The Top 20 Fitness Mistakes Beginners Make

Don't let exercise errors stand in your way

By Leanna Skarnulis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature

Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD

Are you exercising regularly, yet not seeing the results you want? Or getting sidelined by pulled muscles and other injuries? Feeling tempted to drop out because you're so bored?

Don't give up your fitness program just yet. Maybe the problem isn't the exercise itself but the way you're exercising.

Exercisers (especially beginning exercisers) often make mistakes that keep them from getting the most from their workouts. Fitness experts spoke to WebMD about 20 of the most common exercise mistakes, and how you can keep them from derailing your fitness program.

Cardio Uh-Ohs

1. Doing the "gym slouch." "We see many people in the gym leaning on equipment," says Debi Pillarella, MEd, a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise. "We call it 'gym slouch': They're on the Stairmaster, [elliptical cross trainer], or treadmill, leaning over, and hanging on for dear life."

When your back is rounded, your spine doesn't get enough support. So stand erect when you're working out on one of these machines. (Also, you aren't working hard enough with the slouch. Stand erect and get the most out of your cardio workout).

2. Getting a grip. Holding on too tightly to the cardio equipment lets you "cheat" and contributes to slouching. It also keeps you from moving your arms -- which can boost your heart rate and burn extra calories. If loosening your grip makes you feel insecure, try this technique Pillarella teaches at Community Hospital Fitness Pointe in Munster, Ind. "Instead of gripping, just rest your fingers, from your index finger to the pinkie, on the bars. As you get more comfortable, drop a finger. Eventually, you may have just the index fingers resting there for security."

3. Catching up on your reading. If you're doing lots of reading on the elliptical machine, you're probably not getting a good workout, says Julie Isphording, host of the radio shows Fitness Information Talk and On Your Feet.

"If you must read, stop about every three minutes and do a four-minute focus interval," she says. During this interval, "concentrate on picking up the pace, dropping your shoulders, breathing, and using your arms." (This is a great piece of advice. However, you can get a better work out by not reading and doing a shorter period of cardio with more intensity).

4. Walking with weights. Carrying hand weights when you walk might seem like a good way to add strength training to your cardio workout, but it compromises your stride. "You lean forward, and it stresses the quads, ankles, and shins, and can cause stress fractures," Isphording says. "Keep your cardio and strength training separate."

5. Thinking cardio is enough. Many people think they need only a cardiovascular exercise program. "We begin losing muscle at age 30," says Isphording. "Strength training builds muscles, which increases metabolism and burns more calories."

Strength-Training Slipups

6. Rushing your reps. Doing weight-lifting repetitions too fast raises your blood pressure and increases your risk for joint injury. It also compromises your results.

"The safest way to use strength machines or dumbbells is: in lifting phase, exhale for two counts and hold briefly at the top of the contraction, then return as you inhale for four counts," says Pillarella. "Always exhale during the hardest part of the work."

7. Giving your abs a free ride. Many people do crunches or abdominal machine workouts without ever toning their abdomens. The problem is that they're using the upper torso, neck, and head to do the work.

"Do mindful exercise," says Pillarella. "The contraction should be from the ribcage to the hip bone. Put your mind into the muscles that are working, and keep all the other muscles quiet."

8. Doing lackluster lat pull-downs. On this machine, you're seated with a bar overhead. Some people stick their heads forward and pull the bar down behind their heads. But doing it this way could injure your spine or neck -- and your back won't get that coveted "V" look.

Instead, "pull the bar down in front of your shoulders and chest, and put your mind into muscle contractions in your back," says Pillarella.

9. Using maladjusted machines. Weight machines are made for people of all shapes and sizes. You must adjust them to fit if you want to get results and avoid injury.

For example, using an improperly set leg-extension machine puts stress on your knees, says Mark Kasper, EdD, a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. "Another problem with improperly adjusted machines is that you don't work your muscles through the full range of motion," he says.

Have a qualified trainer show you the proper settings for your physique, and write them down on a card that you carry to the gym.

Flexibility Flubs

10. Stretching cold muscles. Stretching before your workout puts you at risk for pulled or torn muscles. "Always stretch at the end of your workout," says Pillarella.

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"Why do we call it a workout? It should be a playout."

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11. Bouncing. Bouncing during a stretch can increase your risk of straining or pulling muscles, Pillarella says. Instead, "hold a static stretch with no movement at the joints. Your body should feel lengthened but not to the point of pain."

Routine Maintenance

12. Forgetting about fun. "If you're bored with your routine, and your treadmill has faced the washer since 1980, how much fun is that?" says Isphording, "I'd never want to do your workout, either. ? And why do we call it a workout? It should be a playout."

Exercise with your friends or family, just as you go to movies or dinner with people. "Unless we reframe it in our minds, it will never be fun," Isphording says.

13. Doing outdated exercises. Still doing the exercises you learned in high school, like windmills and leg lifts? Some of these oldies are a waste of time; others can cause injury. Take an exercise class or work with a personal trainer to freshen your routine.

14. Getting stuck in a rut. What's wrong with doing the same exercise routine, day in and day out? "You're working the same muscles, going at the same speed, and once you get in shape you no longer breathe heavily," says Isphording. "The muscles become very efficient. They expend less energy, and you burn fewer calories."

Find different types of exercise that you enjoy, and make it a point to vary what you do.

15. Seeking a quick fix. Many people expect dramatic results from a little exercise. "Current recommendations are for 3 1/2 to four hours of physical activity a week just to prevent weight regain," says Kasper, who is a professor in the department of kinesiology at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga. "If you want to lose weight and you're walking 30 minutes, three times a week, without changing your diet, it will take roughly one month to lose a pound."

Want to lose faster? Exercise more.

16. Being a weekend warrior. "If you're only exercising two days a week, you'll never get where you want to be, and you'll feel awful every Monday," says Isphording. "It leads to injury and burnout, and you're missing the secret to success: showing up."

17. Taking on too much at first. "Whether on a treadmill at home or working out at an exercise facility, people tend to do too much too soon," says Kasper. "They put themselves at risk for an orthopaedic injury."

He advises working with a qualified trainer who will do a screening, teach proper techniques, and set up an appropriate fitness program.

Sins of Omission

18. Skipping the warm-up. "Without a warmup, you're asking your body to work before the oxygen and blood flow reach the muscles," says Pillarella. "You increase the risk for injury, and with cardiovascular exercise, you raise the heart rate too fast. Before you exercise in earnest, spend 5-10 minutes going through the motions of your workout at an easy pace to raise your body temperature from the inside out."

If you don't warm up before lifting weights, meanwhile, you risk torn muscles and won't be able to lift as much weight, says Isphording. Get your blood flowing by spending a few minutes on the treadmill or exercise bike, or even walking in place.

19. Forgoing the cool-down. Don't come to sudden stop at the end of your workout. "If you don't cool down, you risk muscle soreness because you haven't flushed the lactic acid out of your system," says Isphording. "It takes five to 10 minutes at a slower pace, depending on your fitness level, to let your heart rate come down."

20. Skimping on water. Muscles need fluid to contract properly, so if you don't drink enough, you can get muscle spasms or aches.

"If you're thirsty, you're already a percent dehydrated," says Pillarella. "Drink water before, during, and after exercise."

And, Pillarella says, "unless you're a high-intensity athlete who's depleting electrolytes and potassium, you don't need Gatorade. Water is the preferred drink."

Originally published Oct. 13, 2004.
Medically updated Oct. 7, 2005.

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SOURCES: Julie Isphording, host, Fitness Information Talk and On Your Feet. Mark Kasper, EdD, spokesman, American College of Sports Medicine; professor, department of kinesiology, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Ga. Debi Pillarella, MEd, spokeswoman, American Council on Exercise; program manager, Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, Munster, Ind.

©2005 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

Core exercises with a fitness ball - REVERSE CRUNCH

Reverse crunch

If you're comfortable using the fitness ball and want to try an advanced core exercise, consider the reverse crunch:

• Lie on the ball on your stomach, with your feet touching the floor behind the ball. Lean forward until you touch the floor with your hands. Walk your hands away from the ball until you feel the ball reach your upper thighs. Keep your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Press your knees into the ball, as shown. Then use your abdominal muscles to bring your knees toward your chest. Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat.

Core exercises with a fitness ball - Side Exercise

Side exercise

This core exercise is done on your side:

• Lie on your right side, with the ball between your legs. Straighten your arm along the floor.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Keeping the ball between your legs, raise your legs off the floor as shown. Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat. Also try the exercise lying on your left side.

Core exercises with a fitness ball -Abdominal ball raise

Abdominal ball raise

This core exercise is called the abdominal ball raise:

• Lie on your back and rest your legs on top of the ball with your legs about hip-width apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your legs together.
• Raise the ball off the floor, as shown. To protect your lower back, focus on pulling your bellybutton in toward your spine and keeping your abdominal muscles contracted. Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat.
• For added challenge, raise the ball off the floor and let your legs slowly fall to the right. Stop before you reach the floor. Hold for three deep breaths, keeping your shoulders on the floor. Return to the start position and repeat on the left side.

Advanced plank - Core exercises with a fitness ball

Advanced plank

When you're comfortable with the plank, try the advanced plank:

• Lie on the ball on your stomach, with your feet touching the floor behind the ball. Lean forward until you touch the floor with your hands.
• Walk your hands away from the ball until you feel the ball reach your upper thighs (A). Keep your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Push your body weight forward until your shoulders are in front of your hands and the ball is beneath your shins (B). Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat.

Core exercises with a fitness ball - PLANK

Plank

Try a plank on the fitness ball:

• Lie on the ball on your stomach, with your feet touching the floor behind the ball. Lean forward until you touch the floor with your hands.
• Walk your hands away from the ball until you feel the ball reach your upper thighs, as shown. Your feet will be suspended above the floor, and you'll be balancing on your hands and the ball. Keep your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles. Hold for three deep breaths or as long as you can maintain your balance and form.
• Return to the start position and repeat.

Core exercises with a fitness ball - Bridge

Bridge

To work various core muscles in combination, try a bridge:

• Lie on your back with your legs resting on top of the ball.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Raise your hips and buttocks off the floor into a bridge (A). Hold for three deep breaths. Besides your core muscles, you'll feel the muscles along your backside — the gluteal muscles and hamstrings — contract to keep you in place.
• Return to the start position and repeat.
• For added challenge, raise your right leg off the ball (B). Repeat with your left leg.

Core exercises with a fitness ball - Abdominal Crunch

Core exercises strengthen abs and other core muscles

Core exercises strengthen your core muscles, including abs, back and pelvis. You can do many core exercises with a fitness ball, also called a stability ball.

Fitness balls come in various sizes. For most exercises, you'll want a ball that allows your knees to be at a right angle when you sit on the ball with your feet on the floor. The firmer the ball, the more difficult the exercise will be.

Do each core exercise five times. Breathe freely and deeply during each exercise. Focus on tightening your deepest abdominal muscle — the transversus abdominis — during each exercise. This is the muscle you feel contracting when you cough. As you get stronger, gradually increase to 10 to 15 repetitions.

Abdominal crunch

Abdominal crunches are a classic core exercise:

• Sit on the ball with your feet resting on the floor, about hip-width apart. Keep your back straight. Cross your arms on your chest.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Lean back until your abdominal muscles kick in, as shown. Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat.

Core exercises with a fitness ball

Core exercises strengthen abs and other core muscles

Core exercises strengthen your core muscles, including abs, back and pelvis. You can do many core exercises with a fitness ball, also called a stability ball.

Fitness balls come in various sizes. For most exercises, you'll want a ball that allows your knees to be at a right angle when you sit on the ball with your feet on the floor. The firmer the ball, the more difficult the exercise will be.

Do each core exercise five times. Breathe freely and deeply during each exercise. Focus on tightening your deepest abdominal muscle — the transversus abdominis — during each exercise. This is the muscle you feel contracting when you cough. As you get stronger, gradually increase to 10 to 15 repetitions.

Squat and reach

Squat and reach with the fitness ball:

• Hold the ball in front of you and bend your knees. Keep your back straight and your arms parallel to the floor (A). Don't let your knees extend beyond your feet.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Rotate your trunk and reach with the ball toward your left (B). Hold for three deep breaths.
• Return to the start position and repeat to the right.
• Vary the exercise by holding the ball in a downward position (C) or an upward position (D).

The Super Toning Training Routine

Author:

Doug Lawrenson

Cardiovascular Training.

A single half hour session of cardio, can burn hundreds of extra calories during the performance of your session. And also after the session there are also more fat burning effects for up to several hours. The body’s cellular furnace expands in size and number and the aerobic enzymes increase in quantity which also accelerates the fat burning process. Over a period these factors allow your body to rely more on utilising fat rather than glycogen (carbohydrates) for fuel helping you obtain and sustain long term weight management. Cardio training also improves muscular endurance. When you lift weights, your body converts glucose into the high-energy compound ATP to fuel exercise performance. During this conversion process, lactic acid is produced and rapidly accumulates in your muscles as you train. When lactic acid builds up past a certain point, you experience an intense burning sensation in the muscles. The burn becomes so strong that it impedes your ability to achieve a muscular contraction; at that point you simply cannot continue to train. However, by increasing aerobic capacity, your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen to the working muscles. This helps to increase your lactic acid threshold, and thereby delays the onset of lactic acid build up. The net result is a greater capacity to train at a high level of intensity. Cardio training will also enhance muscular recuperation. Aerobic exercise helps to expand your network of capillaries-the tiny blood vessels that allow nutrients such as protein and carbohydrates to be absorbed into body tissues. The more capillaries that you have, the more efficient the body becomes in using these nutrients for muscular repair. Capillaries also help to clear waste products, particularly carbon dioxide, from the food burning process, further enhancing the nutrient delivery system. This accelerates the rate at which the muscles are able to get the nutrients needed for recuperation, helping to improve your workouts and to speed recovery.

There are two basic factors that influence the fat-burning effects of cardio: duration and intensity (how long and how hard you train). For any given level of calories burned, these factors have an inverse relationship: if you train harder, then you don’t have to train as long; if you train longer, then you don’t have to train as hard. However, it has been shown that a specific type of cardio known as interval training provides significant benefits over steady state exercise. For one, interval training is extremely time efficient, allowing you to complete a training workout in half the time of a normal cardio workout, and is more effective at burning fat.

Your cardio workout will therefore be of an interval training routine, during the high-intensity interval you will train for one minute at a level that exceeds your lactate threshold. This will be followed by a lower-intensity interval of between 1 and 4 minutes, where your body has a chance to clear lactic acid from the blood and replenish oxygen stores. This cycle will be repeated multiple times over the course of your cardio workout, and allow you to burn in excess of 300 calories in just 30 mins.

You will monitor the intensity of intervals using a rate of perceived exertion (RPE). This is a measure of how hard you feel when you are training, taking into account the physical sensations you experience during your workout, including increases in hear rate, breathing rate, and sweating. The RPE is rated using an incremental scale ranging from one to ten, with one representing a lack of exertion and ten being the maximum possible exertion. For example, a three would indicate a level of exertion that is fairly easy, and a level eight would be a level that was very demanding. You may have trouble getting through an entire workout at the suggested RPE levels; if this is the case then don’t worry simply decrease your levels to a level more consistent with your level of ability. As time goes on then your level of fitness will increase enabling you to complete the workout at a higher level.

With cardio training it is best to add variety to your training this is called cross training and can be accomplished by performing as few as two different activities (although the more, the better) and alternating them each workout. That way different workout will use different muscle groups and will reduce the risk of the musculoskeletal system from overuse. You therefore should consider using the treadmill, stair climber, and stationary bike. But any activity can be chosen for interval training, such as outdoor running, skipping, rowing, and elliptical training.

Interval Training Builds Fitness Fast

Vary Your Training Intensity to Boost Your Performance

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide

Updated: April 19, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Interval training has been the basis for athletic training routines for years. The first forms of interval training, called "fartlek" involved alternating short, fast bursts of intensive exercise with slow, easy activity. Fartlek was casual, unstructured training that perfectly fit its English translation: "speed play."

What is Interval Training?

The interval programs of today have become highly sophisticated methods of structured training for athletic performance enhancement. Physiologists and trainers have designed interval programs that are specifically suited to individual athletes. These sessions include precisely measured intervals that match the athlete's sport, event and current level of conditioning. Often the appropriate intensity and duration of the intervals is determined by the results of anaerobic threshold testing (AT) that includes measuring the blood-lactate of an athlete during intense exercise.

How Interval Training Works

Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity effort, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen. The by-product is lactic acid, which is related to the burning sensation felt in the muscles during high intensity efforts. During the high intensity interval, lactic acid builds and the athlete enters oxygen debt. During the recovery phase the heart and lungs work together to "pay back" this oxygen debt and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system is in control, using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.

The Benefits of Interval Training

This repetitive form of training leads to the adaptation response. The body begins to build new capillaries, and is better able to take in and deliver oxygen to the working muscles. Muscles develop a higher tolerance to the build-up of lactate, and the heart muscle is strengthened. These changes result in improved performance particularly within the cardiovascular system.

Interval training also helps prevent the injuries often associated with repetitive endurance exercise, and they allow you to increase your training intensity without overtraining or burn-out. In this way, adding intervals to your workout routine is a good way to cross train.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise. If you are counting calories burned, high intensity exercise such as intervals are better than long, slow endurance exercise, but you may pay a price. Read more about the benefits and dangers of high intensity exercise.

You don't need to be a world-class athlete and have sophisticated blood analysis to take advantage of the benefits of interval training. The standard "speed play" training of fartlek works well for the rest of us. This type of interval work is based upon your subjective needs. Simply pay attention to how you feel and set your intensity and duration accordingly.

Interval Training Safety Tips

• Warm Up before starting intervals
• Assess current conditioning and set training goals that are within your ability
• Start slowly. (for example: walk 2 minutes/ run 2 minutes) In general, longer intervals provide better results
• Keep a steady, but challenging pace throughout the interval
• Build the number of repetitions over time
• Bring your heart rate down to 100-110 bpm during the rest interval
• To improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time
• Make any changes slowly over a period of time
• Train on a smooth, flat surface to ensure even effort
• You can also use circuit training as a form of interval training

Advanced Interval Training Workouts
You can take a more scientific approach to interval training by varying your work and recovery intervals based on your pre-determined goals. Here are the four variables you can manipulate when designing your interval training program:

• Intensity (speed) of work interval
• Duration (distance or time) of work interval
• Duration of rest or recovery interval
• Number of repetitions of each interval

Fitness Ball Hamstring Curl

The Fitness Ball Hamstring Curl is a leg exercise that targets the hamstrings, as well as the glutes and core. The use of a Fitness Ball or Stability Ball will aid in improving stability, strength, and balance.

	STEP 1: Lie on the mat, with your arms at your sides. Place your heels on the Fitness Ball with your toes pointing upward. Raise your hips from the floor.
	STEP 2: Bend your knees and pull the ball toward you. Keep your arms on your sides and your hips off the mat while flexing your knees. Roll the ball out to starting position then repeat 10 times.

Tighten your glutes and core so you can keep your hips off the mat while doing this exercise. To make it more challenging, do this one leg at a time.

Calories in Indian Food

If you wish to lead a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to eat nutrition rich food and exercise regularly. What you eat directly affects your body fitness, so it becomes all the more necessary to be aware about the number of calories in Indian food and the nutritional value of the food you are eating.

It is advisable to consult a dietitian and gather knowledge about the Indian food calories and then decide your meal. Eating high calorie food item is not recommended for the daily meal, but you can always relish them once in a month or so.

If you get lured into trying fad foods, which you know contain loads of fats, then you can consume it once in a while, but in moderate quantity. But then after that you have to gear up yourself for doing a vigorous workout, so as to shed off those extra calories that have got stored in your body.

It's all about maintaining a balance and you will never put on weight. If you've eaten more, so compensate it, by eating light food in the next meal and by working harder, while carrying out your workout. Keeping fit is in your hands, but all that is required is a sincere effort and then nothing can stop you from achieving success.

As vital is to eat healthy foods, that are low in calories, equally important is to apply the right cooking method. You should avoid items that demand deep-frying, because then that would involve extensive usage of butter and oil, that will shoot up your calorie intake, making you overweight.

Here is the calorie chart of Indian food, so keep a track of the calorie intake and adopt healthy eating habits.

Calories in Fruits per 100 Grams
Calories in Apple 56
Calories in Avocado Pear 190
Calories in Banana 95
Calories in Chickoo 94
Calories in Cherries 70
Calories in Dates 281
Calories in Grapes Black 45
Calories in Guava 66
Calories in Kiwi Fruit 45
Calories in Lychies 61
Calories in Mangoes 70
Calories in Orange 53
Calories in Orange juice 100ml 47
Calories in Papaya 32
Calories in Peach 50
Calories in Pears 51
Calories in Pineapple 46
Calories in Plums 56
Calories in Strawberries 77
Calories in Watermelon 26
Calories in Pomegranate 77

Calories in Vegetables per 100 Grams
Calories in Broccoli 25
Calories in Brinjal 24
Calories in Cabbage 45
Calories in Carrot 48
Calories in Cauliflower 30
Calories in Fenugreek (Methi) 49
Calories in French beans 26
Calories in Lettuce 21
Calories in Mushroom 18
Calories in Onion 50
Calories in Peas 93
Calories in Potato 97
Calories in Spinach 100g
Calories in Spinach 1 leaf
Calories in Tomato 21
Calories in Tomato juice 100ml 22
Calories in Cereals per 100 Grams
Calories in Bajra 360
Calories in Maize flour 355
Calories in Rice 325
Calories in Wheat flour 341
Calories in Breads per piece
1 medium chapatti 119
1 slice white bread 60
1 paratha (no filling) 280

Calories in Milk & Milk Products per cup
Calories in Butter 100gms. 750
Calories in Buttermilk 19
Calories in Cheese 315
Calories in Cream 100gms. 210
Calories in Ghee 100gms 910
Calories in Milk Buffalo 115
Calories in Milk Cow 100
Calories in Milk Skimmed 45
Calories in Other Items
Calories in Sugar 1 tbsp 48
Calories in Honey 1 tbsp 90
Calories in Coconut water 100 ml 25
Calories in Coffee 40
Calories in Tea 30

What sorts of Weight lifting are good for overall fitness for RUNNERS?

When in doubt always do the large multi-joint movements.  They build
muscle mass, work your stabilizer muscles, and give your entire body
something to do.  The classic five exercises are:  squat, deadlift, bench
press, pull ups, and dips.  Most of us can not do pull ups and dips when we
first start lifting.  There are assisted pull-up and dip machines available
that work the major muscles (but not the stabilizers) that can be useful.
Also lat pulldowns are a good way to build up to doing pullups.  Although
anyone can do a pullup with enough training, most people are just as happy
working with the lat pulldown instead.

 These are the most accessible of the multi-joint exercises.  There are
others.  Hal Higdon was shown how to do an Olympic clean and jerk many
years ago.  He likes them and includes them in his routine.  The lesson
here:  try several things - carefully - and then see which ones suit you.
Do them.

 Beyond this you may want to do some smaller lifts to help you.
Shoulders are very important for a runner.  I like doing shrugs and
dumbbell shoulder press.  Some people like shoulder raises or the various
cable exercises.  Try several, do two of them regularly.  Variations on
biceps curls are also enormously popular, the best ones to work with are
seated dumbbell curls and preacher curls using a special bench.

 You should also be working your abdominals.  See the Abs-FAQ for more
information on them.  Abs will both support you through your other lifts,
reduce the likelihood of getting cramps and side stitches while running,
and firm up your belly for the beach.  Powerlifters work their abs in short
heavy sets like any other muscle.  Runners usually benefit from moderately
long sets.  If crunches are getting boring then hold a dumb bell on your
chest or try some of the crunch variations on the Abs-Faq.

Vast Applications

Individualization has vast implications for your entire fitness program— not just exercise. For instance, just because 99% of Americans rely on commercial gyms for their fitness needs doesn't mean that YOU have to. You may prefer to train at home, or even outdoors. Today, people have access to an almost limitless variety of exercise modalities, including aqua fitness, martial arts, elastic resistance bands, yoga, dance, you name it. Many roads lead to Rome, so do what you enjoy.

Smart athletes also know that nutrition must be individualized as well. Case in point: English bodybuilder and elite strength athlete Gary Taylor. Despite the conventional advice of eating a high protein diet, Gary feels he does best on high carbs and low protein. With a 600 pound behind-the-neck push press to his credit, it's hard to argue with his unique approach.

Your goals don't need to be structured in conventional ways, either. While most seek more muscle or strength, you might find more satisfaction pursuing other objectives, such as everyday functional ability, or simply the sense of well-being that comes with following an exercise program. It's important to enjoy the process of training. If you're getting the results you want, don't change a thing. But if you're still not satisfied, try the suggestions we've outlined here. Lastly, remember that your individuality is a dynamic concept. As you progress, your exercise program must be constantly modified.

That's right. Your body will help determine what you need. If you get stuck, get some help.

Not only do our fitness goals determine what type of exercise we should do, but also our personalities. Some people find gyms boring, but they love salsa or bhangra class. I chose martial arts because I'm rambunctious, and I supplement it with weight training & cardio. One one person likes, another doesn't.

You probably won't see me running any marathons. Not because I can't, but because it doesn't interest me. However, some people get complete ecstasy from it. The point is, choose the activity you like most and work around that to determine the best way for you to be fit.

-Melissa

BOSU SQUATS

Squat Jumps over the BOSU
Begin standing next to BOSU and place the right foot in the middle of the dome. Squat down and quickly jump over the dome landing with the left foot on the BOSU in a squat. Continue back and forth over the dome, jumping higher for more intensity.

Don't have a BOSU of your own? No problem!

You can do this anywhere!

Below is an alternative:


This photo is Gary Boring and I doing side lunges/squats at Golden Gate Park.

We have our hands in front of us to maintain balance. We are making sure that our knees are not extending too much over our toes. Always smile when you do this.

So, you want a sexy back.....(for beginners)

See what Fitness magazine says about how to get a sexy back.....

Sculpt a Sexy Back

By Jennifer Matarazzo

Beginner Exercises

1. Cobra

(targets lower back)

• Lie facedown on the floor with arms at sides, palms down.
• Keeping abs and glutes tight, lift chest off floor and raise arms up and back toward hips, rotating thumbs up.
• At the same time, lift legs about 3 inches off floor. Hold for 3 counts and lower back to starting position.
• Repeat for 8 to 10 reps.

2. Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug

(targets upper back)

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at sides with your knees slightly bent.
• Hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in.
• Keeping abs tight, slowly shrug your shoulders up toward your ears, keeping elbows straight. Hold for 3 counts and lower.
• Repeat for 8 to 10 reps.

3. Seated Row with Bands

(targets upper back)

• Sit in a chair and tie a resistance band around a sturdy structure, such as a doorknob, at elbow height, 2 to 3 feet in front of you.
• Hold one end of band in each hand, palms facing each other.
• Bend elbows and pull band toward your ribs, pressing shoulders back and together. Hold for 3 counts.
• Repeat for 8 to 10 reps.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/back/exercises/fast-back-sculpting-moves/

Motivational Tip

I've been reading Kathy Smith's book called "Lift Weights to Lose Weight." It's a good book with a lot of images and ready-to-use tips. I wanted to share what I learned from her, and I found her website, so I'm sharing what she says about motivation (it's easier to copy & paste). I am also inserting my own italicized comments along the way, as well as bolding key ideas. Please feel free to share other helpful ideas for keeping people motivated with fitness & health.
Melissa

Be Consistent

What's the secret to health and fitness success? That's the question I'm asked far more than any other.

The answer: Be consistent. Be consistent. Be consistent.

For more than twenty years, I've exercised every day (I'm only at 11, but I'm younger than Kathy Smith). Now, does that mean a full, hour-long workout? No. Some days, in fact, I only have time for ten minutes; other days, only thirty; still others, a strenuous, two-hour hike. There are periods when I'm traveling for a week or so and only able to get in a few minutes of exercise between meetings (yea, vacations are tough for exercise, unless you stay at a hotel with a gym). But whether it's ten minutes, thirty, or a long sixty, I make sure I work up as much of a sweat as possible. Not only because I'm trying to burn off last night's dinner or because I think it'll improve my cardiovascular capacity, but because I don't want to fall out of practice. That's what I mean by consistency - if you fall out of the habit, get right back on track. I agree - don't stop exercising. It's better to half-way do it than not at all. Partial exercise helps you maintain the momentum.

Often when I talk to people who aren't exercising on a consistent basis, I get the feeling that they have the best intentions, but allow one excuse after the next to interfere with their workouts (No excuses! I even exercised when I was crippled. A lot of people exercise when they are pregnant. Make exercise a priority, and you'll soon be addicted). Then, they lose momentum. "I was exercising and then all of a sudden I just stopped," is a common lament. "I don't know what happened; I just sort of quit. I haven't really done it for six months, but I plan on starting again right after my birthday." (You can maintain a level of consistency for anything, be it a foreign language, paying your bills on time, or spending time with loved ones).

But exercise and self-care is not an on-and-off proposition. It's a daily one. If you don't have time to do your regular workout in its entirety you don't abandon the whole thing. That's not the way to approach exercise.

Try thinking of it this way. You have a goal - an ideal, if you will. The ideal is to work out five times a week for at least thirty minutes. But if you can't get in all thirty, then you take what you can. That's the way life works. Just because you fall short of an ideal doesn't mean that you abandon its pursuit. Telling a single lie wouldn't compel you to give up honesty as an ideal any more than accidentally running a red light causes you to break every other rule of the road.

The hardest aspect of exercise is starting again after not doing it for a while. That's why I try not to lose my momentum - so I don't have to start all over again.

Just accept that you'll devote at least ten minutes a day to exercising, the same as you accept that you're going to have to eat, bathe, and dress. Now, those ten minutes may not necessarily be at the gym or on the track. They may be that walk you take by parking a little father away from the office. Or those stairs you climb instead of pushing the elevator buttons. (When you only have a few moments to exercise, find a handful of ones that you can do on the go or at home).

Once you choose to make exercise a daily part of your life, you start to see opportunities for it where before you saw only barriers. That viewpoint begins to create lifestyle changes, and produces a healthier attitude toward life in general.

How to Do Interval Training

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Introduction

To tap into a new, higher level of fitness and fat burning, try an interval workout. The combination of aerobic and anaerobic training will give a real boost to your health and make the rest of your workouts seem easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Steps

1

Step One

Begin with 5 to 7 minutes of low-intensity work in your exercise mode. For example, walk or jog lightly to start.

2

Step Two

Stretch the major muscle groups, paying particular attention to the lower body.

3

Step Three

Exercise at a higher intensity for 10 minutes. Let your body continue to warm up and get ready for the workout to come.

4

Step Four

Start cycle 1: Exercise for 3 minutes at a pace you could maintain for the entire workout. Then for 1 minute push yourself hard, with a short burst of activity that you couldn't do for longer than a minute.

5

Step Five

Recover for 30 seconds or longer, but keep moving, and let your breath return to a normal workout level.

6

Step Six

Understand that the cycle is 3 minutes aerobic/recovery and 1 minute anaerobic (3-to-1).

7

Step Seven

Complete eight cycles, the first four becoming progressively harder, with the hardest cycles being four and five, then decrease the intensity with cycles six, seven and eight.

8

Step Eight

Keep moving for another 3 to 4 minutes or until you feel your heart rate coming down.

9

Step Nine

Stretch the major muscles again, this time more deeply and for 20 to 30 seconds.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use the first 30 seconds of the aerobic portion to recover and literally catch your breath.
• Think of the cycles as going up and down a mountain - as they ascend, it's hard and there's not much oxygen at the top, then the descent gets easier.
• Note that 1 minute may be too long for a beginner, so try shortening the anaerobic (without oxygen) cycles - even 10 seconds is an effective way to start.
• Notice that your heart rate is going way up and then way down; it should peak and valley quite a bit during interval training.
• Plan to interval train only once or twice a week.
• Allow for 48 hours of recovery between each session. It's OK to exercise during the 48 hours, but avoid strenuous exercise and anything high-impact.
• Drink lots of water.
• Please consult your physician before attempting this or any other strenuous physical activity. Listen to your body.
• This advice is not intended to substitute for advice from a physician, physical therapist or personal trainer.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6013_interval-training.html

		March 5, 2009

Check out some fitness moves from SELF magazine. Get tight, toned arms Shannon Fable, a trainer in Boulder, Colorado, and winner of the American Council on Exercise's Group Fitness Instructor of the Year award, created this routine just for SELF. "It works the whole body with only one tool," Fable says. So grab a weighted wand and try this move! Then check out the entire workout. Tilt a curl: How to do it Stand with feet together, bar in both hands, right hand about 5 inches from end. Lunge to right side as you curl bar toward chest (as shown). Return to start. Do 12 reps. Switch sides, regripping bar on opposite end; repeat.

Visit www.ultrafitsf.com to get personal training for your upper body.