Home Fitness for Women

Almost all women want thinner thighs, but question how to get them without building muscle and making them look bigger.

First, you must realize that you can NOT spot reduce. Fat burning occurs throughout the body, not in a specific spot. You have to slim down your entire body to slim down your thighs. BUT you can focus on firming, slimming and tightening your problem areas while you burn the fat. And that can give you those thinner thighs you are looking for.

One theory of working out without bulking up is to work the same muscle group for consecutive days. Yes, this is contrary to what you’ve heard before about alternating muscle groups when weight training, but that advice is given to men looking to increase muscle mass and avoid injury while training so hard. (This article is not about weight training or increasing muscle mass.) Just think about dancers or runners and the hard thin thighs they have from doing the same daily workouts and you’ll realize that it works. Just be careful not to overdo it and hurt yourself.

Here are a few exercises you can do at home, that if done correctly and consistently can help create thinner thighs:

Basic Squats - Place your feet hip-width apart, tighten your abs and slowly lower yourself like you are going to sit down in a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your chest lifted and keep your knees over your toes. Slowly return to standing.

Wide Squats - Do the same motion as the basic squat, but with your legs in a wide stance and your toes pointing slightly outward.

Reverse Lunges - Keeping your torso straight, step one foot back about 18 inches. Bend both knees until your front leg is parallel to the floor and your back knee almost touches the floor. Keep your weight on the heel of your front foot.  Using your back leg, push back to a standing position. Repeat with the other leg.

Tap Lunges - Similar to the reverse lunge, but as you bend your knees, lean your body forward and tap the ground with your hands.

Side Lunges - Step wide out to the side with one leg and bend that knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your other leg straight.

(Check out this Thinner Thigh Workout video for a demonstration of the above exercises.)

Freestyle weight training, Pilates and Yoga are also recommended exercises to strengthen and tone without adding bulk. These exercises have the benefit of working more than one muscle group at a time.

Also remember to vary your workout once your body has gotten use to it. Your body will adapt to your routine approximately every four to eight weeks, which could cause your to hit a plateau. Mixing things up keeps your muscles alert and keeps the fat burning.

So here’s the million-dollar question:

“What’s the number one reason people do not work out?”

Is it lack of money? Lack of motivation? Perhaps they lack the ideal workout plan?

Nope. It’s TIME. Or rather the lack thereof.

“We know that 50 per cent of the population doesn’t [exercise] and the most commonly cited barrier to exercise is lack of time.” This quote comes from exercise researcher Martin Gibala, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Gibala put his theory to the test in a study that was published in the Journal of Physiology. In it Gibala compared a group who exercised “traditionally” — 90 to 120 minutes per day — with another group exercising far less: Only 20 minutes per day and only three days per week.

That’s a whopping one hour per week folks.

Did you know that Jon Benson’s “7 Minute Muscle” plan calls for only five 7-minute workouts with resistance training (weights or bodyweight) plus only 9 minutes cardio a few days per week?

And that actually works? Yeah… you bet it does.

If you do the math, that’s about an hour per week as well.

This is the “Level 1″ workout. There are three levels depending on your goals and exercise tolerance.

Find out more here –

http://www.7minutemuscle.com <--- brief is best!

Back to Gibala's study:

In just two weeks both groups showed improvement in both exercise performance and oxygen uptake. (Remember, fat burns in the presence of oxygen.)

The kicker is that both groups were almost identical in their improvement. Why? Because the brief exercise group trained with greater focus and more intensity -- exactly how Jon suggests you train.

This is just one of dozens of studies that confirm the benefits of shorter but more intense workouts.

However, there is a catch: Train too hard and you will shut down your fat-burning furnace.

Your body perceives over-exertion done over an extended period of time as a sign of pursuit. It can trigger an ancient hormonal sequence that says, "I'm being chased by a tiger! Horde the fat!"

The body literally shuts down what it considers to be unnecessary activity in favor of self-preservation. And guess what? Burning off those hips and love handles is not a biological necessity.

You have to learn when to hit it hard AND when to rest and recover.

Finally, you have to put yourself into the proper mental state in order to see greater results in the shortest period of time.

Jon devotes an entire chapter to putting your mind into your muscle to make gains faster than ever befor in "7 Minute Muscle." You can read more here --

http://www.7minutemuscle.com <— brief is best!

Just remember these three key points:

1. Time is the greatest barrier to fitness.
2. Workouts can be short and very effective.
3. The body goes where the mind directs.

Until next time, train smart.

Have you heard about the ProForm Activator yet?  This revolutionary new piece of fitness equipment claims to increase muscle activity during your workout up to 73%.  They are calling it “vibration training“. 

Basically, you work out on a vibrating surface which causes your muscles to contract in order to keep your balance.  (Similar to the concept of using a stability ball for your ab workouts.)  Apparently it works so well that they actually discourage you from using the ProForm Activator for more than 10 minutes, 3 times a week. 

Rumor has it that people are standing in line at gyms to use the ProForm Activator.  Benefits include more calories burned, increased muscle strength and toning, reduced back pain, better circulation and increased bone density. Perhaps this piece of equipment is something you should consider adding to your home fitness routine.

What do you think?  Is vibration training right for you and your home gym?  Learn more about the ProForm Activator here.

How to Choose the Best Treadmill for You

With so many different brands of home treadmills and treadmill features, how do you know which home treadmill to buy?  Basically, you have to look at your needs and how they fit with the features and cost of each particular treadmill.  You need to consider your height, weight, where you will keep your treadmill, what you plan to use the treadmill for (walking, running or both), and of course, your budget.

The most important thing to consider when choosing a treadmill is the motor.  Treadmill motors are rated by peak horse power (HP) and/or continuous horse power (CHP).  You should look for a higher CHP as this is the better indicator of how well your home treadmill will perform over an extended period of time. This is especially important if you are heavy, plan to run on your treadmill, plan to use your treadmill often or have multiple people using the treadmill.

You should look for a treadmill with a belt of at least 18 inches wide and 50 inches long.  If you plan on running or you are tall, you should consider a running surface of at least 55 inches in length to accomodate a longer stride.  

Also keep in mind the weight limit for the treadmill you are buying.  You will want to choose a treadmill that has a maximum weight limit of at least 50 pounds more than the heaviest person using the treadmill.

One great way to determine the quality of the treadmill you choose is the warranty.  The better the warranty is, the better the treadmill usually is.  Look for a warranty with a minimum of 5 years on the motor, 2 years on parts and 1 year for service.

Other features to consider when choosing a treadmill are maximum incline, maximum speed, built-in programs and fancy extras like a television screen.  Only you can determine what is necessary for your individual needs and what conveniences you can’t live without. 

Compare Treadmills

Proform is more budget conscious.  Landice treadmills are higher end.

ProForm Treadmills

Sole Treadmills

Epic Treadmills

Buy new or used treadmills at BigFitness.net

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com

Have you tried everything under the sun to get a flat stomach, only to come up disappointed? Have you fallen prey to all the gimmicks, fad diets and shameless infomercials promising you that elusive flat stomach that you desire?

Well fret no more, I’m going to let you in on the two ‘secrets’ that will help you shed unwanted fat and reveal your toned, flat stomach once and for all.

The first secret for a flat stomach is eating supportively. While this doesn’t seem like a secret at all, most women get this wrong in spite of their best – but misguided – efforts. Women have fallen prey to low-fat, low-carb, Hollywood, grapefruit, South Beach and every other over hyped diet that marketers can dream up, all in hopes of shedding those unwanted pounds. But eating supportively is isn’t about dieting or deprivation; it’s about moderation and balance. While cutting carbs or fats out of your nutrition plan might give you a temporary loss of a couple of pounds, it’s typically followed by a drop in metabolism and a weight gain of more than you lost in the first place once you go back to your old eating habits.

So what is eating supportively? Eating supportively is having protein and carbohydrates at every meal. It’s grazing on 4-6 meals or snack each day instead of missing meals and then gorging yourself. It’s enjoying a healthy breakfast and not drinking your calories. But most of all, eating supportively is enjoying the foods you love in moderation instead of in excess.

If eating supportively is the first secret to a flat stomach, then what’s the second? The second flat stomach secret is resistance training. Unfortunately, just as fad diets have stood in the path of women achieving the flat stomachs they so desired, so have the myths of spot reduction and cardio being the best method for fat loss. Late night infomercials have long promoted gadgets that promised to spot reduce those trouble spots that women struggle with and sucked us in with testimonials from fitness models that undoubtedly picked up a nifty paycheck for endorsing their wares. But spot reduction is a myth. Think about it – have you ever met someone with a flat stomach and fat arms? Didn’t think so. If spot reduction was possible then undoubtedly one of these happy customers would have toned and tightened their stomach, yet kept their flabby arms.

The other myth that has led women astray is the belief that cardio is the best solution for fat loss. Treadmill manufacturers have sold the virtues of the ‘fat burning zone’ and led us to believe that we could plod along on a treadmill watching Oprah and before long a flat stomach would be ours. These two myths have diverted us from the path of what really does work – resistance training. Resistance training is a flat stomach’s best friend because not only does an effective resistance training session burn plenty of calories while you’re doing it, but it keeps you’re metabolism revved long after you’re done. One recent study showed that you’re metabolism would stay elevated for over 36 hours after a resistance training session.

Try to get that out of an aerobics class.

And there’s another benefit of resistance training when it comes to getting a flat stomach. The lean muscle that you gain will raise you’re resting metabolic rate and help you burn more fat all day long, each and every day.

There you have it, two ‘secrets’ that are guaranteed to boost your metabolism and give you that flat stomach you’ve been longing for. So ditch the diet books and the aerobics classes and start eating supportively and resistance training. Before long that flat stomach will finally be yours.

About the Author

Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.fityummymummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: “The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.”

Jesse Cannone wants you to sign up for his Health + Fitness Inner Circle and is offering you a free pilates DVD to entice you.  You pay the $9.95 shipping and handling and he will send you the first volume of Pilates Made Easy and give you a one month trial membership to his program.

Check it out here.

One of my favorite pieces of home fitness equipment is my ProForm 745CS treadmill. My husband bought it for me as a gift after the birth of our first child so that I could exercise at home, get back in shape and watch over the baby.  That was back in 2001 and I’m still using that treadmill today. 

The ProForm 745CS treadmill has a pulse sensor, 6 built in certified personal trainer fitness programs, inclines to a 10% grade at .5% intervals, and has quick speed selector up to 10 MPH.  The design makes working out convenient with it’s built-in water bottle holder, book holder and another spot that I use to hold the TV remote.  And when I’m not exercising, the 745CS can be folded up, requiring less than half the floor space of an open treadmill. 

Those were some some pretty impressive treadmill features back when we bought it, but it’s pretty basic equipment for ProForm treadmills now.  (I don’t think ProForm even makes the 745CS treadmill any more.)  These days, ProForm makes home treadmills with the TV built right in if you want it!

I’m thrilled with how well my ProForm treadmill has held up over the years.  It has had some work done to it under the maintenance/service plan because the pulse sensory wouldn’t work for me, but I haven’t had to have any maintenance done on it for years now. I’ve used it relatively consistently and my husband has used it too. It has even been through two long distance moves on a moving truck. It really is a sturdy piece of machinery.

I will definitely buy another ProForm treadmill when the time comes, but for now mine is still going strong. 

Thinking about what home fitness information women would specifically want, one thing came to mind immediately:  great abs!  More specifically, a sexy flat stomach.  While some women do want to obtain the elusive “6 pack”, most women would be happy with losing the lower belly fat and making their stomach “flat”.

We’ve all heard that ab exercises alone will never reveal a toned tummy.  First we need to get rid of the excess body fat that covers it. You may also have heard that a flat stomach comes from working the inner stomach muscles like the transverse abdominus, multifidus, pelvic floor and diaphragm.  All of these things are true.

One of the things that makes flattening your stomach so difficult is that you need to focus on fat burning, muscle toning, which muscles to tone, etc.  Let’s face it, if crunches alone worked, all women would have flat abs!

So, what do we do?

I’ve done some research and found two highly recommended fitness ebooks that focus on great abs.  Both agree that getting a sexy flat stomach is about more than just an ab workout.  They both agree that fast loss pills, ab machines and crunches are not the answer.  Both ebooks are currently the same price.  Both offer an 8 week money back guarantee.  But how are they different?

Firm and Flatten Your Abs, by David Grisaffi, is a 180 page ebook containing 7 levels of workout programs, 44 exercises, 129 photos and comes with five bonus reports.  Much of the program is based on developing a strong, powerful, injury-proof core in order to stabilize the spine and eliminate low back pain.  Firm And Flatten Your Abs has a long track record as one of the best selling ebooks on the subject. It’s been a Top 10 best seller for over 4 years! As a graduate of the prestigious Chek Institute with a total of six certifications, David has the credentials and has done the research to back up his claims.
To order or get more information, visit: http://flattenyourabs.net

The Truth About Six Pack Abs, by Mike Geary, is rated the #1 abs program on the internet with tons of testimonials.  The ebook is 117 pages and comes with 7 bonuses.  While the program has 8 program levels and over 50 exercises with detailed pictures, the focus of this program is NOT on ab exercises. The program is nutritionally based with 84 different and unique lean meal plans.
To order or get more information, visit: http://www.truthaboutabs.com

So which is better?  I guess that depends on what your focus is.  Either book appears to have the ratings and reviews to get you what you are looking for…  a sexy flat stomach!

You need to get in shape and you need to do it now.  You want to lose weight and have a firm, toned and slim body when you’re done.  You’re ready and willing to do whatever it takes.  If this sounds like you, then Slim in 6 is the home exercise program that will get you there.  It’s an intense program, but IT WORKS! 

Slim in 6 is a home fitness series from Beachbody and Debbie Siebers that uses “Slim Training” to help you lose weight and build lean muscle without bulking up. Over the course of six weeks, you gradually increase the duration and intensity of your daily workouts starting with the Start It Up video of 25 minutes, progressing through the Ramp It Up video of 48 minutes, and finishing with the Burn It Up video of 59 minutes.

This program includes excellent documentation on how to best utilize Slim in 6, how to eat healthy, and how to stay motivated.  It emphasizes the fundamentals of exercise, building muscle, stretching and eating right in order to lose weight the healthy way. The exercise routine itself is very thorough and targets every major muscle group of the body. There will be no doubt in your mind that you are getting a good workout!

Once you get used to the routines, you might want to turn off the music on the DVD and crank up your own.  By the time you’ve done a few days with Debbie Siebers, the “three more… two more… one more” may start to become really annoying. Six weeks is a long time to do anything repeatedly and getting bored with the routine is a possibility.

On a personal note, I found the exercises to be a little hard on the knees.  So, it’s important to go slow, watch your form and use the provided modifiers.  Push yourself to get great results, but be honest about your fitness level so you don’t get hurt.

Even with making adjustments to the Slim in 6 program I lost 8.5 pounds, a total of 7 inches and one pant size during the six weeks.  My friend said I was “shrinking before her eyes”.  I continued to lose more weight and another full pant size after I completed the program because I had sped up my metabolism so much.  I was also stronger and had a much higher level of endurance then before I started the program.

Slim in 6 is hard.  It requires dedication and a strong commitment, but it’s worth it.  It does what is says it will do.  If you follow the program, you will see definite results.

Buy Slim in 6 on eBay!

If sweating in public doesn’t appeal to you and you don’t want to rely on the weather for your workout, consider these benefits of a home gym: 

Convenience

• Your home gym is always open.  You can exercise at any time of day or night that fits into your schedule.
• Your home gym won’t close permanently on you without warning resulting in a loss of membership fees.  (Really!  This has happened to me!)
• You can exercise even if it is raining, snowing or too icy outside.

Time Savings

• You won’t have to waste time driving back and forth to the gym. 
• In your own home gym, there is no waiting for your favorite piece of equipment.
• You don’t have to spend time politely listening to Sally who is really only there for social activity.

Privacy

• In your own home gym, there are no men to ogle at you.  (If there are, you have the right to throw them out.)
• There is no one to compare yourself to. You don’t have to feel bad that you don’t already look like the aerobics instructor.
• You can sweat, grunt and groan all you want to and nobody will care.
• You won’t have to clean up somebody else’s sweat or worry about picking up someone else’s germs.
• You can listen to whatever music motivates you, watch the TV show that keeps you from focusing on that last mile, or just enjoy some peace and quiet.

Money Savings

• Compare the cost of a gym membership over the next five years to the cost of purchasing quality home fitness equipment.  A home gym will generally save you money over the long term.
• You won’t have to pay for a babysitter.
• You don’t have to pay more for extra classes. 
• You will be saving money in gas because you aren’t driving to a gym.

Variety

• You can share your workout with any one you want at any time without getting a guest pass.
• You have a variety of fitness DVDs to choose from. So if Jane Fonda starts to get on your nerves, you can eject her and switch to Denise Austin instead.