Oct 26

A Pilates instructor shares a five-move abs workout designed to improve posture and lower-back strength

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Do this quick five-move Pilates abs workout instead of your usual core session   If you’ve ever done endless crunches in search of stronger six-pack muscles, you may have been missing a trick: Pilates abs workouts. This low-impact, accessible exercise is ideal for beginners, but still challenges your core muscles. Grab a yoga mat (and a small Pilates ball if you have one) and do this five-move routine from Louise Buttler, the founder of online Pilates platform Live Brave. “Pilates is centered around having a strong core,” says Buttler. “It’s a form of exercise that targets all the abs muscles—obliques, transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis—which improves posture, lower-back strength and helps reduce the risk of injury.” Do the following routine two to three times, depending on your fitness level.   How to do Louise Buttler’s Pilates abs workout 1. (Supported) Russian Twists Reps: 10 on each side Sit on your mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, in line with your sit bones. Keep your spine straight and lean backward so your back forms a 45° angle with the floor. Buttler says you’ll know you’ve found the right position if you feel your abs “quiver”. […]
Oct 23

Calisthenics: five ways this bodyweight workout can benefit your fitness

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Calisthenics, a workout routine that has existed for centuries, has seen a major resurgence in recent years – partly due to its simplicity and effectiveness. Celebrities including Chris Hemsworth and Jamie Foxx swear by this style of training, which has been used since at least ancient Greek times. Rooted in movements that resemble gymnastics, typical calisthenics exercises include push-ups, squats and lunges. This training method harnesses gravity and your own bodyweight to build strength, flexibility and endurance. It’s incredibly versatile and can be performed almost anywhere, as you don’t need any equipment. It’s also extremely beneficial for health and fitness in more ways than you might realise. Here are just a few of the benefits these no-frills bodyweight workouts can have.   1. Boosts core strength Calisthenics strengthens the deep core muscles in your abdomen and back, which play a crucial role in supporting and stabilising the spine. By strengthening these deep core muscles, calisthenics improves coordination, which in essence makes your body more resilient and responsive – helping you avoid accidents and injury in your day-to-day tasks. A stronger core helps you maintain better posture and have control of your movements, lowering risk of muscle strains, pulls or missteps […]
Oct 20

8 Ways to Stop Shoulder Pain From Ruining Your Workout

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It’s time for your favorite strength class and you’re pumped for it. First move on the docket? Overhead presses. You’ve got this, you tell yourself. But as soon as you lift your dumbbells skyward, a sharp twinge shoots through your shoulder, stopping you in your tracks. Though certainly unpleasant, having shoulder pain or discomfort while lifting weights is fairly common, physical therapist Maria Borg, PT, CSCS, supervisor at UCHealth Sports Physical Therapy in Colorado, tells SELF. And there are a host of reasons why this can happen. But bottom line? Experiencing shoulder pain during exercise doesn’t mean you need to give up strength training altogether. In fact, there are lots of small things you can do to make weight lifting more enjoyable for sensitive shoulders—and we’ve got all that important intel right here. Ahead, everything you need to know about shoulder pain and weight lifting, as well as what you can do to keep it at bay.   What causes shoulder pain while weight lifting? There are several reasons you may feel shoulder pain or discomfort while strength training. But perhaps two of the most common culprits are instability and weakness in your shoulder and surrounding areas, Kellen Scantlebury, DPT, […]
Oct 17

7-day weight loss workout plan: Follow this exercise routine to lose weight

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If weight loss is on your mind, make sure to workout every day. To get started, follow this seven-day weight loss workout plan.   Your office work or household chores may be the reasons why you are a weekend warrior. But if you can dedicate some time to a fitness routine, don’t randomly pick one exercise. It is certainly not an effective way of losing weight. You need a proper weight loss workout schedule that you can follow every single day. Running, walking, and swimming are all great ways to lose weight. But when you come up with a seven-day weight loss workout plan, make sure to include aerobic activities, strength training and yoga. Doing different exercises every day is an effective way to drop pounds. It is also a way to make sure your workout schedule does not get monotonous.   Why is it important to exercise seven days a week to lose weight? Physical activity can help to lose weight, but you may need up to 60 minutes per day if you rely only on exercise for weight loss, according to the American Diabetes Association. “Following a disciplined fitness routine can help shed extra kilos, and also prevent […]
Oct 14

All about the 5×5 workout plan to boost your strength and muscle power

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There are weight loss exercises, and there are moves than can help you build strength. Try the 5×5 workout to build strength and stay in shape. Body strength not only makes workouts easy, but also helps with everyday movements. Whether you are getting up off the floor or carrying heavy groceries, you need muscle strength. There are many strength-building exercises that you can go for. If you are into fitness programs or plans, you can try the 5×5 workout. It means performing five sets of five reps while using heavy weights. This fitness program includes exercises like squats and deadlifts that can make you stronger and fitter. Individually, they are beneficial, but making them part of your fitness routine can be better. Learn how to follow the 5×5 workout program to build strength.   What is the 5×5 workout? The 5×5 workout is a type of strength training aimed at enhancing strength and building muscles with the help of compound exercises. These are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. “This program includes doing five sets of five repetitions of a compound exercise, which mainly includes bench press, barbell row, squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses along with […]
Oct 10

Push, pull, legs workout: An exercise routine that targets muscle gain

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Looking for exercises to gain muscle and strength? Then follow the push, pull, legs workout routine that targets different muscle groups on separate days. Your strength training goals may include increasing your strength and gaining muscle. But doing the same exercise every day will get monotonous and make you hit a plateau. It will also not target all the muscle groups, so you will need to consider a more specialised workout routine. Push, pull, legs or PPL method is a training routine that divides workouts into three categories. Each muscle group gets trained separately, on a different day. One day you can focus on your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The next day you can perform exercises for your back, and biceps. Then the following day, you can work on your lower body, which includes the hamstrings, calves, glutes.   What is the push, pull, legs workout? Strength training is not all about building muscle and strength. It may help in prevention of type 2 diabetes, enhance cardiovascular health, promote bone development, and may be effective for reducing low back pain, as per research published in Current Sports Medicine Reports in 2012. Splitting your strength training routine by focusing on different […]
Oct 07

Resistance Training Principles on How To Build Muscle With Cardio

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The natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and fitness coach has 3 top tips.   You’ve probably been told by someone during your fitness journey that doing cardio will rob you of the hard-earned muscle that you’ve amassed by lifting heavy weights. But are those ‘experts’ right? Does building muscle mean that you can’t enjoy a weekly run or even warm up on the step machine on leg day? Fortunately, Jeff Nippard has broken it all down with three important tips that mean you can crush cardio and still pack on muscle so long as you follow his three principles to build muscle with cardio. When it comes to the long-held assumption that combining conditioning cardio work with resistance training kills muscle gains, “Probably not,” is Nippard’s frank answer in a recent Instagram post. And, as a competitive powerlifter, he should know. But why do so many people feel this way? “Early science said that, since weight lifting is anabolic, and cardio is catabolic, then cardio will burn your muscle away,” explains the Canadian coach. “But, since then, higher quality long-term research has shown that you can balance cardio with weight lifting as long as you do these three things.”   Perform Longer […]
Oct 04

A 7-Day Workout Routine To Help Meet Your Fitness Goals

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A well-balanced workout schedule can help you reap the benefits of physical activity, such as boosting your mood and helping with sleep.1 The key to an effective workout plan is to challenge your body and engage your mind by adding various cardio, full-body, stretching, and weightlifting exercises. Though general physical activity recommendations for adults include aerobic exercises and strength training, your workout routine also depends on your fitness goals. Read on for a sample weekly workout schedule by Jacklyn Romano, CPT, a certified physical therapist based in New Jersey, and Sharon Gam, PhD, a certified personal trainer and health coach.   The Sample Workout Schedule Romano and Gam designed this seven-day workout plan to help you develop a regular exercise routine. Here’s what each day of the schedule entails:   Monday: Cardio Tuesday: Lower body Wednesday: Upper body and core Thursday: Active rest and recovery Friday: Lower body with a focus on glutes Saturday: Upper body Sunday: Rest and recovery   The CDC has recommended that adults aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. This amount of time equals a minimum of 30 minutes per day, five days per week. The second part of […]
Oct 02

How Much Should You Be Able to Back Squat?

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Guys yearn to build strength in this gold-standard exercise. Here’s the weight you should be aiming for when you train.   TESTING YOUR LIMITS is an integral part of any training plan, whether you’re performing max pushups or holding a plank. When it comes to strength benchmarks, there are a few classic moves that are typically used to gauge your ability. For your upper body, you might consider how much weight you can bench press. For the large muscles in the lower body, it’s common to use the barbell back squat as your go-to heavyweight exercise. That leads us to the obvious question: How much should the average guy be able to squat? What if you’re relatively new to lifting, or you aren’t sure when it’s time to add weight to the bar? First, don’t fixate on how you stack up to the guy next to you at the gym. Everyone’s goals and training history are different. “Volume, intensity, and desired outcome are variables that will impact how much and how often weight should be added to someone’s squat program,” says Kurt Ellis, C.S.C.S., owner and coach at Beyond Numbers Performance. That said, if you’re curious about where you stand […]
Sep 27

9 Must-Know Strength Training Moves for Beginners

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This total-body beginner weight lifting routine is the easiest way to ease into strength training as a newbie.   You’ve probably heard that you should do strength training workouts, but maybe cardio-based activities like running a few miles or hopping on a spin bike fit your personality more. While that’s totally fine, you should keep in mind that the benefits of strength training are too good to pass up, and they range from building muscle endurance to preventing injury. Read on for a beginner’s guide to strength training and a closer look at key exercises you can implement into your workout regimen.   How to Add Strength Training Exercises for Beginners to Your Fitness Routine Most people think of weightlifting when talking about strength training. Contrary to popular belief, you can build muscle strength using various methods, including using your own body weight, resistance bands, cable resistance machines, and yes, weight machines and free weights. Start small with your weights and increase as needed: “Choose a weight that’s just heavy enough to complete 10 reps, and by that eighth rep, you feel really happy it’s almost over,” says Joel Freeman, creator of the LIIFT4 program and Beachbody Super Trainer. “This […]
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