Tag Archives: cardio

Swimming

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Swimming  :                         Swimming     

Swimming is not just for little kids! Anyone at any age can benefit from a swimming workout. Swimming gives your body a great workout without the  impacts of running. Swimming should not take the place of weight-bearing activities but it is a great thing to add to your routines.  Recent research has proven that swimming can help you live longer, who doesn’t want that?!. Water exercise can be great for people who are over weight or have arthritis.  Swimming is an awesome way to burn calories while you’re having fun .  Swimming works all the major muscle groups in your body, including your heart and lungs. Swimming workouts are not just about swimming laps. Most pools offer water aerobics, underwater spinning and much more.  Check out your local gyms that have pools, most of them will allow you to just have a pool membership. For some workouts check out beginner swimmer

Benefits:

  • weight loss
  • full body workout
  • helps with flexibility
  • great for people with arthritis
  • its fun
  • helps with recovery from certain injuries
  • stress relief
  • cardiovascular workout
  • fights disease

 

 

Benefits of deadlifting

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Benefits of Deadlifting :  Deadlift

If you haven’t added the deadlift to you workout routine yet, you should! The deadlift, if done correctly, will help strengthen all the major muscles groups. The deadlift helps build muscle in the lower and upper body at the same time.  Deadlifting will also strengthen the entire back and the muscles around your back. This move can be used for rehabilitative and preventative purposes if done correctly. The deadlift is a great exercise for building core strength and strength in all other major muscle groups. Minimal equipment is needed to deadlift, you can use a bar, dumbells, or sandbag. There are different types of deadlifts such as sumo stance, stiff leg and bent leg to name a few.

Benefits:

  • core strength
  • improve posture
  • total body workout
  • practical, used in everyday situations
  • awesome butt workout
  • grip strength
  • raise heart rate- blasts fat

 

How to deadlift:

start with light weight till you master the movement.

 

  • start with your feet shoulder width apart, grip barbell so your arms are right outside your legs. Your shins should be touching the bar.
  • make sure you are in a neutral spin position. Meaning your back is flat, neck/head is not looking up or down but straight ahead.
  • keep your chest up and your shoulders slightly over the bar. Never round your shoulders
  • before lifting, tighten abs, shoulders and glutes
  • lift through your feet, hips and shoulders should move at the same time.
  • at the top of the movement you should be standing straight, shoulders back. The weight will end around your mid thigh
  • start the downward phase by pushing through your heels while you slowly lower the bar. Keep bar as close to/touching your body throughout the whole movement
  • Lower in a controlled motion. Make sure you keep your chest up and your abs tight while lowering

Tips:

  1. make sure you are breathing.
  2. never round back
  3. no jerking of the weight

Check out my quick how to video:

Cardio-Blast

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Cardio-Blast  

 Tabata             IMG_5017

If you are like me and not in to running ( or any form of cardio) you should try tabata training. One of my favorite warm ups is tabata jump rope, I also like to end my workout with tabata double unders. Tabata training is high intensity interval training. Its 20 seconds of all out intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated eight times for a total of four minutes. Sounds easy? wait till you try it! Tabata workouts offer more benefits in less time. Tabata training will help you lose fat faster than regular jogging. Tabata training raises your metabolism and heart rate up in no time at all. Your metabolism will stay raised for a longer period of time which will help you burn more fat. If you are looking to improve your performance for sports , tabata training is a great way to do that.  If you are new to tabata training start with less rounds and build up to eight. You can put almost any exercise into a tabata training workout, so there’s no getting bored! Here are some great tabata workouts you can do instead of traditional running.

 

Tabata cardio:

20 secs of work- 10 sec rest for 8 rounds.

  • jump rope or double unders
  • mt climbers
  • burprees
  • squat jumps
  • high knees
  • sprinting
  • rowing

You can also use tabata training for strength training

Tabata strength:

  • pull ups
  • push ups
  • any ab move
  • squats

Cautions: tabata training is not for everyone. Make sure you are able to perform at high intensity before trying tabata training. 

 

Kettlebell Swings

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IMG_4930IMG_4895IMG_4897

Kettlebell swings are a great move to add to your workouts, but they can be hard to perfect. Here are some great tips on how to improve your form and look like a pro.

 

How To Tips:

  • stand above kettlebell with feet slightly wider than you shoulder.
  • think about the swing as a deadlift motion only in fast forward.
  • hinges from the hips,
  • drive hips forward hard  to help move the kettlebell up
  • maintain  natural arch of  back throughout the exercise.
  • keep abs tight throughout whole movement
  • keep the shins vertical, don’t let knees track over toes
  • keep kettlebell as close to your body as possible

Why you should be doing them:

  • good for people with low back pain who cant do deadlifts, good mornings, etc. Research shows  kettlebell swings may not exacerbate low back pain.
  • works multiple muscles, such as the hips, glutes, hamstrings, lats, abs, shoulders, pecs and grip.
  • kettlebell swings burn a ton of calories.
  • you will get a full body workout

Day 3

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Hope everyone is feeling good after days 1 and 2. Are you doing the bonuses?? Day 3 is here, today for part 1 you dont need anything but if you want to add weights you can.  For part 2 you are going to need a jump rope. Are you ready?!

Day 3

set timer for 50 sec work 10 rest for 4 rounds. You can also set it for 12 rounds so you have no break in between. If you dont have a timmer just follow along with my video. And remember gymboss has a free app.

  • mt climbers
  • squat jax
  • step up up down down
  • climb the ladder

Repeat 3-4 times

Immediately after :  jump rope for 1 min, rest 10-20 sec then repeat four more times for a total of 5 min.

 

Bonus

  • sumo squats
  • stiff leg deadlifts with dumbbells
  • calf raises
  • squat

Do 12 reps of each move then repeat one -two more times.

 

 

*please talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program

 

 

 

5 Day Challenge

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I challenge you to complete this five day workout challenge! I will post real time videos of the workouts. I will be posting them at night so you can do them the next day. For some of the workouts you wont need any equipment. For other days you will need some light hand weights. After each day I’ll also post a short bonus workout as well! Feel free to leave comments telling me how you crushed the workout!! Ready…Go!

 

Day 1

set interval timer for 5 rounds, 50 sec of work 10 sec break, thats one round. If you want to do three rounds without stopping set your timers for 15  rounds. If you dont have a timer try the gymboss app or just a timer set for 1 min.

Do as many reps as possible in 50 seconds of:

    • high knees
    • burpee tuck jump
    • butt kicks
    • step step knee up
    • jump rope

repeat that whole thing 3-4 times. If you have to rest between rounds thats okay. If you dont rest you will be doing 15-20 min of cardio. Your heart rates will be up the whole time. Goodluck!!

 

Bonus abs

set interval timer for 3 rounds, 50 sec work 10 sec rest.

  • bike abs
  • v-ups
  • mason twist

If you are feeling good repeat abs 2-3 times! Post your results in the comments below.

 

If you dont have a timer you can also follow along to my video.

*please consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program