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Disclaimer: Welcome! The purpose of this blog is to share fitness tips, fitness routines and supplements that have worked well for me. Everybody has their own opinions related to fitness and I am just sharing mine. You are welcome to share your thoughts and experiences as well. If there is anything else you'd like to see just let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate your needs. :)
On Monday I had a great lifting day. I worked out my chest and my biceps. That may be a weird combination for some, but I never like to only workout my chest, I always have to work on another area as well. For this day, I chose my biceps. My chest is still a bit tender from that workout!
Flat Bench Press - 35# x 12 reps, 45# x 12 reps, 50# x 9 reps, 55# x 5 reps, 60# x 4 reps and 70# x 2 reps. 70 pounds is the heaviest I've lifted so far. I had Roger spot me just in case, but I completed 2 full reps at 70 pounds! :)
Preacher Curls - I did 4 sets of 20# x 15 reps each.
*I haven't decided what I'm going to do for a workout tonight yet. I'm thinking either back or legs. I don't really have a set routine that I do since it's important to keep your body guessing, so I just make my routines as I go along and workout what I feel needs a good workout.
There are so many protein supplements available, it's hard to choose one. It's important to know that more expensive does not always equal better. If you're more into lower prices than taste, then I'd just opt for the least expensive protein supplement. But if you're picky on taste, I wouldn't necessarily shop by price then. If you're going to buy a protein supplement, it's a waste of money if you don't like it and won't drink it.
The best tasting protein powder or shake in my opinion is Muscle Milk. I have tried vanilla flavored Syntha-6 and Optimum Nutrition Milk Chocolate Whey too and Muscle Milk is still my favorite. Every flavor I've tried, which includes: Mocha Joe, Chocolate, Cookies and Cream and Vanilla, have all been very good. You can either buy Muscle Milk Protein Powder or Muscle Milk ready-to-drink shakes.
Prior to buying any protein supplement, I would do a quick google search to read reviews from other customers. Just type in "muscle milk chocolate reviews" for example.
The best supplement place to shop at is Bodybuilding. They have the best selection, great prices and fast shipping. You might find lower supplement prices on the internet, but then they really get you with their shipping charges. Plus, I've experienced a lot of backorder issues when ordering from anywhere other than Bodybuilding. Bodybuilding also offers Muscle Milk Light.
Arms have been one of the easiest parts of my body to tone up and define. If you are looking to get toned arms, try the following routine 2 x per week.
Preacher Curls - 3 sets x 10 reps
There are multiple ways to complete this exercise, but I normally use an EZ-bar. Doing preacher curls lessens any momentum that would help you if you were doing regular bicep curls.
Tricep Pushdowns - 3 sets x 10 reps
I love the burn in my arms that I feel when I'm doing tricep pushdowns. When working out your arms, don't neglect your triceps.
Hammer Curls - 3 sets x 10 reps
I never used to like the thought of doing hammer curls because I thought it was more of a "guy's" exercise. Since I started doing them, I have really noticed shape in my inner biceps. Before I started working out, my left arm was substantially smaller than my right (I'm right handed) and dumbbell hammer curls really helped to build up my left arm. Now it doesn't look so ridiculous in comparison to my right arm! :)
If you follow this workout routine 1 or 2 x per week, I can guarantee you will notice a difference in the muscle tone of your arms.
For a great challenge, try completing 4 sets instead of 3, or try adding additional weight to really work your muscles!
I don't know about you, but I haven't heard much about 'Reebok' in quite some time. Reebok is a on a mission to get women to workout and they will be unveiling their brand new website on September 15, 2008 - which is Monday. Visitors will be able to share their experiences and ideas, and also learn about some fun ways to keep themselves motivated to exercise.
Reebok will also be showcasing their brand new fitness apparel line for the upcoming Fall season. They have created the new website to help inspire consumers to become active and think about fitness in a whole new way. Nobody will keep working out if they're getting bored and Reebok has hand-selected global fitness instructors who will help to bring the fun back to fitness!
I have yet to launch my newsletter, but I'm planning for my first monthly edition to be published October 1st!
I plan to offer fitness tips and advice, a featured recipe for the month as well as a featured workout or strength move and I also plan to offer answers to some of the most common fitness questions related to women. (of course!)
If you would like to see something else featured in the newsletter, please let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate your request. :)
Many people wonder how you can obtain a nice, round butt. A few lucky people were born with 'bubble butts', but some of us weren't as fortunate and that's okay! You'll just have to work a little bit harder to get that round booty. Read on to learn 4 moves you can use to shape and tone your butt.
1. Squats!
Squats are wonderful for building up your butt muscles and they are my favorite 'butt move' of all time. If you're just starting out, you don't have to add any weight, you can just perform the squat. As you get accustomed to doing 3 sets of squats regularly, you'll eventually want to add weight. The most important thing to remember is that you should NOT be afraid to lift heavy. You need to push yourself to fire up your muscle fibers.
2. Lunges.
Okay, to be honest, I hate doing lunges. I personally think they're extremely boring, but they do help to tone and shape your butt, so I thought I should add them anyway. Some people may enjoy them, I just prefer to do other kinds of exercises. (like squats) If you are first starting out, you can perform the lunges without weights. Once your body gets accustomed to lunges, try adding some hand weights to your workout.
3. Stair/Hill Climbing.
I know not everyone has access to a hill that they can run up on a regular basis...but if you have stairs, they are a great alternative. You could also use a stair stepping machine. Skipping a stair or two will get your butt in shape even faster, plus you'll burn more fat because your body is working harder.
4. Running.
If you love to run (unlike me...haha), it can be very beneficial to your backside, plus you're getting your cardio in as well.
I hope these butt-shaping moves are helpful to you. If you have other ways to tone your butt, please do share with the rest of us. :)
Being that I'm from Minnesota, I was happy to have read about the Women's Expo in Bemidji this weekend and I had to write a post about it in my blog. :)
The John Glas fieldhouse at Bemidji State University in Minnesota held the 2nd Annual Women's Expo yesterday. The Expo, sponsored by the Bemidji Pioneer drew an estimated crowd of around 1,500 people!
They had a couple motivational speakers, including Donna Christenson of Oconomwoc, Wisconsin. She added some belly dancing into her keynote speech, “Laugh and Live Your Dreams.” Vendor booths were also abundant so that visitors could ask questions and obtain information.
It turned out that Nintendo's "Wii Fit" was a huge success at the Women's Expo Saturday. Wellness specialist Kristy McGrady says, "We've had a line pretty much the entire morning. So far people think it's pretty cool."
The "Wii Fit" was featured at two separate vending booths including MeritCare Health and Wellness and Physical Therapy Departments.
Donna Laakso, a physical therapist at Neilson Place, has been using “Wii Fit” in her work for six months. Donna says, “It’s just so interactive and you get that instant feedback. It’s just one of our tools we use in physical therapy."
Welcome to the second installment of Workout Wear Wednesday! Last week I featured Activa Sports and I'm hoping you were able to take a look at their products. They have some really cute stuff! :)
This week I wanted to talk about Under Armour. The only downside to them that I've experienced is their price, but they have some really cute sports bras. I'm a huge fan of sport bras - I sleep in them, I workout in them, I run around the house in them. I could never have too many. LOL!
They carry lines for women, as well as men, boys and girls. Under Armour offers footwear, hoodies, leggings, athletic pants, sports bras, undergarments, a few collegiate items and more!
If you love Under Armour but you aren't a big fan of their prices, you can always try Amazon or eBay too for some really great prices.
