Aug 16

How to Start Exercising Again When It’s Been…a While

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Getting back to working out after a break isn’t as easy as dusting off your sneakers and renewing your gym membership. If you’re wondering how to start exercising again and feel overwhelmed about where to even begin, well, that’s totally valid. First things first: Know that it’s completely okay that you had to pause your exercise routine in the first place, Teddy Savage, CPT, a Baltimore-based national lead trainer for Planet Fitness, tells SELF. Life happens, and “fitness journeys can start and stop and restart again,” he says. So instead of beating yourself up because your three-times-a-week cardio habit fell by the wayside, celebrate the fact that you’re taking steps to start working out again—and yes, reading this article counts as a step. To help you navigate your re-entry into fitness, we tapped exercise pros for their advice on establishing a routine that is safe, effective, and actually enjoyable. From how to build a workout plan, to the importance of setting realistic fitness goals, to simple tips for reducing injury risk—and a whole lot more—here’s the intel you need to get back on track with a good workout groove. No matter your current fitness level or the amount of time […]
Aug 12

6 chest exercises you can do at home without any equipment

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Here’s a workout tip for you: There’s no denying the appeal of a big, toned chest. Case in point: Jason Momoa’s unbelievable pectorals from Aquaman. But apart from being easy on the eye, a strong chest also helps you build overall upper body strength. Perhaps that’s why the bench at the gym is always so crowded. “By working on your chest, you will start building pushing strength, which will lead to improved functionality in day-to-day life activities like lifting a heavy bag overhead, pushing a broken-down car, etc.,” says Keerthan Naik, an internationally certified fitness and nutrition coach.   All you need to know about doing chest exercises at home, without any equipment   How effective are bodyweight chest workouts? It is possible to ditch weight training to work on your chest, although it might take longer for the results to be visible. “You should focus on doing more and more reps when performing bodyweight chest workouts,” says Naik, explaining how more repetitions can help in breaking down muscle fibre at the cellular level by taking it through a volume of work. He suggests doing a range of push up and dip variations to build a stronger chest at home. […]
Aug 09

How to Create Your Own Muscle-Gain Workout Plan

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Trainers weigh in on how to design a weekly workout plan that promotes muscle growth.   If you’re trying to build more muscle, committing to an optimal weekly workout plan is key. For one thing, it’ll help you become more efficient at the gym since you’ll be focusing on exercises that are important to your goals. Plus, you’ll be able to avoid overworking your muscles by incorporating adequate rest, which will decrease your risk of injury and help you see real results. When it comes to building strength and gaining muscles, there are a few ways to do it. Read on for top trainers’ advice for crafting the ideal muscle-gain workout plan.   5 Days Per Week Muscle-Gain Workout Plan To encourage hypertrophy (increased muscle size), you’ll want to go with low reps of heavy weights. Rather than performing full-body strength workouts every day, follow a workout split that works different body parts on different days, suggests Autumn Calabrese, Beachbody trainer and creator of 21 Day Fix. (FYI, you won’t just build muscle: You’ll reap all the other benefits of lifting heavy weights too.)   Muscle Building Splits “When you break it up into specific body parts, it allows you […]
Aug 06

I Swapped Evening Workouts for Early Morning Routines and I’m Never Looking Back

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I know how energized I can feel after working out in the morning, but finding the motivation to wake up early, every day was challenging. I’m someone who both loves to work out and naturally wakes up between 6 and 8 a.m. However, apart from that one time I had personal training at 5 a.m. for 9 months (crazy, I know) the two don’t always go hand-in-hand. For the last 12 months, my busy freelance work schedule (often 12 hour days) has only allowed for my workouts to come at the end of my workday. Plus, working out after a long day of deadlines feels like the perfect reward and outlet to get out any frustration from the day. On days when my agenda isn’t as packed, working out directly after I wake up isn’t even close to something I crave. I like to take my time in the morning and ease in by making breakfast, do my 5-step skin-care routine, grab coffee from a local shop, or meditate. However, I’m currently training for a marathon and it’s becoming tricky finding enough time to log my longer runs (15 to 23 miles) at the end of my work day — […]
Aug 03

How to strengthen and tone the thighs

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Various types of exercise, from weight training to running and biking, can improve the strength and endurance of the legs. The thigh is the part of the leg between the hip and knee, and it contains three primary sets of muscles: the quadriceps, at the front of the thigh the adductor muscles, on the inside of the thigh the hamstrings, at the back of the thigh   Regularly performing exercises that target these muscles will strengthen and tone the thighs over time. In this article, we look at some of these exercises.   Exercises to tone and strengthen the thighs Below, find six exercises and activities that can lead to stronger, more sculpted thighs.   Squats Squats are a compound movement, meaning that multiple muscle groups are working at the same time. Squats are highly effective for strengthening the leg muscles, and there are several variations. Bodyweight squats may be best for a beginner; they require no equipment and are a good way to learn the correct form. Over time, some people increase the intensity by adding weight. Some common variations that include weights are barbell front squats, barbell back squats, and goblet squats.   Bulgarian split squat Bulgarian split […]
Jul 31

9 Scientifically Proven Ways to Grow Muscle Fast

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Patience is overrated—especially in the weight room and especially when it comes to those focused on a specific outcome: To grow muscle. Sure, change takes time, but if you’re vying to grow and build muscle and aren’t seeing obvious size increases from month to month, it’s a sign that your approach is off. And a workout is a terrible thing to waste. Plus, even if you are seeing progress, there’s no reason you can’t see more. How do you rev up your results? Here are nine ways.   1. Increase Your Training Volume Training volume—your number of reps multiplied by your number of sets—is a primary determiner of hypertrophy (aka how to grow muscle). And to increase volume, you may actually need to go lower in weight than you might guess. “Compared to training for strength, intensity is going to drop during the hypertrophy phase of a program, with intensity sitting between 50 and 75 percent of the person’s 1RM, the maximum weight he or she can lift for one rep,” says Ava Fitzgerald, C.S.C.S., C.P.T., a sports performance coach with the Professional Athletic Performance Center in New York. To get the volume your muscles need, she recommends performing each […]
Jul 28

Build Massive Triceps With This 4-Move Workout

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This twice-a-week session will pack size and muscle onto your arms.   If you’re in the gym chasing big arms, there’s a good chance you’ve spent plenty of time doing biceps curls. And hey, you can’t be blamed. After all, when most people think of big arms, they definitely think big biceps. But if you want big arms, that’s not the only muscle group you need to grow. Yes, building full, thick biceps helps, but you also need to seriously develop your triceps, too. Why? Because your triceps are actually a larger muscle group, and they visually complement your biceps. A perfect, well-sculpted set of arms includes big, strong biceps, and well-defined triceps, too. Triceps training isn’t always the most natural, though, partly because you can’t always see the muscle you’re working. Part of the reason a lot of guys love training biceps is they can instantly “see” progress. You can’t always see that with your tris, but that’s where this program comes in. The trick with triceps training is attacking the triceps from a variety of different angles so you can hit all three of its heads. Do this right, and you’ll craft well-rounded tris — and in the […]
Jul 25

The five best leg exercises for beginners, according to a Pilates instructor

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Work your lower body with these expert-recommend moves   You don’t need a fancy gym membership or heavy weights to strengthen your legs—if you’re new to working out, you can use equipment-free routines like this Pilates session to boost your lower-body muscle. “Working our legs keeps us strong, functional and fit,” says Korin Nolan, founder of Power Pilates UK and The Class Plan. “I recommend focusing on your legs in a session like the one below around two to three times a week. This will allow more than enough time for muscle recovery while providing sufficient stimulation to build strength and mobility to support your everyday movements.”   Pilates leg day workout Lateral lunge 3×8-10 on each side Backward lunge to knee raise 3×8-10 on each side Glute bridge with knee pull 3×8-10 on each side Side-lying leg circles 20 on each side Side-kneeling leg swings 3×8-10 on each side   To do this workout, perform all the exercises one after the other. Complete all sets and reps of one exercise before moving onto the next.   1. Lateral lunge Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 on each side Stand with your feet together and your arms held out horizontally or crossed […]
Jul 22

10 Easy Standing Exercises for Abs That You Can Do Without Equipment

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Target belly fat and improve your balance, all without having to do a crunch or a plank.   Your core plays a role in every movement you make. From lifting your kids to walking more efficiently, the core is integral to your daily functioning, which is why you need to strengthen it regularly. But don’t think you’re stuck having to get down on the ground for old-fashioned crunches or planks every time. You can actually train your core by incorporating some easy standing exercises into your day, and there are tons of great benefits to doing so. We’re sharing some useful know-how along with a simple standing exercise routine that you can complete without any equipment.   Ab Workout Routine Below, Chakoian and Powell designed a 10-move routine that will shake up your core training because all of the exercises are done from a standing position. Bonus? You don’t need to change into exercise clothes, and you can pretty much do these standing exercises wherever you are. Aim to do each exercise two or three times through, moving slowly and mindfully at first. “You can sometimes overcompensate with your lower spine for core moves if you do them incorrectly or […]
Jul 19

Bodybuilder Shares 5 Advanced Tips for Building Bigger Biceps and Triceps

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Looking to build stronger, thicker arms? Bodybuilder and YouTube fitness personality Zac Perna has just the ticket. In a recent YouTube video, the Gymshark athlete shared a quintet of tips that are designed to build bigger biceps and triceps, all in the format of a “huge arm workout”. “I’m going to show you a typical arm workout by itself, says Perna, a fitness model and trainer. “If your arms are a weak point, maybe it’s a good idea to hit them more frequently…everyone wants bigger arms, so everyone’s going to benefit from the tips.” Before sharing his tips, Perna walks you through a few lifting non-negotiables. These include making time to warm-up before each set, taking each working set to failure, controlling weekly volume and making sure you’re lifting with proper form. Got those mastered? Good. Let’s get to the fun stuff:   Pick an exercise to overload on “The whole point of doing any exercise is to slowly get stronger and better over time,” says Perna. “I usually start with a dumbbell preacher curl or the cable [curl]. Lately, I’m loving the cable curls for the sake of warming up as you can slowly add weight, it feels better […]
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