkey bars nearby. I love to take my workouts to the park when the weather is nice. I find it beats working out at the gym by a landslide. Pull-ups and chin-ups can also be varied in many ways. Technically speaking a pull-up is done with your palms facing away from you (overhand grip) and a chin-up is when your palms are facing towards you (underhand grip). But there are many other ways to vary these two basic themes as well. You can do a mixed grip with your palms facing each other. You can also vary the width of your grip, the position of your legs, or the placement of your head on either side of the bar. And of course let’s not forget the granddaddy of them all: the one arm pull-up.

Way to Lunge

Squats and Lunges are two of the best exercises for your legs. And while these are great exercises to perform with weights, they can also be very effective with just your body weight. Even if you have strong legs, doing an endurance workout with just your body weight consisting of hundreds of squats and lunges can lead to you having a hard time getting up out of a chair the next day. Taking squats and lunges and turning them into plyometric exercises is another great way to add a new challenge with no equipment. All you need to do is jump on your way up and then land right into the lowering phase of the next rep. Repeat until your legs are quivering and your heart feels like it’s going to explode. Then rest and repeat. Or go into another set of pushups while you wait for your legs to recover. Of course, squats can be performed with one leg as well–and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Creative Exercise

Your creativity is the only limit to finding ways to vary these fundamental exercises. Experiment for yourself and don’t feel the need to conform to the limits of conventional methods. Finding new challenges and adding different variations is one of the keys to success in the world of fitness.

By Al Kavadlo

Core Strength Exercise

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, your core is vital to not only look your best, but to complete your routines and sports to the best of your ability.  Your core is responsible for holding you in the correct form when performing exercises, keeping your posture upright when running, and every other activity you undertake.  By toning and building these muscles you will make yourself more efficient, and improve your overall fitness.

Head Stand Core Strength

It is important to focus on each muscle and to do each exercise correctly. You may not be able to complete them all perfectly at first, because many of the smaller muscles are weaker and unused to being stressed, but be diligent and eventually you will have a stronger center.  Start by doing one set of each exercise and then gradually work your way up to three sets three times a week with at least one day of rest between them.

• Bicycle crunch: Lying on the floor, back flat and raise both legs to 90 degree angles.  Alternately bring your right elbow to your left knee, return to the starting position and then bring your left elbow to your right knee.  Continue until you’ve done a total of 30 (15 on each side).
• Bridge: Lie on the ground with your back and feet planted on the ground.  Your knees will be bent toward the ceiling; while keeping your shoulder blades pressed down, raise your butt upward until your lower back and upper thighs are at a 45 degree angle on the floor.  Squeeze your butt to hold yourself there for 3 seconds then return to the ground and repeat 10-15 times.
• Back Raises: Lie face-down with your stomach on the ground, legs straight behind your.  Interlace your hands and rest them behind your back.  In one motion, raise your upper body and legs off the ground so that your arms reach back toward your legs and only your pelvis is fixed on the floor.  Gently return to the ground and repeat 10-15 times.
• Plank: Resting on your forearms and toes, keep your body straight and parallel to the floor.  Contract your abs, pulling them inward and be sure to keep your back flat.  Hold this position for 30 seconds, rest, and that is one set.  When you’ve mastered that, try holding the position while doing a set of 10 leg lifts for each leg.

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru

This should be a no-brainer and yet so few people do it. They’ll try to act the part and go to the gym along or grab their resistance bands and just workout at home alone. But that’s not how you’re going to get fit and healthy!

Find An Exercise Support Group

Working out at home can be great fun and it’s an excellent way to save on gym memberships and what not. But if you are going to exercise at home, be sure that someone else know. Have support, we all need it. There’s plenty out there on the web and if you are embarrassed about your weight, don’t worry! That’s the whole idea of a support group.

Your support group will likely meet once a month or fortnight, there’s a real comradery there. Don’t know where to find one? Fat Blasters and PeetTrainer are good places to start. Other people are out there for moral support. Never forget that.

But also remember that this is a group, a community. You’re only as strong and as motivated as the person next to you. So be sure to give as much encouragement as you get. Be positive and drive everyone to do better. Having someone alongside you will be some of the best motivation you can possible get.  So start sooner rather than later!!

By Tim Howard

It might be hard to imagine, but Diets don’t work. A diet is, at best, temporary. This means that once it is finished there is excellent potential for you to slip back into old habits. before you know it, you’re back on the couch.

Lifestyle changes are key!

The most common problem people have with diets is not starting them. Diets are easy to start, they’re just tough to continue. When you set your diet goals don’t put a time-frame on them! doing so just gives you a goal that is all too achievable. You don’t need to do anything in order to not drink for a month. That’s just a lack of effort…again…

The Key instead is to CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE! This means doing, saying and feeling things that you wouldn’t normally. Set a calender that isn’t marked with an end date. The best way is to make sure you have at least one daily task. Even if it’s only to “Get to bed early”.

When dieting, be quiet about it. There’s no need to brag to your friends. You’re not there yet! When the diet period is over you may just return to old habits and lose all your progress. Then who will you be bragging to?

Stay focused! It’s about challenging yourself, making yourself better and letting the people around you think what they will.

By: Tim Howard

I’m making progress like crazy! It is awesome! I’m not benching what I benched when I was juicing yet but it is getting closer and closer all the time. (quite close now actually) I have no doubt my strength will continue to increase and my body fat will continue to decrease as I keep following my workouts. By the spring of 2010 I should be stronger than ever. I’m already healthier.

Here are the things that work for me. If you want to build muscles, this is what I believe:

1. To build big muscles you have to stress them in a big way. This means you must force them to work against heavy resistance. That means a weight you can’t lift more than 6 times (give or take a few) without failing.

Benefit from lifting heavy weights

2. To build big muscles you have to do exercises that stress groups of muscles together – like deadlifts, squats, benches, dips, pullups (or pulldowns with enough weight). Avoid cable or isolation exercises unless you are adding them in for some spice… Make sure the meat of your workouts are the bigger movements with barbells and dumbbells.

3. Heavy lifting stresses your muscles and nerves heavily, so you need to provide your body with plenty of rest and nutrition. 99% of what the magazines say is total bullshit. You do not need a bunch of supplements. Protein powder, a multi-vitamin, plenty of sleep, and a healthy diet is more than enough to help your body recover. You tend to hear these things over and over again – because they are time tested and honest.

Sleep and Eat Healthy

4. To combat boredom and also keep your muscles adapting (this is KEY, the idea of making your muscles ADAPT) you should keep changing your routine around.

5. Eat enough calories (I like protein shakes for convenience) to support what you are doing in the gym

6. Don’t worry too much about fat loss in the beginning – just don’t pig out if you are overweight. Try and direct your diet toward food that helps you instead of empty calories. Lean meat, lowfat/skim milk, complex carbs (whole grains if you can eat them, grapefruit, cantaloupe, green vegetables) and healthy fats/proteins (peanut butter, salmon, tuna, olive oil). Remember that your muscles are the ENGINE that burns the GAS (fat) in your body. So the more muscle tissue you have, the more fuel your body will use. All day, every day. Even when you aren’t lifting.

7. Cardio (bike/elliptical/treadmill/stairmaster) is good for your heart – but doing too much is counterproductive to gaining muscle mass. Keep cardio sessions short and intense (I like 15-20 minutes a few times/wk). Weight training can actually be a better fat burner – especially if you keep your rest periods down to a minimum or combine sets (bench and row as one super set for example).

Short Sharp Cardio Sessions

8. Now a contradiction: don’t use too much weight! How much weight should you use? It should vary – I can go in and do a whole pile of plates on the leg press. The sets are slow and grueling. That’s one kind of workout, but I always use good form and keep the weight under control both lifting it and putting it down. The other kind of workout I like to take half that weight, put it onto the hack squat machine, and do ten reps of hack squats followed by ten reps on the leg press. I love this combination because it adds intensity. I’m not lifting as much weight, but I’m putting my body under a huge oxygen demand to pull off these two sets in a row with no rest. It forces my body to adapt.

9. When you are first doing a new movement, use an empty bar or very low weight. You need to learn the mechanics of the movement and how it feels. A lat pulldown has a certain feel to it. If you don’t do it right, it becomes a forearm and bicep exercise, not a lat exercise! So take the weight of and learn how to focus on the muscle you want to develop. You have to learn how it is supposed to feel and how to target the muscle you want to train. This usually means using *less* weight than you think you should.

Workout Tips and Results

10. Vary the order of exercises. Right now I can only get in the gym three times a week. I split my body into upper and lower. So I get to hit everything twice a week no matter what. My favorite lower body exercises are deadlifts, squats, leg presses, and hack squats on the machine. Some days I start with heavy deadlifts – doing 3 to 8 reps and pyramiding up and own. Some days I start with stiff-leg deadlifts standing on a platform with much less weight and do 10 reps minimum. Some days I superset both kinds of deadlift together. For a really brutal workout I might superset deadlifts and squats. I try and keep changing it around so I have to adapt to something new. For upper body, I like benching and rowing, upright rows, presses, lat pulldowns, arm curls and extensions… again I try to vary and combine them to keep it interesting for my brain and my muscles.

I hope this helps you get the muscles you’re after!

By: Charley Socci

http://www.socci.com

http://www.charlessocci.com