*5 Moves for Better Shoulders*

A lot of people seem to neglect working out their shoulders. If you are looking for a shouler workout to try, see Jessica Paxson-Putnam's shoulder routine below. Click the link to view the entire article and specific instructions for each exercise in her routine.

5 Moves for Better Shoulders


THE ROUTINE

EXERCISE / SETS / REPS
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press 3 1 10—12
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 10—12
Single-Plate Front Raise 3 10—12
Dumbbell Upright Row 3 10—12
Bent-Over Lateral Raise 3 10—12

*My First Ever Blog Carnival!*

Welcome to my very first Blog Carnival! This edition has to do with workouts and ways to stay motivated to keep exercising. I hope you enjoy what these writers have to offer. :)

Frederic Premji presents 6 Great Ways To Motivate Yourself To Exercise posted at BlogMotivation.com

Kacper Wrzesniewski presents Best tips to keep exercising schedule posted at KacperWrzesniewski.com

Kelly Sonora presents 50 Tips for Helping Your Overweight Child Stay Healthy | NOEDb posted at NOEDb: Nursing Online Education Database

Health Blogger presents Healing My Chronic Shoulder and Neck Pain Through Diet and Exercise posted at Health and Fitness Blog

Lane Wright presents The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating | Vegan Bits posted at Vegan Bits

Barry017 presents anabolic training posted at Luke Barry

New Layout Coming Soon!

I have hired Lara of Designed by Lara, to design a new template for this blog. I am so excited because I have seen her work and she does an amazing job! I'm most excited because my layout will actually be fitness-related instead of these pink flowers and butterflies I have right now. LOL!

The layout is expected to be finished sometime next week so be on the lookout for it and be sure to leave me any comments letting me know what you think of it. :)

Turbo Jam Really Makes Me Sweat!

I'm pretty sure at some point, most of us have gotten bored with our cardio workouts. I personally can only run in place, jump rope, run on a treadmill or elliptical for so long...it's extremely repetitive, monotonous and boring! Sometimes I like to pop in my Turbo Jam DVD so I can dance and grind myself to a great sweat fest!

Before purchasing Turbo Jam I read all the reviews I could find and asked people I knew if they had ever tried it. Everyone seems to just love it. Now to be honest, the first time I popped that DVD into my DVD player...I found out how uncoordinated I really am. :/ I'm so glad neighbors and passers-by cannot see into my living room window because they would have had a good laugh watching me 'Turbo Jam'. LOL! I should also mention that even though I had absolutely no clue how to perform the moves, I was sweating within 5 minutes. I. KID. YOU. NOT.

After doing it a few times, I was really able to catch on. It wasn't too hard to learn at all and it's nice to dance and workout to great, upbeat music. If you're interested in purchasing it, I would highly recommend Amazon because I was able to find the best prices/shipping there.

The Best Exercises for a Tighter, Firmer Rear End

If you are looking to give your booty some shape, think about incorporating the following exercises into your workouts if you don't already. They are great moves for a bangin' behind!

*Try doing 3 sets of 10-12 reps*

Squats-Stand with feet shoulder width apart and rest a barbell on the back of your neck, resting on your shoulders and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then stand back up. Be sure to squeeze your glutes! (This is my all-time favorite booty move)

Hip Raises-Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips up towards the ceiling as far as you can and really squeeze your glutes. To make it more challenging, try adding a weight to your lap.

Lunges-Stand with your feet together and then step one leg forward and bend at the knees putting most of the weight on the front leg, then switch and do the other leg. Alternate until you have completed 10-12 reps for 1 set.

Kneeling Kickback-Get down on the floor on your hands and knees and kick one leg back behind you and lift up as far as you can. Continue through 10-12 reps and then switch legs. Be sure to do 3 sets on each leg.

Leg Press Machine-Putting your feet further up towards the top of the plate will really challenge your glutes. Unlock the pin and work that leg press machine!

Fitness Magazines You Must Read!

I am a fitness magazine lover! I personally subscribe to all of the following and they have really helped me to develop a fitness and nutrition program that works for me. If you are looking for new workouts, exercises, meal ideas or helpful information about designing your own workout, you need to check these out. :)

Muscle & Fitness Magazine
My fiance' has a subscription to this magazine and it is jam packed with workouts, protein information, supplement information, recipes, meal ideas and more. Whenever he's done reading it, I always snatch it from him because there are so many helpful things to read about each month. The magazine is geared towards men, but I think women can definitely benefit from it as well.

Pilates Style Magazine
This is the first magazine ever that is dedicated to pilates. It features different moves and workouts for you to try. I personally love pilates. It has really helped to get strong and lean. I'm still learning about it since it's relatively new to me, but this magazine really makes it easy.

Fit Yoga Magazine
If you are more into Yoga, this magazine would be a much better choice for you. Fit Yoga Magazine covers the modern world of yoga in an easy-to-read, informative, non-preachy manner, while exploring and revealing its ancient roots. No matter what your personality, level of fitness or flexibility, there is a yoga class that suits your soul.

Prevention Magazine
Prevention Magazine,The world's most popular health magazine--12 million readers--every month! It shows you the very latest and best ways to lose weight, improve nutrition, prevent illness and enjoy life more!

Muscle and Fitness for Her
This magazine is great for the women who love strength training. They show you how to create your own workout and they usually feature workout split programs that you can follow.

Oxygen Magazine
Another wonderful magazine for women who love strength training programs. This one also features nutrition information, supplements, ways to lose fat, example workouts and more!

Sunday back workout

<---(This photo was taken just 4 weeks into my weight training program--9 weeks after I had my 2nd son [5/28/08]. I will be posting updated photos soon!)

I know, I know...I'm a couple days behind with posting my workouts--please excuse me.

I couldn't perform my back workout on Friday like I normally do because I stubbed my toe and was unable to wear my shoes comfortably. :( It's always good to switch it up anyway, but working out on a Sunday was not my favorite! My back is still a little sore today so I know I worked those muscles well-I love this feeling!

*Also, I should note that this was the first day I had taken Dren. Holy crap for energy! I noticed that my weight and reps were higher than last week and that makes me happy. :)

Deadlifts: 50# 1 set x 12 reps, 60# 1 set x 10 reps, 65# 1 set x 12 reps

Lat pulldowns: 45# 3 sets x 10 reps

Seated rows: 45# 1 set x 15 reps, 50# 1 set x 12 reps, 55# 1 set x 10 reps

Good mornings: 55# 3 sets x 12 reps

The 5 Best Ab Exercises Ever (No boring crunches!)

Everyone wants a flat stomach right? So why does that have to be the hardest fitness goal to achieve for most people?? Obtaining a flat stomach isn't easy, but with these 5 exercises I'm about to tell you about, you will notice your waist getting slimmer in no time.

I have a son who is almost 4 months old and when I was pregnant with him, I gained 50 pounds! I still have about 5-10 pounds that I'd like to use, but my stomach is already flat! (And he's my second child) These exercise can and will work for you, they have for me!

For a beginner, I'd recommend doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each of the following exercises:

1. Barbell Twist--Grasp a barbell in both hands and stand with feet shoulder width apart. (You may also hold a dumbell in each hand if that is easier for you) Hold your arm down in front of you, still grasping the bar with your palms facing down and then twist the barbell or dumbells from left to right. As always, keep your ab muscles tight for the best results.

2. Hanging Leg Raise--Hang on a high bar with an overhand grip shoulder-width apart. Be sure to keep your abdominal muscles contracted to prevent your body from swinging through the movement. Proper form is important or you will be wasting your time. Raise your legs up so that they are parallel to the floor and then bring your legs back down. Because you are defying gravity during this exercise, it challenges your core muscles even more.

3. Decline Reverse Crunch--Lay on a decline bench and grip the bench over your head to keep you stable. Full extend your legs and lift your hips off the bench. Be sure to keep your ab muscles contracted and your shoulders and neck relaxed, then fully lower your legs back towards the floor, keeping them straight. Simply increase the decline for a more challenging workout.

4. Barbell Roll Out--Kneel in front of a barbell placed on the floor, lean forward and grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and then roll the barbell out away from you until your midsection is parallel to the floor; then roll the barbell back towards you, keeping your abs contracted and remembering to keep breathing.

5. Plank--Prop yourself up onto your forearms and toes. (Similar to a push-up position but your forearms should be resting on the floor). Hold your body still, and straight, do not let your back curve or your hips sag - and try to hold it for 60 seconds.

I am confident that if you implement these ab exercises into your workout routine, you will start to notice a slimmer waist within a matter of weeks.

My first day on Dren!

Today marks my first day of using Dren. I just took it about an hour ago and I am already starting to feel the effects. My weight has been fluctuating right around 140 lbs for a few weeks now, so I'm going to try using Dren to see if I can start burning more fat again - in addition to my regular fitness regimen.

I spent a couple of hours researching Dren online, including reading the reviews, and people seem to be raving about it so I'm excited to see if my body fat percentage will start to decrease. I still have a few more fat pounds that I would like to lose.

I am not one of those people to just take a fat-burning supplement without implementing a diet and exercise plan; I will be working out hard like I always do, but I'm just hoping the Dren will give me a little nudge that I seem to be needing right now.

I'm already noticing an increase in my energy levels and I feel like I should be working out right now, so I probably will soon. I wasn't able to workout my back on Friday like I normally would because I stubbed one of my toes and it hurt to put my shoes on. :(

Yep...sometimes I'm a clutz!

I will definitely keep you posted on any side effects I have or if I feel that Dren really does work. My thoughts right now are...so far so good!

My Thursday arm workout

I can actually feel a little soreness today after working out my arms yesterday. I haven't experienced that with my arms for quite awhile!

Here's my workout:

Tricep Pushdowns: 30# 3 sets x 10 reps ( I could not build up weight for this exercise...way too hard. LOL)

Then I did EZ Bar Curls/Hammer Curls Supersets

EZ Bar Curls: 30# 1 set x 10 reps, 2 sets x 8 reps

Hammer Curls: 15# 1 set x 10 reps, 2 sets x 8 reps

Incline Curls: 10# 2 sets x 8, 1 set x 6, 15# 1 set x 2 reps...that was pretty tough!

Ow, my legs!!!!

I worked out my legs and shoulders last night....I can still really feel it in my quads. I have just recently started doing pyramid sets, where I increase the weight each set and I think it really makes a difference! (Verses just using the same weight for all 3-4 sets) I think I may keep doing this for awhile. It's really allowing me to feel the burn, which makes me feel like I am really accomplishing something. I'm finally starting to see some muscle in my arms, back and legs. It's so exciting - especially since I just had my 2nd son this past Spring!

Here's my most recent leg workout:

Deadlifts - 55# 1 set x 10 reps, 60# 1 set x 10 reps, 65# 2 sets x 10 sets (I LOVE deadlifts)

Squats: 45# 1 set x 12 reps, 50# 1 set x 10 reps, 55# 1 set x 8 reps

Leg Extensions: 35# 2 sets x 12 reps, 40# 1 set x 12 reps

Military Press: 35# 2 sets x 10 reps, 1 set x 8 reps

That was one of my best workouts in a long time. Seeing these improvements really helps me to stay motivated to keep exercising. =)

N.O. - Xplode is FANTASTIC!

"Once you try it, you will never train without it." <~~~I honestly live by that! This stuff is really amazing. I first started taking NO Xplode about 4 weeks ago and it really makes a difference in my workout performance. My workouts are longer, I'm more focused and I'm even able to lift more when I do take it prior to working out.

I keep a training journal of each workout and I also blog about it. With NO Xplode you are supposed to cycle it, meaning take it for 12 weeks and then off for 4 weeks. After looking through my training journal, I realized that it was harder for me, at first, to lift the same amount of weight I had been when I was taking NO Xplode. Working your muscles to the max is important for muscle growth. Just be careful not to over work them and injure yourself.

NO Xplode is designed to increase energy, focus, endurance, strength and pumps. I whole-heartedly agree. I hate doing cardio without NO Xplode. It also contains ZERO sugar and the taste is pretty good too. You simply take NO Xplode about 30 minutes prior to workout and then you'll be good to go.

I highly recommend this product. One 1.81 lbs. tub will give you 40 servings. I personally only take a 1/2 serving, if that, because I don't need a full serving, so my tub actually lasts twice as long - 80 workouts? Not too shabby!

BSN NO-Xplode, 1.81 Lbs., Fruit Punch Amplify Mental Focus, Performance, Strength, & Training Intensity!

Monday's Chest Workout

I definitely worked hard yesterday, I can really feel it in my chest this morning. That's good news though right?? I think so!

Here's my workout:

Flat bench press - 45# 1 set x 10 repetitions, 50# 2 sets x 8 repetitions, 55# 1 set x 8 reps

Decline bench press - 45# 1 set x 10 reps, 50# 1 set x 6 reps, 55# 1 set x 8 reps

Incline bench press - 45# 1 set x 9 reps, 50# 1 set x 6 reps, 55 # 1 set x 4 reps, 1 set x 3 reps

55 pounds is the largest amount of weight I have bench pressed since I started working out 10 weeks ago. I'm pretty excited about that! Never in my life would I have thought that I would love working out as much as I do. When you start weight training, you start seeing results very quickly - it's amazing!

Total Women's Fitness - A must read

This book is absolutely fabulous. It's a wonderful resource for women who are into fitness and improving their overall health. I have purchased this book and I loved it. I read it over and over because it has so much to offer.

First of all, the book is ginormous! It is packed with information on everything related to fitness and women's health. It features different fitness levels, it isn't just for beginners or advanced, there is something for everyone. There is information on exercises, nutrition, vitamins, supplements, how to stay motivated. Being able to stay motivated is the biggest problem most people have when sticking to a fitness regimen. Here's a link to an article I have written about how to stay motivated. It works for me and it will work for you too!

I am a subscriber to quite a few women's fitness magazines and if you have ever taken a look at Oxygen magazine and liked it, you will love this book.

Back Workout - My favorite workout day!

Here is what I did for my last back workout:

Deadlifts - 55# 1 set x 10 reps, 60# 2 sets x 10 reps, 65# 1 set x 10 reps

Lat Pulldowns - 50# 1 set x 10 reps, 55# 1 set x 10 reps, 60# 1 set x 6 reps

Seated Rows - 45# 1 set x 10 reps, 50# 1 set x 10 reps, 55# 1 set x 10 reps

Goodmornings - 55# 3 sets x 10 reps

I love working out my back. They are always my favorite exercises to do.

Biceps / Triceps Workout

I had a really great biceps/triceps workout yesterday.

Here's what I did:

Tricep pushdowns - 40# 2 sets x 8, 35# 1 set x 8

EZ Curl Bar Curls - 30# 4 sets x 8

Incline Curls - 10# 3 sets x 6

Hammer Curls - 15# 2 sets x 10

I can really feel it in my arm muscles today, so I know I worked them out pretty well yesterday. Also, my quads still hurt from my leg workout that I did a couple of days ago. They're finally starting to feel better. Two days ago it hurt to walk down my stairs. How often is walking down stairs hard?? LOL!

Legs/Shoulders Workout

I just got finished with my legs/shoulders workout. WOW do my legs feel like jello! Here's what I did today:

Squats: 40# - 3 sets x 10 reps

Leg Extensions: 35# - 3 sets x 12

Military Press: 35# - 3 sets x 8

That may not seem like much, but I can already feel it in my shoulders and quads. :)

Chest Workout & a little abs

The following is the chest workout I did yesterday:

Flat bench: 45# - 3 sets x 8 reps

Decline bench: 45# - 1 set x 6 reps, 2 sets x 8 reps. 50# - 1 set x 6 reps

Inline bench: 45# - 2 sets x 8 reps, 1 set x 6 reps

Abs: 1 set of regular crunches x 30 reps

I haven't done my chest workout for a couple weeks, shame on me! I need to get back on track with that. I just have so much fun with my other workouts and chest isn't really a big priority of mine.

Torres in her 5th Olympic games!

Four time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres (41) and mother of one will be competing in the Olympics for a record-breaking 5th time. She qualified to compete in the 100 meter freestyle event at the Beijing Olympic Games after finishing with the fastest time at the Olympic trials. She has already won 9 medals, 4 of them being Gold. Torres is now trying to secure a spot to compete in the 50 meter freestyle event as well.

I wish her luck! :)

*Happy 4th of July everyone!

I hope you all have a great weekend filled with lots of fun with your loved ones!

Take care & be safe!

Cute fitness apparel

Do you have a hard time finding cute workout clothes? I always have trouble. Usually when I finally do find something that I like it's super expensive. I just recently bought this tank top pictured below and I absolutely love it! It's comfy, it's stretchy and best of all...you can wear it for workouts or just because. It hugs all your curves. There are many more items available as well. They have sports bras, lycra pants, women's lifting gloves and more.

Another brand that I absolutely love is Otomix. They have really cute feminine designs and they also carry sports bras, yoga pants, sweats, tank tops, tees and more. I am addicted to their clothing line. The first pair of pants I bought from them are the most comfortable pair of pants that you will ever own. I love them to death. I've worn and washed them a thousand times in the last year and they still look awesome. I love the fit and length of these pants, I have yet to find a pair that I like better than the ones I got from Otomix. The designs they have on their clothing is just an added bonus for me!

Otomix 3040TDH Heart Tye-Dye Thermal

*My Tuesday workout

Shame shame shame on me.... I forgot to add my workout yesterday.

Here's my Tuesday workout:

Squats - 3 sets x 12 reps using 35#

Lunges - 2 sets x 6 reps (both legs) using 35#

Leg Extensions - 2 sets x 12 reps using 35#

Leg Curls - 1 set x 12 reps using 35#

I did 2 sets x 15 reps of decline reverse crunches - I LOVE those! I also did about 12 minutes of cardio. I like to do cardio in the middle of my sets to break up the weightlifting a bit. :)