If there is one thing you want to look good this swimsuit season, it's your butt! After all, it is one of the hardest parts to hide in a tiny swimsuit, and the most likely to jiggle in ways that you might not want it to. Luckily, there are plenty of exercises you can do to get your butt looking toned and firm. Here are just a few.
1. Squats
Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder width apart, with your arms down by your sides. Slowly bend at the knees, extending your arms out in front of you, until you are at an almost sitting position - or lower if you can manage. Be sure to keep as much of your weight in your heels as possible to prevent stress on the knee joints, and keep your back flat. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then slowly rise and come to your original standing position. Repeat this action 20 times, rest, and then repeat.
2. Chair Squats
This squat option is better for beginners who don't quite have the core strength to complete regular squats. In this version, you can stand in front of a chair. Complete the same movements, hovering just above the chair. Repeat 20 times, rest, and then repeat.
3. Jump Squats
This exercise puts a bit more “oomph” into your squats. Start in the same position as regular squats, and complete the squat as usual except that when you are coming up, jump into the air. Jump up about one foot, and remember to soften and bend your knees slightly coming back down to prevent injury.
4. Hip Lifts
Start by lying flat on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Using the muscles in your butt, lift your pelvis into the air, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Experiment with moving your feet closer to your body or farther away to get the most effective resistance. Complete 50 repetitions, rest, and then repeat twice.
5. Extended Hip Lifts
This is a slightly more advanced version of regular hip lifts. In this version, you will extend one leg out straight while completing the same motions. Do 15 repetitions and then alternate to the other leg before resting and then repeating for a total of three cycles.
6. Lunges
Begin in your standing position, with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Step out with one foot, about two feet straight in front of you. Keep your torso straight, bend at the knees until your back knee almost touches the floor, and then straighten back up and return to the beginning standing position. Be sure to keep your front knee behind your toes to avoid injury. Alternate legs, completing 20 repetitions on each side before you rest and then repeat.
7. Toe Taps
Start by lying on your back with your legs elevated and knees bent to a 45 degree angle, and then bring your knees closer to your chest. From this position, bring one foot down and tap the ground, and then bring that leg back to the starting position. Alternating feet, complete this motion for one minute before you rest, and then repeat twice. This is also a great exercise for your abs.
8. Superman Lunges
This is a slightly different take on lunges that works out a different part of your butt and the backs of your thighs. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, arms down by your sides. In one fluid movement, lean forward and elevate one leg behind you, bringing your arms up in the air. The motion should remind you of Superman taking flight - thus the name. Return to the beginning position and then repeat, alternating sides, 15 times per side. Rest and then repeat twice.
The butt might be a big problem area for many people trying to look good in their swimsuits, but it is actually one of the easiest areas of the body to exercise. Complete these exercises at least two to three times a week consistently and you will be ready to hit the beach in no time!
Showing posts with label squat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squat. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Kettlebell Training for Work-at-Home-Moms
If you are a work-at-home mom and you badly need to develop an exercise regimen that will allow you to burn calories in a short amount of time then the kettlebell is exactly what you're looking for. Doing KB exercises will speed up your metabolism, tone your body, relieve stress and increase your energy levels. If you are ready to get started, check out the kettlebell exercises below that will help you reshape your body in its best form ever! (Note: Like any workout, these exercises involve risk of injury. Be sure to consult with your physician or personal trainer before beginning any new workout routine, and if anything hurts, STOP.)
-The Swing
You can use this move to lose weight, build lean muscles and tone your body. To do the swing, strand straight with your legs shoulder width apart and lean forward while keeping your back straight. Don't arch your back as this may cause injury. Bend your knees mimicking a semi squat.
Your arms should hang loosely and then raise the kettlebell with both hands over your head and inhale. Now swing the weight in between the legs towards the back as you breathe out. Do 10 sets of 20 to 50 repetitions and pause for a minute between each set.
- Deadlift
The deadlift is great for toning the back and butt. When doing this exercise, you have to keep your back straight and use your body's force to lift the weight, not your arms. Start with the standard standing position. The kettlebell should be on the floor centered between your legs.
Bend your knees and squat over the weight. Remember to keep your spine straight and abdominals tight. Reach down and grab the kettlebell with both hands. Lift it with your entire body and not just your arms.
The power of the lift should come from your abs and hips. Bend your elbows out open as you raise the weight to your mid chest. Slightly bend your knees as you lower the weight. Repeat this move for 25 times before putting the kettlebell back to the floor.
-Lunge Press
This is one of the easiest kettlebell exercises that a woman can easily do. To start, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold the sides of the kettlebell handle with both hands in front of your chest.
Your elbows should be bent by sides with your palms in. Now lunge forward using your left leg and press the weight up using both hands. Stand back up while you bring the kettlebell back down.
Repeat the exercise using the other leg. The lunge press targets the shoulders, back, arms, abs, legs and butt. Make sure you keep your back and shoulder blades straight when doing this move.
-The Swing
 |
| Kettlebell. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Your arms should hang loosely and then raise the kettlebell with both hands over your head and inhale. Now swing the weight in between the legs towards the back as you breathe out. Do 10 sets of 20 to 50 repetitions and pause for a minute between each set.
- Deadlift
The deadlift is great for toning the back and butt. When doing this exercise, you have to keep your back straight and use your body's force to lift the weight, not your arms. Start with the standard standing position. The kettlebell should be on the floor centered between your legs.
Bend your knees and squat over the weight. Remember to keep your spine straight and abdominals tight. Reach down and grab the kettlebell with both hands. Lift it with your entire body and not just your arms.
The power of the lift should come from your abs and hips. Bend your elbows out open as you raise the weight to your mid chest. Slightly bend your knees as you lower the weight. Repeat this move for 25 times before putting the kettlebell back to the floor.
-Lunge Press
This is one of the easiest kettlebell exercises that a woman can easily do. To start, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold the sides of the kettlebell handle with both hands in front of your chest.
Your elbows should be bent by sides with your palms in. Now lunge forward using your left leg and press the weight up using both hands. Stand back up while you bring the kettlebell back down.
Repeat the exercise using the other leg. The lunge press targets the shoulders, back, arms, abs, legs and butt. Make sure you keep your back and shoulder blades straight when doing this move.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Muscle Facts Versus Fiction
If you've been weight training, here's a short list of bodybuilding myths that are fictional - and the corresponding truths that will help you safely make the most of your weight training workouts.
1. The 12 Rep Rule
Most weight training programs include this many repetitions for gaining muscle. The truth is this approach doesn't give the muscles enough tension for effective muscle gain. High tension (e.g. heavy weights) provides muscle growth in which the muscle grows much larger, leading to the maximum gains in strength. Having longer tension time boosts the muscle size by generating the structures around the muscle fibers, improving endurance.
The standard prescription of eight to 12 repetitions with medium weights provides a balance, but by just using that program all of the time, you do not generate the greater tension levels that are provided by heavier weights and lesser reps. Change the number of reps and adjust the weights to stimulate all types of muscle growth - you want some lower weights and more repetitions, and some with higher weight and fewer reps.
2. The Three Set Rule
The truth is there's nothing wrong with three sets but then again there is nothing amazing about it either. The number of sets you perform should be based on your goals and not on a half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do on an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. This keeps the total number of repetitions of a given exercise equal.
3. Three to four exercises per group
The truth is this is a waste of time. Combined with twelve reps of three sets, the total number of reps amount to 144. If your doing this many reps for a muscle group, you're not using heavy enough weights to make much of a difference for most of your muscles. Instead of doing so many varieties of exercises, try doing 30 to 50 reps total. That can be anywhere from 2 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps.
4. My knees, my toes
It is a gym folklore that you “should not let your knees go past your toes." Truth is that leaning forward a little too much is more likely a cause of injury. In 2003, Memphis University researchers confirmed that knee stress was almost thirty percent higher when the knees are allowed to move beyond the toes during a squat.
But hip stress increased nearly 10 times or (1000 percent) when the forward movement of the knee was restricted, because the squatters needed to lean their body forward and that forces the strain to transfer to the lower back.
Focus on your upper body position and less on the knee. Keep the torso in an upright position as much as possible when doing squats and lunges. This reduces the stress generated on the hips and back. To stay upright, before squatting, squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold them in that position; and then as you squat, keep the forearms 90 degrees to the floor.
5. Use your abs to lift weights
The truth is the muscles work in groups to stabilize the spine, and the most important muscle group changes depending on the type of exercise. The transverse abdominis is not always the most important muscle group. Actually, for most exercises, the body automatically activates the muscle group that is needed most for support of the spine. So if you focus only on the transverse abdominis, it can recruit wrong muscles and limit the right muscles. This increases the chance of injury, and reduces the weight that can be lifted. Listen to your body - it knows best! If you have an ingrained habit of intentionally tensing your stomach muscles when lifting, try relaxing your body, then lift a lighter weight, and see where your muscles naturally flex to complete the movement. Once you know which muscle group is engaged for each various exercise, you'll strengthen the correct muscles for each movement, and get a more complete workout.
1. The 12 Rep Rule
 |
| Cover of The Truth |
The standard prescription of eight to 12 repetitions with medium weights provides a balance, but by just using that program all of the time, you do not generate the greater tension levels that are provided by heavier weights and lesser reps. Change the number of reps and adjust the weights to stimulate all types of muscle growth - you want some lower weights and more repetitions, and some with higher weight and fewer reps.
2. The Three Set Rule
The truth is there's nothing wrong with three sets but then again there is nothing amazing about it either. The number of sets you perform should be based on your goals and not on a half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do on an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. This keeps the total number of repetitions of a given exercise equal.
3. Three to four exercises per group
The truth is this is a waste of time. Combined with twelve reps of three sets, the total number of reps amount to 144. If your doing this many reps for a muscle group, you're not using heavy enough weights to make much of a difference for most of your muscles. Instead of doing so many varieties of exercises, try doing 30 to 50 reps total. That can be anywhere from 2 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps.
 |
| Upright squat (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
It is a gym folklore that you “should not let your knees go past your toes." Truth is that leaning forward a little too much is more likely a cause of injury. In 2003, Memphis University researchers confirmed that knee stress was almost thirty percent higher when the knees are allowed to move beyond the toes during a squat.
But hip stress increased nearly 10 times or (1000 percent) when the forward movement of the knee was restricted, because the squatters needed to lean their body forward and that forces the strain to transfer to the lower back.
Focus on your upper body position and less on the knee. Keep the torso in an upright position as much as possible when doing squats and lunges. This reduces the stress generated on the hips and back. To stay upright, before squatting, squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold them in that position; and then as you squat, keep the forearms 90 degrees to the floor.
5. Use your abs to lift weights
The truth is the muscles work in groups to stabilize the spine, and the most important muscle group changes depending on the type of exercise. The transverse abdominis is not always the most important muscle group. Actually, for most exercises, the body automatically activates the muscle group that is needed most for support of the spine. So if you focus only on the transverse abdominis, it can recruit wrong muscles and limit the right muscles. This increases the chance of injury, and reduces the weight that can be lifted. Listen to your body - it knows best! If you have an ingrained habit of intentionally tensing your stomach muscles when lifting, try relaxing your body, then lift a lighter weight, and see where your muscles naturally flex to complete the movement. Once you know which muscle group is engaged for each various exercise, you'll strengthen the correct muscles for each movement, and get a more complete workout.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)