69 Frugal Exercises using your own Body Weight

Now I admit as a personal trainer I am shooting myself in the proverbial foot by giving away free exercise advice for how to exercise without a personal trainer. But I must admit that such advice really should be free and I salute anyone who gives it away.

V-Up
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands extended towards ceiling. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Also raise legs up towards ceiling and attempt to touch your hands to your feet.
3. Return to start position.

Full Sit Up
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands behind head. Keep elbows back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench until you are seated in an upright position.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Hanging Hip Raise
1. Grab onto bar and hang from the bar with your arms straight.
2. Start position: bring knees up with hip flexed at approximately 90°.
3. Keeping back firmly pressed against back support, slowly lower legs.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Keep stomach tight (naval drawn in towards spine) throughout entire movement.

Lumbar Roll
1. Lie on your back with your legs in thighs perpendicular to the floor and your knees bent.
2. Keeping your shoulders on the ground slowly rotate your legs to the right until they touch the floor.
3. In a controlling manner bring your legs back up to the starting position.
4. Repeat with the other side.

Single Leg Plank Raise
1. Start by forming a straight plank with your forearms and feet as the contact points on the ground.
2. Once the plank is formed raise one foot off the ground and then return to the starting position.
3. Repeat this movement for the desired repetitions alternating back and forth between legs.

Stick Crunch
1. Start by lying on your back with your legs bent to 90 degrees.
2. Holding a stick or broom handle with both hands reach up and crunch towards your feet.
3. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.

Power boat pose
1. Start by sitting on the floor and extending your legs and arms.
2. Lean back keeping your legs straight with your arms extended in front of you.
3. Hold this balanced position maintaining proper positioning for the desired time limit.
4. Rest and repeat for the desired repetitions.

Alternating Toe Touch
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with feet up into the air. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Extend one arm and reach for the opposite foot. Return to start position and repeat with other hand. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion may cause injury. To increase resistance, hold medicine ball in hands. To decrease resistance, position hand closer towards body

Rollouts with Ab wheel
1. Start by sitting on your knees and placing your hands on the ab wheel.
2. Proceed to roll out with the ab wheel until your body is parallel with the floor.
3. Using your arms pull yourself back up to a semi-upright position.
4. Repeat for the suggested repetitions.

Ankle Wiggles
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands at your side. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Reach for you ankle with one hand and repeat with the other side.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Straight Arm Hold
1. Starting Position: Lie on your side with your right hand on the ground.
2. Lift yourself up to form a plank with your right arm straight and your left arm on your side.
3. Hold this position for the recommended number of reps.
4. Repeat with the other side.

Oblique Abductor Raise
1. Start by getting into a lateral plank pose with your hips off the ground.
2. Your only ground contact points should be your feet and elbow.
3. Holding this position raise your outside leg keeping it straight until you reach full range of motion.
4. Return your leg to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.
5. Switch sides and repeat.

Reverse Crunch Scissor Kicks
1. Start by lying on your back with your legs perpendicular to the floor.
2. Slowly lower one leg until you are no longer able to keep your lower back neutral to the floor.
3. Lift your leg back up and then repeat with the other leg for the desired repetitions.
4. As you get stronger continue to lower your legs closer to the floor as long as you can keep your back neutral with the floor.

Single Leg Plank Pose
1. Start by forming a straight plank with your forearms and feet as the contact points on the ground.
2. Once the plank is formed raise one foot off the ground and hold this position for the desired time.
3. Once the time has been met return your foot to the ground and repeat with the other leg.

Double Crunch
1. Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands behind head. Keep elbows back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Start position: Hands behind head and knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominals and raise shoulders off floor or bench. During the crunch, also bring knees towards chest.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Vertical Hip Raise
1. Step up onto apparatus and place forearms into pads. Grasp handles and stabilize shoulders by depressing shoulders down.
2. Start position: bring knees up with hip flexed at approximately 90°.
3. Keeping back firmly pressed against back support, slowly lower legs.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Keep stomach tight (naval drawn in towards spine) throughout entire movement.

Straight Arm Modified Crunch
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees straight or bent if you prefer, both hands straight and down by waist. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Extended arm should remain fixed and parallel to head.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion may cause injury. Also only curl your torso until your shoulders blades are off the ground. Do not try to sit up to an upright position. To increase resistance, hold dumbbell in hand of extended arm. To decrease resistance, position hand closer towards body.

Pushup Medicine Ball Bridge
1. Get on your knees and place hands on a medicine ball.
2. Start position: Align hands at nipple line, place feet hip width apart on toes, and extend the arms to raise body up. Trunk and hips should be in a straight line.
3. Hold for the recommended number of seconds.

Janda Sit up
1. The performance of this exercise is done by sitting in a normal situp position feet flat on ground but vigorously tightening hamstrings and glutes.
2. This will cause the hip flexors to be inactivated in a process called reciprocal inhibition which basically means that opposite muscles to the contracted ones will relax.
3. As you begin the exercise fill your lungs with air and in a slow three to five second count ascent, slowly exhale.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Leg Raise Pike
1. Start by holding a high bar with your body outstretched completely.
2. Proceed to raise your legs up and touch your feet to the bar. Keep legs as straight as possible.
3. Do not swing during this motion. Your upper body should stay relatively quiet.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Plank
1. Start by placing your forearms on the ground and forming a plank with your forearms and feet.
2. Hold this position keeping your body parallel to the ground for the required time.

Prone Plank Rotation on the ball
1. Start by placing your shins on top of the stability ball and getting yourself into a pushup position.
2. Keeping your body in a tight straight line rotate your legs so that the ball is now on the side of one of your legs. Your hips should be twisted compared to your upper torso.
3. Proceed to return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
4. If this is too difficult to control and balance at first then move the ball up towards your thighs and complete the movement from there. When you have more control then move the ball back down towards your shins.

Pushup with rotation
1. Start by completing a normal pushup and then at the top of the second pushup pick your hand up off the ground and rotate your upper body so that your hand is above your head.
2. Proceed to complete this same movement with the other arm. Then return to a normal pushup.
3. Complete this movement for the desired number of repetitions.
4. To make this more challenging hold a dumbell in each hand while completing this movement.

Reverse Crunch with hands behind your head
1. Start by lying on your back with your hands behind or above your head.
2. Proceed to draw in your belly button toward your spine and lift both legs up at the same time towards your chest.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat making sure that you don't arch your back as you are lowering or raising your legs.

Single Leg Leg Raise
1. Start by bending one leg keeping the foot on the ground.
2. Proceed to raise the other leg off the ground in a bent knee position to activate the abs.
3. This is a basic exercise but essential to master before moving on to the next step.
4. Once you have that mastered you can raise your leg keeping it straight and extended.
5. Repeat for the desired repetitions and then repeat with the other leg.

Straight Leg Obliques
1. Starting Position: Lie on your back and raise your legs straight into the air.
2. Rotate your legs keeping them straight to the side and the then return to the starting position. Repeat to the other side.

Lying Side Crunch
1. Lie with back on floor or bench with knees bent.
2. Start position: Let your knees fall to the right so that your hips are somewhat rotated.
3. Leading with the chin and left shoulder, contract abdominal muscles and raise left shoulder off floor or bench towards left knee.
4. Return to start position. Repeat with other side.
5. Remember to keep head and neck in neutral position throughout movement. Do not twist excessively - elbow does not need to touch knee.

Pushup Bridge
1. Get on your knees and place hands on the ground.
2. Start position: Align hands at nipple line, place feet hip width apart on toes, and extend the arms to raise body up. Trunk and hips should be in a straight line.
3. Hold for the recommended number of seconds.

Hip Circles
1. Sit on the floor and place a balance disc underneath your hips.
2. Raise your legs off the floor and keeping them together rotate them around in a circular motion.
3. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Superman
1. Start position: Lie face down on floor with hands down at sides. You may place a rolled towel under forehead to clear face from floor.
2. Raise chest and head off floor keeping feet in contact with floor.
3. Return to start position.
4. To increase resistance, extend arms and place hands overhead.
5. Do not raise head past 8-12 inches - excessive hyperextension may cause injury. To vary exercise raise feet while raising trunk.

Incline Hip Raise
Lie and an incline bench with your head at the top and your feet towards the lower side.
Starting position: Bring your knees to your chest and curl your hips up towards your shoulders.
Return to the starting position.

Scissor Kicks
1. Lie back onto floor or bench with both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides.
2. Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position.
3. Start position: Straighten both legs so that they are perpendicular to floor.
4. Slowly bring legs out away from each other and then return to side by side.
5. Return to start position and repeat.

Single Leg Hip Extension on Disc (with lift)
1. Starting position: Lie on your back on floor and place a balance disc under your upper back.
2. Raise one leg towards your chest and simultaneously crunch up towards that same knee.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
4. Repeat according to the prescribed repetitions.

Oblique Crunch
1. Start by placing your left foot over your right knee and place your hands behind your head.
2. Lift your shoulders up off the ground and twist so that your right elbows tries to touch your left knee.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat according to the required repetitions.
4. Repeat with the other side.

Burpees
1. From a standing position, jump as high as possible and land down on your feet with your hands on the ground.
2. Kick your feet back. For a moment you will be in a push up position and jump back up again as fast as possible.
3. Repeat for the required repetitions

Adductor stretch with crunch
1. Start by laying on top of the ball with the small of your back being on top of the ball.
2. Next place your legs on the wall and spread them apart until a slight stretch is felt in your adductors.
3. Once stabilized proceed into a crunch and then return to the starting position.
4. Repeat this movement for the desired repetitions.

Crunch
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands behind head. Keep elbows back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench.
3. Return to start position.
Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Situp Hold
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands behind head. Keep elbows back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Now hold for prescribed number of seconds.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Lying Hip Flexion on Disc
1. Lie back onto floor with balance disc under your lower back and hips and both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides.
2. Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position.
3. Start position: Raise both legs so that they are flexed 90 degrees at the hip.
4. Slowly lower one leg almost parallel to the floor
5. Return to start position and repeat with other leg.
6. Remember to maintain stability in lower back throughout movement by keeping abdominal muscles contracted - DO NOT ARCH LOWER BACK.

Pushup on extreme balance board
1. Start by placing your hands on a balance board and your feet on the ground
2. Move into a plank position and maintain your balance by extending your arms.
3. Proceed to bend your elbows while maintaining your balance until your elbows are bent to about 90 degrees.
4. Extend your elbows until you reach full extension.
5. Keep your abs drawn in tight to maintain good technique.

Seated Balance on BOSU ball
1. Start by sitting on a BOSU ball or balance board and balance disc.
2. Raise your hands up off the ground and then your legs until you are balancing.
3. Keep your abs tight to maintain your balance.
4. Hold for the prescribed time and then repeat.

Prone Knee Tuck on ball
1. Start in a push up position with your feet on top of a stability ball.
2. Slowly bring your knees in towards your chest and then return to the starting position.
3. When your legs are extended make sure to keep your hips parallel with your body and do not let them sag towards the ground.

Scorpion
1. Get into a pushup position with your feet on a bench.
2. Raise your right knee towards your left shoulder as you rotate your hips up and to the left as far as you can.
3. Then reverse direction and rotate your hips up and to the right. Try to touch your right foot to the back of your left shoulder. You will not physically be able to do this.
4. That is one rep and continue for the prescribed repetitions and then repeat with the other leg.

Air Bike Crunches
1. Start by lying on your back with your hands behind your back and thighs bent 90 degrees at your hip.
2. Simultaneously curl your right shoulder and left knee up towards the center of your body until your elbow and knee touch. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
3. Continuously repeat this pattern for the prescribed repetitions.

Ball Transfer Crunch
1. Start by lying on your back with a stability ball held between your legs and your arms directly above your head.
2. Simultaneously raise your legs with the ball and your shoulders up towards the ceiling.
3. At the top grab the ball with your arms and return to the starting position with the ball in your hands.
4. Repeat this movement and transfer the ball back to your feet.
5. Repeat for the required repetitions.

Belly Blaster
1. Start in a plank position with your elbows and forearms on the ground, your body parallel to the floor and up on your toes.
2. Make sure your belly button is drawn in toward your spine and raise your hips up into the air and hold for a 1 second count.
3. Return to the starting and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Long Lever Crunches
1. Lie on your back with your arms over your head and knees bent with feet flat on the floor.
2. Curl your shoulders up and towards your knees keeping your arms overhead.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Full Situp with Twist
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands behind head. Keep elbows back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. As you come up twist one shoulder towards the opposite knee.
3. Return to start position and repeat with the other shoulder.
4. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Decline Reverse Crunch
1. Lie on a decline bench with your head at the top and feet towards the floor.
2. Keeping your legs semi straight curl them up towards your head and try to curl your hips up off the bench when you reach the top.
3. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat keeping your legs in control at all times.

Elbow Stabilization
1. Form a plank position with your elbows and your feet keeping your body parallel to the floor.
2. Keeping your trunk tight and parallel lift up one elbow and rotate your trunk and shoulders.
3. Hold for a count of 2 and then return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
4. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Hip Thrusts
1. Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees at the hip.
2. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and towards the ceiling.
3. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Bench Reverse Crunch
1. Start by lying on your back and holding onto the bench with your hands above your head.
2. Keeping your knees bent to 90 degrees left your legs up off the ground and bring your knees up and towards your shoulders.
3. Your range of motion should be far enough so that your hips curl back towards your shoulders as well. Lift your legs and hips with control to avoid jerky motions that create momentum.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.

Pushup Superman w/ Alternating Arms
1. Starting Position: Start the movement in a plank position. Holding that position raise your right arm and left leg off of the ground.
2. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm and leg. Hold each lift for 1-2 seconds.

Straight Arm Pushup Hold
1. Starting Position: Start the movement in a pushup position.
2. Extend your arms into a pushup.
3. Hold that position for the prescribed number of seconds.

Flutter Kicks
1. Lie back onto floor or bench with both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides.
2. Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position.
3. Start position: Straighten both legs so that they are perpendicular to floor.
4. Slowly lower one leg to approximately 45-90°.
5. Return to start position and repeat with other leg.

Lateral flexion on balance disc
1. Lie on your side with a balance disc under your hip.
2. Laterally flex your body so that you raise your upper body off the floor. You will only raise up a couple of inches.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat. Perform with other side.

Bicycle Kicks
1. Lie on your back with your knees at chest level and your arms flat on the floor.
2. Alternate extending your legs by extending one leg out straight and as you bring it in extend the other leg out.
3. Continue to repeat this process like you are riding a bicycle until the required repetitions are completed.
4. Make sure you keep your back flat during the movement. If you are unable to keep your back flat then reduce the extension of your legs.

Bridge (Plank) on elbows
1. Start by lying face down on the ground. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.
2. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms.
3. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.
4. Hold for the required time limit or until you can no longer maintain a flat bridge.

Double Leg Pressouts
1. Start by lying on your back with your knees towards your chest and your arms flat on the ground.
2. Keeping your back flat throughout the movement kick your legs out and away until they are almost straight.
3. Bring your legs back in and repeat for the required number of repetitions.
4. If you are unable to keep your back flat on the floor throughout the movement shorten the distance that your legs extend until you get stronger.

Side Bridge
1. Start on your side and press up with your right arm.
2. Form a bridge with your arm extended and hold for the prescribed number of repetitions.

3 point rollout on ball
1. Place your forearms on top of the ball and your feet anchored on the floor.
2. Keep your trunk in a parallel position and draw your belly button in towards your spine.
3. Slowly extend your arms out away from your body and then bring them back in towards your chest.
4. Do not let your hips drop below parallel. If this happens do not extend your arms as far. Your arms should only be extended as far as you can without dropping your hips below parallel.

Plank Knee-ins
1. Start by getting on your hands and knees in a push-up position.
2. Keeping your abs tight and your trunk parallel bring one knee in towards your chest.
3. Return the foot back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

Abdominal Strengthening
1. Lay on your back with knees bent. Place a towel in the small of your back. Keep your lower back pressed against the towel.
2. Tighten abdominal muscles and hold.
In one continuous move, slowly straighten left leg, pause, and then bring it back to the starting position. Do the same with right leg. Let your heels slide across the floor.
3. Maintain tightened abdominals as you alternate legs.
4. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Unilateral Leg Raise on balance disc
1. Lie back onto floor on top of a balance disc with both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides.
2. Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position.
3. Start position: Straighten both legs so that they are perpendicular to floor.
4. Slowly lower one leg to approximately 45°.
5. Return to start position and repeat.
6. Remember to maintain stability in lower back throughout movement by keeping abdominal muscles contracted - DO NOT ARCH LOWER BACK. To increase intensity, lower legs past 45° without touching floor as long as trunk stability is maintained.

Side Plank
1. Lay on the ground on one side. Raise your body using one forearm and support it in this raised position for the required time.
2. Lower your body and repeat on the other side.
3. Remember to keep your head, neck and body in a straight line.

Supine Double Leg Raise
1. Start by lying on your back and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Raise your legs to a perpendicular position to the floor. This is your starting position.
3. Slowly lower your legs until you are no longer able to keep your abs tight and your low back on the floor.
4. Raise your legs back up to the starting position and repeat.
5. Only lower your legs as far as your abs have enough strength for.

Isometric Abdominal
1. Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent.
2. Hollow out your stomach by sucking in your abdominal muscles.
3. Tighten abdominal muscles in this position.
4. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat.

Elevated Prone Hip Extension
1. Start by placing your hands on the ground and your feet up on the wall.
2. Proceed to bring one knee in towards your chest and then kick your leg using your glute back onto the wall.
3. Repeat for the desired repetitions and then repeat with the other leg.

SOURCE: http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com/bodyweight/core_exercises.html


If you want more frugal exercise advice you can get lots of free advice on this website. I started my frugal exercise section in an effort to provide advice for people who cannot afford to hire a personal trainer (like me). That way you get some of the benefits of having a personal trainer, but without the costs. If you do live in Downtown Toronto and want a personal trainer you could hire me, but chances are you don't even live in Toronto and are just looking for free advice. In which case, absolutely, help yourself to all the advice on this website.

Training to Run Long Distance

Are you hoping to run long distances and looking for a training routine you can use?

Here is a great graphic which shows a 9 week training program which will ready you for some long distance runs by using interval training to build up your endurance faster in the early stages.

5 Common Fitness Mistakes

Mistake #1: You Don't Balance Weights with Cardio
Finding the right balance between weight lifting and cardio can be tricky. Especially if you've been told a lot of misinformation from different sources. Weight trainers will be telling you that you can accomplish anything with weight training and that you don't need cardio. This is not only false, they're lying to you in an effort to get your business. By the same tune some cardio enthusiasts will be telling you that you should avoid weightlifting because it won't help you lose weight (which is partially true, weight lifting will help you add muscle [and weight] to your torso, but its not very good at shedding fat).

What you really want is a balance of both weight lifting and cardio. This can be accomplished via a variety of means and you will reap the benefits as follows.

A) Weight lifting protects your existing muscles and promotes muscle growth. You won't get much muscle growth however unless you are doing 3 things: 1. Lifting enough that it becomes painful and you feel muscles ripping. Ideally after a weight training session all of your muscles should be in a moderate to light degree of pain. Avoid over doing it because then you will need to rest longer to recover and will be back where you started by the time you are done resting. 2. Significant repetitions. If you are only lifting weights for half an hour it isn't going to make much difference. A full hour or 90 minutes is much better. 3. Diet. You need to be eating well and taking in enough protein, vitamins to be building the extra muscles you've just ripped. When people diet without lifting weights, research shows that 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat and 25 percent is muscle. That 25 percent may reduce your scale weight, but it doesn’t do a lot for your reflection in the mirror. However, if you weight train as you diet, your weight loss is more likely to be 100 percent fat. Think of it in terms of liposuction: The whole point is to simply remove unattractive flab, right? That’s exactly what you should demand from your workout.

B) Weight Lifting boosts your metabolism. Actually ALL exercise boosts your metabolism. Especially Interval Training. So what you need to be doing is alternating light activities with heavy weight lifting, mixing up your exercise routine. Doing so boosts your metabolism dramatically for 24 to 36 hours after the activity, according to some studies.

C) Cardio strengthens your heart. Want to know one of the leading causes of deaths for weight lifters / body builders? It is heart failure. Because of their over-emphasis on weight lifting they develop a weak heart. Combined with steroids use their heart becomes weakened to the point that it can't deal with too much stress and just sputters or quits. You need to balance weight lifting with cardio and build a stronger heart. Always remember that cardio means cardiovascular, meaning heart and blood pressure.

D) Running and Lifting both burn calories fast. Okay, so you want to cut the calories and fat from your waist. To do so you're going to need to burn calories on a daily basis. Ideally you want to be burning 1 lb per week so you don't end up with extra skin. It’s common knowledge that jogging burns more calories than weight training because most people don't have the endurance to weight lift for a whole hour. But if you alternate between weight lifting and jogging every 5 minutes during a workout you will find that you can maintain your rate of calorie burn at that pace. The alternating between the upper and lower parts of your body allows your muscles to recover a bit and your heart (and lungs) to catch up with the needed energy burn

Mistake #2: You Don’t Use the Right Dumbbells
A lot of women make this mistake. But so do a lot of men too. What happens is a lot of women get dumbbells which are super light weight and they're basically just going through the motions. It ends up being more like a cardio because the weight is so insignificant. Your goal is to challenge your muscles and you should be lifting a weight that if you do 10 repetitions it should start to be a struggle.

For men its the reverse. Many men try to lift the big dumbbells, but they're stopping at 5 repetitions. Lets say they're lifting 30 lb dumbbells with each arm and they stop at 5. So they only lifted 150 lbs total with each arm. In contrast if they used 25 lb dumbbells but did 20 repetitions the result would be 500 lbs with each arm. See the difference? Which one do you think burned more calories? Which one was actually more of a struggle?

Well you might think the 30, but the answer is actually the 25. After the 10th rep the 25 will start to become difficult and by the 20th rep it will "feel" like you are lifting the 30 lb dumbbell.

Its all about balancing the right amount of struggle with a larger number of repetitions.

Want to challenge yourself with your dumbbell routine? Try balancing in different poses and doing bicep curls.

Mistake #3: You Don’t Work Your Lower Body
To cut inches from your waist, make sure you’re working the muscles below your belt. In a Syracuse University study, people burned more calories the day after they did lower-body resistance training than the day after they worked their upper body. “Leg muscles—like your quads and glutes—generally have more muscle mass than those of your chest and arms,” says study author Kyle Hackney, Ph.D. (c), C.S.C.S. “Work more muscle during your exercise session, and your body has to expend more energy to repair and upgrade them later.”

So the best approach, of course, is to hit every muscle each workout. Both in terms of weight lifting and cardio. So you want to be doing jumping jacks or skipping to target both your upper and lower body, and you want to be doing some kind of weightlifting where you are lifting with your legs instead of your arms.

Mistake #4: You Don’t Watch What You Eat
You can’t exercise properly a bad diet.

You can eat a 1,000-calorie fast food burger in just 5 minutes, but it’ll probably take you several hours to burn that many calories with physical activity. So make sure you’re not using exercise as an excuse to eat whatever you want. Exercising and then pigging out on 500 grams (1.1 lbs) of bacon.

FACT: A 500 gram package of mild cured bacon contains 1900 calories and only 50 grams of protein. 20 slices of bacon may sound like a great idea when you're starving, but that many calories will go straight to your waistline.

Over-eating and sneaking snacks will sabotage your workout goals. Ideally what you want is three balanced meals and if you feel like you need a snack, eat a fruit. Find a fruit (eg. grapes) that you love and use that as your go-to snack when you feel the need for a snack.

Mistake #5: You Skip Workouts
We’re all busy, but that’s really just a lame excuse. Even busy people can find time to exercise.

Plus when was the last time you heard someone say they regretted their workout? But you will regret missing your workout if you fall off the exercise wagon and go back to your old routine.

U.K. researchers found that workers were 15 percent more productive on the days they made time to exercise compared to days they skipped their workout because they can concentrate easier. They were also 15 percent more tolerant of their coworkers and 15% less stressed. Hmm. There is probably a connection there.

Now, consider for a moment what these numbers mean to you: On days you exercise, you can—theoretically at least—accomplish in an eight-hour day what normally would take you nine hours and 12 minutes. Or you’d still work nine hours, but get roughly 10 hours worth of work done, leaving you feeling more productive, less stressed and happier with your job, another perk that workers reported on the days they exercised.

And you can find plenty of times to exercise. While gardening. While spending time with your kids. During your lunch break. Before work. After work. Before bed (a little hank panky counts as exercise if you are energetic about it).

Running - Calories Per Hour

Running burns a lot of calories in a hurry, although it really depends on how big you are and how fast you can run.

For the most accuracy its recommended you run around a track at a local school or park, that way you can accurately measure how fast you can run in an hour. You don't have to do this constantly, but it is nice to do once in awhile so you can get a measurement of how fast you are.

Using a watch start running and count each time you do a lap of the track. When the hour is done take your total number of completed laps, determine using math how many miles that was (eg. 24 laps on a quarter mile track = 6 miles), and then find the calories burned on the chart below. You can also find more detailed calories burned calculators online.

Remember to take Powerade or Gatorade with you and stop periodically and take 1 or 2 gulps before you resume running. You don't want to get dehydrated, but you also don't want to over-drink and become winded. Don't carry the bottle with you, leave it beside the track and stop there whenever you need a gulp.

Running on a track once per month for an hour and measuring/comparing your progress each month can become an excellent motivator to keep up your running routine. You will feel a great sense of accomplishment each month as you see you are getting faster.

Exercise & Calories Burned per Hour	130 lbs	155 lbs	180 lbs	205 lbs
Running, 5 mph (12 minute mile)	472	563	654	745
Running, 5.2 mph (11.5 minute mile)	531	633	735	838
Running, 6 mph (10 min mile)	590	704	817	931
Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile)	649	774	899	1024
Running, 7 mph (8.5 min mile)	679	809	940	1070
Running, 7.5mph (8 min mile)	738	880	1022	1163
Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile)	797	950	1103	1256
Running, 8.6 mph (7 min mile)	826	985	1144	1303
Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile)	885	1056	1226	1396
Running, 10 mph (6 min mile)	944	1126	1308	1489
Running, 10.9 mph (5.5 min mile)	1062	1267	1471	1675

Boxing Testimonial

"Charles is enthusiastic about boxing and a patient teacher - taking the time to teach you the correct boxing stance and the different punch-types... it really is a strength building sport; doesn't take long to work up a sweat! Thank you, Charles, for teaching me to think defensively!"

- Norene W.

Boxing Testimonial

"Charles is very knowledgeable about the sport and is a very patient teacher. I was comfortable learning something new from him despite myself not being very good at it. He made the experience enjoyable and I would definitely recommend him if you are looking to take up boxing."

- Heather H.

Skipping to Fitness

Have you ever actually tried to workout by skipping rope?

Now I admit, most people haven't jumped or skipped a rope since Elementary School. A lot of people think of jumping rope as more of a game or a kid’s toy. Which is funny, because it takes a lot of energy to do and many adults have difficulty doing it. I think it is ironic because it is actually an extremely effective form of exercise that burns a lot of calories (hence why in Rocky films you see him skipping rope regularly).

Guaranteed almost everyone you know can take a brisk walk for 15 minutes... But try skipping rope for 15 minutes and the percentage of people who can jump rope for that long drops to about 1%. Most people would get too tired after just a few minutes.

Muscle Groups and Jumping Rope

So if skipping rope is so difficult, what muscle groups is it targeting?

The answer is just about every muscle in the body. Almost all of them, and even a few muscles you almost never use. Try jumping rope for 15 minutes and you will be sore in multiple, if not many, muscle groups. Especially in the calf muscles and abs. In fact, if you are really trying to get ripped abs, skipping rope will help you a lot. Your core muscles really gets worked hard since your abs have to contract to stabilize your entire body as it propels through the air... and its a cardio, so its good for burning a lot of calories and your heart muscles.

Jumping Rope Helps Release Human Growth Hormone

HGH is a hormone that your body releases naturally, which burns body fat like crazy while simultaneously promoting new tissue growth. Increasing your natural level of HGH in your body is your quickest route to burning body fat. Unfortunately, low intensity cardio won’t assist your body in releasing HGH. The proven way to increase HGH is to alternate high intensity cardio for 30 seconds followed by 30-60 seconds of rest…this is known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Jumping rope is a great way to get that high intensity and release HGH.

Tips on Purchasing a Jump Rope

A good rope will cost you $10 to $15, and you can even get a “Speed Rope” at sporting goods stores. They are basically plastic ropes without the beads. Look for one which is adjustable.

How to Adjust your Jump Rope

1. Place your rope on the ground.
2. Stand on the midpoint of the rope (an equal distance between the handles).
3. Grasp the handles and pull them up to your chest.
4. The top of the handles should reach about 6 inches below the collarbone (never as high as the collar bone or as low as the upper abs).
5. Adjust the rope so it is the correct length.

Note: With time and experience you may decide to shorten it a bit more.

Learning the Skills of Jumping Rope

If you remember doing this as a kid, maybe this part will be easy. But if your memory is foggy then you will need to work on it and hopefully some muscle memory will come back.

Most beginners “double bounce” with both feet during rotations. This actually allows them to rest their core a bit as well as their calf muscles in between rotations and means that they have a low level of core fitness. You will want to jump cleanly in between each rotation and keep the abs and core tight. As you progress you will want to try doing more difficult things like alternating feet and so forth.

Your arms should barely move when you jump rope. The rotation of the rope should come from wrist movement. If you want to increase the speed of the rotations, simply increase the tightness of the circles that your wrist is making (this will make more sense when you start jumping rope). The goal is to eventually work up to a point where you can jump rope for 5 minutes solid without having to stop and start again. This means that if you have to stop because the rope hits your feet, you have to start again from zero. You also want to be able to jump rope alternating feet, so it looks like you are running while jumping rope.

A Sample 15 Minute Jump Rope Workout

1. Stand in front of a clock or timer of some sort - Jump Rope for 3 minutes to warm up
2. Rest for 30 seconds
3. Jump rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
4. Rest for 30 seconds
5. Jump Rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
6. Rest for 30 seconds
7. Repeat this alternating pattern for 15-20 minutes

If you want to jazz it up you can try alternating feet, spinning the rope twice for every jump, going as fast as you can, or even endurance jumping... like 60 minutes or something equally intense.

What to do when you can't afford a Personal Trainer

So what happens when you're on a tight budget and you can't afford a personal trainer?

Well, luckily humans have been exercising for millions of years before personal trainers appeared and there are quite a few frugal ways to get by without them. So certainly we can come up with lots of things you can do on a budget of $100 or less.

1. Don't buy anything that's going to gather dust.

It doesn't matter whether you have $100 to spend or a million. You should only buy what you know you will use. So don't blow your entire exercise budget on a gadget on late-night TV. Think smaller, think variety, think of getting 20 different things for $5. Everything from skip ropes, dumbbells, a climbing rope, a football, yoga mat and more.

2. Look at what you already have.

Before you even open your wallet, explore your home and look at what items you already have. Rope? Gardening tools? (Gardening is a great source of exercise.) Cans of food and jugs of laundry detergent can replace dumbbells. You can use chairs for exercises like push-ups and dips, and a towel for resistance training with a partner. A homemade jump-rope, crafted from rope or cord. You might even find things you forgot about that you wanted to use but never got around to it: Rollerblades, that old bicycle that just needs some oil and the brakes adjusted, or that hatchet you bought for axe throwing (a growing sport).

3. Embrace DIY.

What you don't have, make for cheap. You don't need a $50 chin-up bar when any old bar will do. Old paint cans and a metal bar can be used for weights. Tennis balls for self-massage. Even just lifting the old broken air conditioner and carrying it up and down stairs repeatedly will be exercise.

4. Buy the basics.

A lot of simple equipment can be found for not much money. Plain dumbbells typically go for about 50 cents to $1 per pound of weight. Men can start with a range between 12 and 25 pounds, while women can buy some in the 5-to-20-pound range. Inflatable stability balls and hard medicine balls cost less than $25, depending on the size and weight. Adjustable chin-up bars that fit in doorways can be more pricey, but if you look for sales you can get them for less.

5. Harness technology.

Amazon.com has a range of DVD bestsellers for exercise, but again only buy what you will use. If in doubt stick to YouTube videos as there are thousands of them offering a variety of workout videos. Don't forget interactive video games like Dance Dance Revolution or Wii Fit if you have those kicking around in your closet too.

6. Invest in some home improvement.

Go buy a large $20 mirror so you can look at your exercise form in your living room while exercising.

7. Don't forget your shoes.

Buy a pair of running shoes that fits you well and is appropriate to your activity, not the most expensive brand. Look for durability if you're planning to put these shoes through the mud and slush by jogging daily.

8. Scrap equipment entirely.

Go to a park and see your gym budget go to zero. Use the monkey bars and other things meant for kids to do your chin-ups. Stand on rocks to challenge your balance, and use other rocks as weights. Hang from a tree branch to do chin-ups. Sprint across the grass. People have been exercising for thousands of years without equipment. The great outdoors is the biggest gym in the world.

9. Browse Craigslist.

You can find lots of cheap (and barely used) exercise equipment on Craigslist.

Of course having the equipment won't really matter if a person lacks motivation to exercise. That is why personal trainers become so important.

Eating Healthy in a Hurry

Many people lead very hectic schedules and thus have a hard time matching their desire to eat healthy with their daily routine. If you find yourself in the same boat here are three easy meals that can be prepared in 10 minutes or less.

 

Behold, three recipes for Eating Healthy in a Hurry
 

1. Eggs and Veggies with Salsa on a Tortilla
 

Frozen vegetables are your friend! A mix of different vegetables should be added to a small pan until they are heated for 4-5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of eggs or egg whites (2 Tbsp) and cook an additional 2 minutes turning once. Cut a piece off the omelet and add it to a tortilla or whole grain toast. Add salsa, pepper or whatever seasoning you prefer, eat and enjoy! The extra omelet on the side makes it seem like you are eating more than you really are so you end up feeling satisfied.
 

2. Cottage Cheese Fruit Bowl

Frozen fruit is also your friend! This one requires a little more planning ahead. The night before put about 1/2 - 1 cup of frozen fruit or berries of your choice in a bowl and cover on the counter. In the morning add 1/2 - 1 cup of cottage cheese. Ground flax can also be added for more texture, healthy fat and fiber. Makes a surprisingly filling breakfast. Best of all it's high protein!

3. Veggie + Protein Stir Fry

Looking to reduce your carbs intake? It's not a bad idea to have a low carb meal every once in a while. Add a generous amount of veggies to the pan and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add your protein of choice (leftover chicken, tofu or even roasted ham works really well) and a tsp of soy sauce, or a preferred cooking liquid (I like Worcestershire sauce), and cook until done.

All of these quick and easy meals are under 300 calories. They are low in fat and high in protein. Huzzah!

The Importance of Positive Attitude when Exercising

Have you ever been in a fight?

Like a real fight. The kind where someone gets a black eye or a split lip.

Maybe.

Now imagine getting into a fight and thinking you are going to lose. Once you get into that mentality that you're going to lose, it becomes pretty much guaranteed that you're going to lose.

The same idea applies to all exercises. Losing weight or gaining muscle is a bit like being in a fight, metaphorically speaking. If you think you are going to lose the battle and fail, you will fail.

Therefore if you're going to embark on an exercising regimen you need to first foster a positive attitude. Its a must-have.

For me, my source of positivity is zen philosophy. Books like "The Unfettered Mind" and "Zen Bow, Zen Arrow".

But for those you without such handy books, you can also look for inspirational quotes online. Like the following:

"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect it's successful outcome." -William James

"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you?re not, pretend you are." -Muhammad Ali

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." -Martha Washington

"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind." -Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Organic food doesn't make any difference, says scientists

Is eating organic food, which costs more, really better for your health?

Well, yes and no.

The theory goes that eating organic foods will contain less or no pesticides. However organic foods are often genetically modified to create their own pesticides, thus killing any insects or pests that normally bother them. So instead of pesticides on the skin of the fruit or vegetable (which are usually washed off before selling), the pesticides will be INSIDE the plant itself. Which means you can't wash it off and you are eating it.

So determine which was really more healthy Stanford University doctors dug through reams of research to find out — and concluded there’s little evidence that going organic is much healthier, citing only a few minor differences involving pesticides and antibiotics.

Eating organic fruits and vegetables can lower exposure to pesticides, including for children, but it still has pesticides in it. The difference between organic and non-organic was negligible. The amount of pesticides measured from conventionally grown produce is within safety limits, the researchers reported in August 2012.

The organic food didn't prove to be any more nutritious either.

“I was absolutely surprised,” says Dr. Dena Bravata, a senior research affiliate at Stanford and long-time researcher of organic foods who began the analysis because so many of her patients asked if they should switch to organic food.

“There are many reasons why someone might choose organic foods over conventional foods,” she explained, citing everything from environmental concerns to taste preferences, Bravata stressed. But when it comes to actual health reasons, “there isn’t much difference.”

So really the end result is that organic food isn't healthier.

And the environmental concerns is really about whether the pesticides are killing insects. Which if the organic food has been genetically modified, then yes, its still killing insects. And since 90% of organic foods are GM and there is no labels identifying which are GM, chances are likely that if you bought organic food that it contains GM pesticides.

So the last thing then is taste... In which case, if both organic and non-organic foods have pesticides either on the skin or inside the plant, isn't taste really just inside our head? Like a placebo telling us "This tastes better because its a Brand Name".

Well, there is one notable difference.

Bravata's team of researchers discovered a difference with respect to antibiotic-resistant germs, which are a public health concern because they are harder to treat and cause food poisoning. According to the research there was no difference in plant contamination, both organic and non-organic has the same contamination levels.

The difference was solely in non-organic chicken and pork which had a 33% higher rate of having bacteria which is resistant to multiple antibiotics, the researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The finding comes amid debate over feeding animals antibiotics, not because they’re sick but to fatten them up. Farmers say it’s necessary to meet demand. Public health advocates say it’s one contributor to the nation’s growing problem with increasingly hard-to-treat germs (which in turn is why we are getting increased problems with influenza epidemics in recent years). According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest there has been 24 outbreaks linked to multi-drug-resistant germs in food between 2000 and 2010.

The American government has begun steps to curb the nonmedical use of antibiotics on farms, but it is difficult to track whether farmers are complying.

Genetically modified organic foods account for 4.2% of retail food sales, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It certifies products as organic if they meet certain requirements including being produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, or routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones.

Consumers also pay a lot more for organic products and demand keeps rising: Organic foods accounted for $31.4 billion sales in 2011. Up dramatically from $3.6 billion in 1997.

Canada has also seen a similar surge in organic food sales. The value of organic food products sold in Canada was estimated at $2 billion in 2008, up 66% in just two years, according to Agriculture Canada. Organic food sales represented 2.5% of total food sales at the retail level in 2008. (More recent data isn't yet available in Canada.)

The Stanford team analyzed data on 237 of the most rigorously compared organic and conventional foods. The results from organic produce ultimately had 30% less pesticides. The difference between organic and non-organic is negligible.

Part of the problem may be more complicated than we think. According to one study of peaches in Chile some fruits and vegetables can end up getting pesticide residue on them from the spraying of nearby fields. So even though the fruit you buy might be labelled organic, it still may have pesticide residue on their surface too, in addition to GM pesticides inside the plant.

Whether this varies from country to country is debatable. Some people would argue that buying organic produce from the USA or Canada is safer, but that isn't a guarantee either because American/Canadian farmers often can afford higher grade (more deadly) pesticides and just because its grown in North America doesn't mean that there isn't another farm next door that is spraying pesticides willy-nilly.

Some farms that aren’t certified organic have also begun selling antibiotic-free meat or hormone-free milk, to address specific consumer demands, notes Bravata. She even cites her own preference is to buy from local farmers in hopes of getting the ripest produce with the least handling.

Conclusions

So is it worth it to spend twice the money on organic food just because it has 30% less pesticides?

Well, let me put it another way. How far was that food shipped? Do you know what it was shipped in? If it is fresh produce from Africa or South America it was sent here by a cargo plane, which means it is using jetfuel (which contributes to global warming) just to get here. The jetfuel comes from petroleum, which means a lot of it comes from the Middle East. War torn countries like Iraq. What was that about not wanting to hurt the environment or living creatures?

If people are serious about buying fresh produce that won't hurt their "karma" they need to be thinking LOCAL. It will still have pesticides in it, as we've already determined, but at least then the only environmental damage is a trip in a truck to the local market.

Triathlons: Why or Why Not Train for Them?

Signing up for a Triathlon is not for everyone. After all, if it was easy then everyone would do it.

The Triathlon isn't just for people looking lose weight or tone up, or just to maintain your current fitness level. Training for a triathlon is definitely designed towards the more athletic people out there, but for those with the speed and fortitude to train for it can provide multiple benefits.

#1. It’ll Give You Motivation to Work Out

The beauty of signing up for a triathlon is it will give you set goals in three areas of training. You’ll be motivated to master three types of fitness training, which gives you variety in your workouts and will give you set lengths of time and specific distances to cover.

#2. It’ll Force You to Cross Train

It’s easy to get into a fitness rut, which can wear out certain parts of your body. Some exercises (especially running) is especially hard on your joints, so it’s good to mix up your routine and get a balance of different exercises going on at once.

Training for a triathlon is perfect because:

Running is hard on your body, but is a fabulous calorie burner, tones your legs and core, and helps build bone density (which will prevent osteoporosis).

Swimming is easy on your joints, but is a good calorie burner and works your upper body, which is neglected by a lot of sports. You have to build up your upper body strength.

Biking is easy on your joints, but is a great cardio-vascular workout and tones your legs. The trick to cycling is developing a smooth circular rhythm with your legs.

#3. It’ll Deliver an Extraordinary Sense of Accomplishment

If you’ve never competed in a race before then you don’t know what an amazing experience it is to participate in a challenging sport with a large group of like-minded individuals. There is a huge sense of comraderie amongst athletes. You will find yourself propelled by the collective energy of the group, cheered on by strangers in the crowd, and inspired by the people of various ages and body shapes who are doing the same race you are. When you cross the finish line, you’ll celebrate the knowledge that you set a goal and met it.

Regardless of whether you won it or not.

Choosing a Triathlon You Can Handle

Before you get intimidated by my earlier comments, take a look at the many different levels of triathlons available. You’ll find just about every fitness level possible, from sprint triathlons to Ironmen. Triathlons aimed at novices usually feature a 250-meter swim, a 10-mile bike ride, and anywhere from a 2-mile to 5K run.

It is strongly recommended that you consult a physician before embarking on Triathlon training. You should also talk to a personal trainer to determine which length triathlon will work best for you. A personal training can also give you tips on how to best train for the big race.

Question: I keep losing weight due to stress?

Q

"iv broke up with my boyfriend and it seems every time we row and break up weight falls off me :(. i don't have much of an appetite because im upset but im still making myself eat, but the weight will still fall off so im guessing its through stress. i love to exercise and i feel happier after a workout but i feel like im wasting away so i don't want to go burning too many calories. anyone got any good advice to help me feel better?" - P.

A

Most people who are overweight would consider that to be a blessing in disguise.

Nevertheless here is some helpful advice:

1. Stop stressing over lost boyfriends. They're a dime a dozen as you will eventually discover.

#2. Focus on your routine and hanging out with friends after break ups. You will eat socially and follow your natural habits when doing that.

#3. Were you going out to eat a lot while you were dating? You were probably eating fattening foods on the dates. Most restaurant foods are pretty fattening. That might explain your "Lost Boyfriend Yo-yo Diet".

#4. Don't date anyone for awhile and wait for your weight to stabilize.

#5. Get a hobby/sport or take up a cause, perhaps something stressful in a different way, and watch what happens to your diet. You will feel less stressed about idiot boyfriends and more worried about global warming (or whatever the cause is that you pick).

#6. Learn to cook. Nothing packs on the pounds like perfecting your pancake recipe. (I can't believe I am advising someone on weight gain... so please try to make more healthy pancakes, okay?)

#7. Don't forget to exercise! Go jogging every morning and eat a big breakfast afterwards.

Question: Left Leg lagging behind?

Q

"I have always just done running, jogging, cycling etc on legs. While working out upper body. Now I am trying to gain mass on my legs. I'm 77kg and I can do 15 single leg squats on my right leg with an additional 20kg. I don't have the balance to do the added weight with my left leg, I just tip over. Help?" - Joe.

A

This is actually normal.

Everyone has dominant arms, eyes and legs. Even dominant ears that you hear better out of.

BUT if you really want to try and correct the problem there is a solution.

#1. When exercising do DOUBLE whatever you are doing on the left leg compared to the right. So if doing single leg squats do 15 on your right leg and 30 on your left. If you are falling over use a wall or friend for support.

#2. Whenever you get the chance to do something with one leg over the other, use the left leg in your daily routine. This will require some memory to do so.

#3. Do yoga to improve your overall strength and balance.

#4. Attach a small leg weight to your left ankle and wear it 8 hours each day for a week. After the week is over do a series of strength and balance tests to see improvement.

#5. Consult a professional bodybuilder who has encountered the same problem and find out how they fixed it. Always handy for extra advice.

Exercises for Preventing Dance Injuries

There is actually quite a few "Exercises for Preventing Dance Injuries"... And this blog post will only cover a few of them.

For a more complete list I recommend reading the book "Conditioning with Imagery for Dancers" by Donna Krasnow + Jordana Deveau.

Now understanding of course that this book is written for dancers (ballet, etc) it does have a fair amount of dancing jargon and lingo in it. But that doesn't mean the book isn't useful for other things too. Yoga, aerobics, gymnastics and preventing general sports injuries by increasing strength and flexibility in joints.

Within the book the chapters are broken down into parts covering everything from warm up, legwork, flexibility, "Developpe and Rond de Jambe", turnout, extensions, strength and stretches. Plus of course the introduction and appendix.

The good news is that even though I don't know what "Developpe and Rond de Jambe" is, the book is highly illustrated with multiple photos on every page. Not kidding. The book is 158 pages long and has (I am estimating) about 400 photographs in it showing all the poses. The images shown here is just a tiny sampling of what is inside the book.

That said, trying to review this book accurately is a bit like trying to review the bible or bhagavad gita. Nevertheless I will try to summarize ONE section of the book.

WARM-UP.

90% of the exercises in this book takes place on your back so you will probably want a yoga mat if your floor is dirty. "Warm-Up" begins with a Neutral Pelvis Lesson:

"Start by lying on the back (supine) with the arms and legs extended, arms at the sides of the body. Focus on allowing the breath to be natural and the body segments to lie easefully with as little tension as possible. While inhaling, imagine the breath filling the body, and sense how it releases tension in the muscles on the exhale. Image the pubic bone directly above the tailbone (coccyx), and the back of the head, rib cage, and sacrum heavy and in contact with the floor. there will be spaces under the neck (cervical spine) and low back (lumbar spine), due to the natural curves of the spine. This organization of the pelvis is neutral pelvis in the supine position."

Easy to understand and you probably just learned some new words for various body parts. It helps that the authors used both the layman's terminology and technical jargon.

In the following paragraphs on Parallel Legs Sliding, Side to Side Rolling and 3 more warm-up exercises the authors are very detailed about exactly how to do each exercise so that anyone with a firm grasp of English will understand it even if they aren't experts at the lingo.

On the sides of the paragraphs there are also helpful tips for how to visualize what you are doing so you understand it more perfectly. (Kudos on the attention to detail!)

The end result in the book is a series of very pricise exercises designed to increase flexibility and muscles in various areas of the body, especially those which dancers often develop injuries. If I was a professional ballet dancer I would consider this book and its exercises to be a regular part of my exercise routine.

I will be posting more exercise book reviews in the future. Please subscribe / follow this blog and return for more. :)

The 8 Benefits of Lemon Water in your Diet

There are lots of so-called "miracle" detox/weight loss/energy supplements and strategies out there. But very few of them are as cheap, easy to use and commonplace as the ordinary lemon.

I am not going to try to convince you that lemon water is the ultimate solution for all of your health and wellness desires and needs. It isn't and neither is anything else. There is no one shot "miracle fruit" and anyone trying to sell you "snake oil" is in the wrong century.

However, for such a simple solution, lemon water does have some amazing benefits. Best of all, it's natural and really inexpensive to try and test it out.

8 Benefits of Lemon Water

1. Lemon water will assist weight loss. It is a no-calorie drink. With it's presence of pectin fiber, hunger can be controlled while offering the body a flavorful drink that provides many other benefits for the body.
2. A good source of citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium
3. Helps dissolve uric acid, which causes inflammation in the joints
4. Assists digestion and elimination
5. Naturally strengthens the liver
6. Has antibacterial properties and Vitamin C. Great for colds and flues
7. Lowers blood pressure
8. Reduces symptoms of asthma and allergies

How to Use Lemon Water

Lemons are best at room temperature. The thinner the skin, the more the juice. Roll the lemon a few times on the counter to break up the fruit inside.

After juicing the lemon they store in the fridge for about a week.

Tips when using Lemon Water

1. If using the peel (zesting the lemon) buy organic or scrub. Pesticides (and who knows what else) can be absorbed into the peel.
2. In any case, it's probably not a good idea to keep the peel in the glass all day.

Tada! How hard is that?

How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy

You should already know some of these tips. Some of them are pretty well known.

#1. Eat before you go out so you aren't starving later.

#2. Sample your faves instead of pigging out.

#3. Split dessert with a friend or lover.

But I also want to share a few reverse psychology tricks that will help you eat healthier.

If you go through a long period of eating healthy foods you will start to want the junk food simply because you want a break and want something sweet. Part of it is simply wanting something that you can't have because it is Forbidden Fruit.

There are three solutions to the dealing forbidden sweets and junk food however:

1. Eat junk food more often.

This really seems counter-intuitive but this strategy works for a lot of people because indulging regularly takes away the need to gorge on a grand scale when your willpower completely collapses. And after enough time goes by, where you're fighting between a controlled and crazy appetite, something has to give. It's usually willpower. So what you do is have small amounts, small measured amounts, just to take the edge off.

2. Don't think of it as junk food.

Another tip is to stop thinking about food as good and bad. People always want what they can't have. Although it would be a stretch to ever try to convince yourself that celery sticks are the new chocolate bars it's easy to pull some reverse psychology on your psyche and convince your brain that the chocolate is not all that it's cracked up to be and opting for the real food is just as satisfying, if not more.

3. Focus on Socialization

You're at a party/holiday gathering to be with your friends and family so do just that. The food isn't the main reason why you're visiting. Catch up on stories, reminisce about the past and enjoy the company of loved ones that you don't normally see all in the same room at once. If you forget the food is there then it is time well spent.

Use these tips to change the way you think about eating and keep your balanced diet on track!

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Books + Exercise: Why Research is your Friend

Learn to hit the books once in awhile and you will reap the benefits!

If you have been participating in a certain exercise for a while now (eg. yoga, martial arts, running, archery, boxing, etc.), consider heightening your understanding of its history or inner-workings to find more fulfillment within the practice and to even improve the physical aspect of the activity itself.

Some examples of this include:

Runners - Learn the history of marathons. It's fascinating.
Dancers - Take music theory lessons. Learn rhythms and melodies.
Cyclists - Learn how to fix/tune up your bike or even build one from scratch.
Martial Arts - Learn the history of your and other disciplines.
Weight Lifters - Teach yourself about anatomy and psysiology.
Yoga - Learn the benefits of each posture, the history of yoga and the different disciplines of yoga (breathing, meditation, and so forth).

Deepening an activity with some history and theory will turn a simple exercise from a hobby into a lifestyle.

Sample Books if you are into Archery: 'Precision Archery' is a great practical advice book about everything from equipment maintenance to cross-training exercises to proper form. 'Zen Bow Zen Arrow' gets more into the mental discipline of archery, but is also great for motivation to get you out on the archery range and practicing regularly.

Why Crazy Crash Diets Don't Work

You've probably noticed in the past how quite a few fad diets out there are based on the concept of a "crash diet". Meaning you go on the crash diet for a few weeks, lose weight, and then go back to your normal routine.

That is the theory at least.

The reality however is that it creates people on Yo-yo Diets wherein their weight goes up and down constantly, often gaining more weight each time the end a crash diet... and ultimately ending up being fatter than when they started.

There is a lot of articles available by diet industry professionals who are constantly promoting their weird diets. Its nothing new. People have been doing this for decades. And it keeps adding to the confusion and misinformation within the industry.

Some people in the industry (reporters...) will even misquote experts on purpose, just to push their own agenda. eg. An expert says cardio is good for losing weight and weightlifting is good for toning up muscles. Completely accurate. But the reporter instead writes that weightlifting is good for both... Which isn't wholly true or untrue. Yes, you could lose weight via weightlifting, but you would need to do a lot of repetitions and most people are not doing that. Ergo, the reporter is stretching the truth and misquoting the expert just because they want to push their own agenda.

Thus it becomes more important than ever to stress the old hallmarks of weight loss: Exercise and a Balanced Diet.

The problem however is that so many people are too lazy to exercise, and love instant gratification too much (junk food/fast food/processed foods) to eat a balanced diet. Toss in people binging on too much food and you have a recipe for gaining weight in a hurry.

It stands to logic then that the only true tried and tested method for losing weight is a balanced (and stable) diet combined with regular exercise. It really comes down to just doing cardio and proper nutrition.

It's not hard even. It's not complex either. It's just common sense. Eat sensible, smaller portions. Stop eating when you are full and don't deprive yourself. Eat junk food on special occasions but don't make a constant habit of it. Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins. Avoid fried fatty foods.

It really is just simple science and math: Cut down on calories intake. Increase calorie usage. Result: Weight loss.

However some idiotic and self-proclaimed fitness pros are complicating and muddying the waters by spreading misinformation just so they can sell their book or DVD promoting their crazy Crash Diet... and hoping to become the newest diet fad so they can make a fortune.

The tried, tested and true "cardio and a balanced diet" won't sell any books because it sounds too normal, boring and like hard work.

But seriously, it works.

Burning Calories via Household Chores

You are burning calories while you're doing household chores and the numbers can really add up. In fact, some household chores burn just as many calories as a gym workout does.

Here's how some of your household chores stack up in terms of burning calories.

Yard Work

Yard work offers some of the most labor intensive household chores. Tasks like digging and raking the leaves not only burn a lot of calories but can help tone muscles in your arms and legs. Here are some statistics:

30 minutes of digging in your yard will burn about 315 calories, the same amount burned by 45 minutes of bicycling on flat terrain. Digging tones the muscles of your calves, thighs, arms and shoulders. If you do it vigorously enough and continue the activity for 20 minutes or more, you can raise your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system.
Washing your car works your arms and abdominals. For every 30 minutes of car washing, you'll burn 143 calories.
Weeding for 30 minutes burns 115 calories, the same amount you'd burn in 15 minutes of weight training. Weeding tones your thighs and buttocks. Just be careful to bend with your legs while keeping your spine straight, or you could hurt your back.
Raking leaves for 30 minutes burns 225 calories. The resistance offered by the leaves makes this chore a type of weight training. Raking leaves tones all the major muscle groups in your body.

Indoor Chores

Chores you do inside the house also help to burn calories. Here's how many calories are burned in the course of performing your daily tasks:

Scrubbing the bath for 30 minutes burns 200 calories. Removing that stubborn soap scum from your tiles is a great way to tone the muscles of your arms and shoulders.
Carrying shopping bags for 30 minutes burns 190 calories, and maybe more if the bags are particularly heavy. Distribute the weight evenly on each hand, or swap back and forth at regular intervals. Carrying too much weight on one side won't just overdevelop those muscles, it could injure your spine.
Making beds for 30 minutes burns 130 calories, the same number you'd use if you jogged on a treadmill or on flat terrain for 15 minutes.
Cleaning windows for 30 minutes burns 125 calories, the same number used in 20 minutes of power yoga (about one-third the length of a typical power yoga class).
Loading the dishwasher for 30 minutes burns 105 calories, which is less than the 160 calories burned when washing them by hand.
Vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 90 calories, the same amount you'd burn in 15 minutes of kick boxing.
Dusting for 30 minutes burns about 50 calories.
Ironing for 30 minutes burns about 70 calories and tones the muscles of the upper body. Stand up straight at the ironing board and press down firmly. Switch hands periodically so you don't overdevelop one arm.

Other Calorie Burners

Here are some other activities that burn surprising amounts of calories:

Climbing stairs for 30 minutes burns about 285 calories.
Painting and decorating your home burns about 160 calories.
Showering and toweling off for 30 minutes burns about 70 calories.

Cardio? What is Cardio? Can it make me fattter?

Cardio? What is cardio?

Cardio is short for Cardiovascular Exercise - Basically any exercise which uses the whole body and get your blood pumping hard (hence why it is "cardiovascular"). Examples include jogging, running, swimming, cycling, aerobics, rowing, hiking, walking, climbing, including various sports such as basketball, javelin throwing, wrestling, boxing, shot put, etc. It even includes sex.

Will Cardio Make Me Fat?

No. Cardio exercises burns a lot of calories (usually from sugar, fat or carbohydrates). CARDIO BURNS FAT.

What kind of Cardio Exercise is Best?

There isn't one. Indeed, I question overconfident trainers who think that only one form of exercise is right for every person, especially with the industry's habit of changing its mind and all the new exercise fads that come out each year. There isn't one type of cardio exercise that is good for everyone. What is more important is finding cardio exercises that you enjoy doing on a daily basis and will give you a broad range of ways to exercise your whole body.

Fitness isn't black or white and if there is one thing I have learned it's that every answer comes with a big fat "but" and several exceptions.

Now some people in the exercise industry like to argue (and spread misinformation) that cardio can make you fat. Here is the 3 reasons why they think that:

1. Exercise raises cortisol (a stress hormone)

Cardio raises cortisol in the body because physical stress releases this hormone from the adrenal gland, which in turn makes it more difficult to burn fat. However, every exercise does this, not just cardio. You get out of your bed in the morning and take the dog for a walk and this happens. Should you stop exercising? Heck no! BUT (there's the keyword) you have to know how to manage exercise and balance your nutrition to control the release of cortisol.

What has been happening in the fitness industry is that weight trainers have been spreading misinformation that strength training will achieve every result that you could ever want instead of cardio and are trying to argue that weight training is the be all and end all of fitness. And they are omitting the fact that weight training also releases cortisol.

2. It makes you hungrier

Yes, you will feel hungrier after you exercise. That is why diet and discipline is so important. You can go to the gym, burn 300 calories, and then eat a 1,000 calories worth of bacon afterwards. You're not going to get thinner that way.

When we exercise we burn through our lunch first (carbohydrates, sugar, glycogen) and then we burn through fat (after about 20 minutes after exercise) which is our body's primary fuel source. So yes, you will feel hungrier if you exercise for over 20 minutes.

3. It causes you to lose muscle

Pff. All exercises help you to tone and strengthen muscles. Yes, weight training will bulk you up faster in specific muscles, but its not very good at burning fat. Exercising will never cause you to "lose muscle". If your arms, legs and belly are looking thinner because you're doing cardio... that isn't muscle you are losing, its a layer of fat under the skin that has become thinner.

If you are super thin (anorexic) and you don't have any fat stored up your body will burn protein, otherwise known as muscle, as an energy source. However, the metabolic and fat burning process is not simple. To burn muscle you would have to do cardio for a very long time and burn off all of your most recent meal and all of your fat stores. So yes, it is possible to burn muscle doing exercises (any exercises, not just cardio), but you would have to be thin and starving to do it.

When you look at groups of exercisers as a whole (not on an individual basis) different exercises produce different body types:

People who don't exercise enough and eat too much end up looking rather chunky around the middle. It just works that way.

People who only do cardio look a little like noodles.

Weight lifters have muscle but also tend to look stocky and have a hard time losing stomach flab.

Dancers and Martial Artists have very well-balanced body types with strong, long limbs and amazing flexibility and balance BUT they practice highly technique-based art forms, which require professional instruction. However, these activities incorporate all of the components of fitness to achieve these overall results.

Ideally what you want is a mix of both worlds, cardio and strength training together. Cardio is by far the easiest for most people to do whereas weight training requires finding yourself something heavy to lift on a regular basis (this is why mothers often develop what some people call "mommy arms" that are surprisingly strong because they're lifting their kids up regularly).

The fundamental components of fitness (cardio, weights and stretching) work together to build your strength, endurance and flexibility. In theory gymnasts and decathlon athletes have the best mix of all three, but not everyone is cut out to be a gymnast or a 'decathlete'. People who train in such disciplines have been instructed on ways to prevent repetitive strain injuries, muscle tears, etc and they've been doing it for many years. Do not think you can surpass this step and just become a gymnast or decathlete over night.

Many body builders are afraid of losing the muscle that they have worked hard for. Unfortunately many body builders place so much emphasis on muscular aesthetics that they have terrible cardiovascular health (meaning they have a weak heart).

This explains why Arnold Schwarzenegger had a heart attack in 1997 at the age of 50. He might be "The Running Man", but he wasn't doing enough cardio to make his heart stronger.

No one should ever blindly trust their doctor, personal trainer, nutritionist or the guy that looks good in the weight room. Read, research and experiment with different types of exercise. Find a balance that works for you.