Start your summer shape up now! Here are some of my tips and secrets (you may not have known) to get you started!

Everybody thinks that if you want to lose weight you have to workout hard with heavy weights…Not True!

The key to weight loss is not bulking up (muscle weighs more than fat) but toning up and to do so, keep the weight (on machines and hand weights) LOW and the reps high. It is easier to build muscle than to burn fat, but the more muscle you have the more fat and calories you burn. Instead try using resistance exercise bands, and body weight, see below.

Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself. Saying your going to workout for 2 hours a day is unrealistic as you may not ALWAYS have 2 hours available to you and in turn you skip your workout all together. Try to commit to a workout regime you are able to do anytime. ANY exercise and or cardio helps even if its only 10-15 minutes.

Use an exercise resistant band and body weight to help you reach your goals. Being able to exercise anywhere and anytime makes reaching your goals much EASIER! For instance:

• Do tricep dips using your kitchen chair
• Run up and down your staircase at home or at the office
• Do calf raises off a stair or ledge/step in your home
• Use water bottles or canned veggies for weights and do bicep curls and an over head press with cans in your hands
• Use your stairs and do push ups off them, you can also use your kitchen chair for this
• Do squats with your back against a wall, and your feet about 2 feet away from the wall, slide down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Do 20 squats and 3 repetitions.
• All time favorite…jumping jacks! Jumping jacks are the best and easiest way to incorporate cardio into every day life!

Exercise resistance band/therapy band offer the right amount of resistance for muscle toning (they come in various resistances). For example:

• Place exercise band under both feet, hip width apart, and wrap around both hands and preform bicep curls, repeat several repetitions
• Again placing the exercise band under both feet, hips width apart, and wrap around both hands preform an overhead press
• External rotation: Attach exercise band to a sturdy object and sit or stand with right side facing object, holding handle in the left hand. Begin with hand in front of belly, elbow at 90 degrees. Keeping elbow in fixed position, rotate the forearm out to the side to about 30-45 degrees
• Open fly (strengthens chest muscles and shoulders) they make smaller/shorter bands for these exercises but the longer bands can be used as well.

If your going to use machines at the gym, keep the weight low and just do high repetitions, this will work your muscles for adequate strength training and toning.

These are just a few of my tips for the summer shape up. I will be posting more in the coming weeks. If you have any questions regarding fitness and exercise leave a comment for me I would be happy to help!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites