Lower Body Workout Routine Options, Machines, Dumbbells or Body Weight?

Many women and men think taking up a lower body workout means heading off to the gym and chewing up hours each day. 

This doesn’t have to be the case. 

You can train effectively using the hints below at home, while travelling or even at work.

Developing a lower body workout routine that actually works for your body can be challenging. 

You may identify with some of the most common obstacles that ordinary people come across when they decide to start working this area of the body:

Limited access to weight machines and other equipment.

Lack of knowledge about what exercises are effective and which ones are a waste of time.

Limited information about different movements and modifications of harder movements.

Inaccurate beliefs.

Lack of motivation

Inaccurate beliefs and the lack of knowledge about what exercises to perform are big problems for many people who want to start a good lower body workout routine. One of the most common inaccurate beliefs is that you have to use weight machines or other fitness equipment to work the lower body effectively.

It's true that the machines you see at gyms can be great tools for working the lower body muscles. But that doesn't mean that they’re vital for getting in a great workout. Far from it. You can use the weight from your own body to strengthen, tone and challenge the muscles in your lower body.

Here is just a small sampling of classic exercises that can be incorporated into a lower body workout routine with great results:

Squats. 

Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart. Have your hands either out in front or folded in front of your chest. Have your toes pointed slightly outwards. Keep your chest out, your midsection firm and head facing frontwards. Now squat as if you were going to sit down, leaning into your heels, until your backside is inline or parallel to the floor. Then using your thighs and butt push yourself back up again. Do not lock your knees out when returning to standing position. Keep your knees soft and the movement flowing. Continue with the second squat, then third etc until you have completed the set.

Lunges. 

Stand with your feet together. Keep your chest out and midsection firm, do not arch your back. With your hands on your hips or by your sides, step forward with a large stride. Bend both your knees. Your front leg should be at a 90 degree angle (your knee and shin should be in a straight line with your ankle). Your back leg should be extended behind you and your knee should be nearly touching the floor. Now with your front foot push up carefully to starting position. Keep yourself steady throughout the exercise. After you have performed the required amount of reps on that leg, swap to the other leg.

Step-Ups, along with various floor and mat exercises.

With just these exercises alone you can create a lower body workout routine that is very effective for sculpting and shaping your legs, hips, butt and thighs. And of course there are modifications you can also implement for each of these movements.

For instance, you can do a variety of different types of squats to target different lower body muscles in different ways:

Sumo squats with your legs very wide apart, squats with legs placed together, single-legged squats that exhaust the muscles one side at a time. 

Including a wide variety of floor exercises that mimic the work done on larger weight machines can really work wonders for your thighs and butt. You may need to do more reps than you would do of a movement with weight machines, but a lower body workout routine using only body weight can be highly effective.

Those who don't want to add bulk to the thighs and butt are often better off working with very light weight or no weight at all with this area of the body.

Damian@FitnHealthy

5 Helpful Things to Do to Start Your Personal Fitness Program

The most common challenge that people I talk to face is how to incorporate fitness into their lives. They know they have to do something to get in shape but they really don’t know how. It can be discouraging because of the abundance of information out there......

The most common challenge that people I talk to face is how to incorporate fitness into their lives. They know they have to do something to get in shape but they really don’t know how. It can be discouraging because of the abundance of information out there. 

So much that you may not know where to begin.

Our society has so many food choices that it is easy to pack on the extra pounds. Also our day to day jobs are less physical as they where 100 years ago so we have more sedentary life styles. We know there are benefits involved when we exercise and cleaning up or diet. However, most of us know don’t know how or where to start. 

So where do we begin? Or is the question: How do we begin?

try these 5 things to help you get started:

Make the Choice to Start Exercising and Eating Right

Making the decision to do something provides a form of commitment you made to your self. Deciding that you need to change behavior creates new possibilities. 

When you say to your self “I need to get in shape”, it means something. 

You should be answering these questions in your mind: 

When can I work out? 

What exercises do I need to do? 

What foods should I be eating? 

Make your self think about the commitment you just made. Only then you can let go of the past and take steps to move forward. 

Write Down What You Do

You need a reference that is realistic towards your weekly activity. Write down everything you do during the week. This should include work hours, commuting hours, nights spent with your spouse, your child’s activities and anything else you can think of that you do. You should also include what you do on weekends. You should make a list for each day of the week. Here’s why….. 

Some people set lofty goals like working out for 2 hours a day. This can be due to an old saying, “More is Better”. However, this is not the case. 

Knowing your schedule will help you set realistic goals and help you find a few hours a week to start exercising. You’ll have a visual perspective on what you can and can’t do with your routine. 

Research and Get Information

Most people do not have enough information before they start a work out program. So how do we get the information we need? The good news is we live in the information age. Take advantage of your favorite search engine and learn a little bit about fitness and nutrition. However, do not go overboard and lose focus. Find a source of information you like and take notes. Find the simplest and easiest workouts and nutrition tips. Don’t over load yourself with information, take a look at our Home Workouts and look at circut training 

If you have the money, hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to help you get started. Hiring a personal trainer is a great way to get started because you have made a commitment to meet someone to workout. Your goal is to have the trainer show you the basics on exercise and eating healthier. It may also be safer to learn how to perform the exercises (especially if you have not exercised for a while).

Create a Simple Plan and Set Realistic Goals

Keep it Simple! Following a simple plan while on a hectic schedule is much easier than following an elaborate plan. You should have a plan of which days you want to work out and one goal to change your eating habits for the next few weeks. For example, “I will work out for a half an hour for 3 days this week. I will eat a little less each meal.” Simple is success. 

Execute Your Plan

Now that you have a plan, all you need to do is follow it. This is another big step. You should look at your plan every day upon waking. You need be mentally prepared for the great day ahead of you. Having your daily schedule in hand will help you achieve your goals for the day. When you complete your workout for the day, highlight it or cross it off your list. It will show you that you accomplished something for yourself. No matter what you must execute. This will be the hardest (and most rewarding) step. 

I hope these things help you get started on a new life of physical fitness. Life is filled with making decisions, knowing your commitments, getting information, planning and execution. 

Try these approaches for yourself and you will see that having your own workout and nutrition program is not as far fetched or complicated as you think .. If you need help reach out to us HERE 

Damian@FitnHealthy 

Virtual Fitness Training - The New Trend in Fitness

We all know the deal - watch what you eat, follow a fitness routine, and, if it is within your budget, join a gym or hire a personal trainer and you will lose weight, look good, and feel great. Often this will work, at first. The problem is, most of us have a hard time sticking to this ideal. Busy lifestyles, lack of sleep or energy, or loss of motivation usually kick in at some point to throw us off our accomplished health routines. What does it take, most of us wonder, to achieve results that can last, and not break our budget?

Welcome to the world of virtual training. With today's ease of technology and mass of social networking sites, in addition to the need for budget-friendly options, the next step in fitness is virtual training. What is virtual training? Virtual training is doing a fitness routine with your fitness coach from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere you have a computer, without the burden of paying high fees for your trainer to come to you. 

One of the top fitness trends is cost-conscious workouts using limited equipment. 

How is that accomplished? 

 

Directly through your computer and Internet service! Simply set up convenient times to meet with your fitness coach, set up the free computer program Skype™, make sure you have a video camera and microphone with your computer (most new computers come already equipped with these features), grab your workout sneakers and you are ready to go! A full workout routine can be accomplished in a small space using your own body weight, or a set of dumbbells, for equipment.

Virtual training has all the benefits of in-person fitness training without the drawbacks of having to physically leave your home or office. Accountability is the most critical factor for maintaining an exercise routine and continually making progress towards your goals. 

Regular virtual appointments with your fitness coach keep you on track, pushing you with ongoing support and encouragement to achieve desired results, without ever having to leave your home! 

Safety is another key factor in exercise, and your credentialed fitness coach will ensure that you make safe exercise progressions based on your health and level of ability and that you use good form for each exercise. 

Motivation is yet another essential element to fitness success. A fitness coach trained in behavior change techniques will ensure you overcome your personal hurdles and set-backs along the way with strategies that work specifically for you.

Hiring a high quality fitness coach is essential.
Before making a commitment to working with a particular fitness coach, review his/her credentials.

Look for a fitness certification from a respectable organization in the fitness industry that has received accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the American Council on Exercise (ACE) are a few that are accredited by the NCCA. Also look for a college degree in an exercise or health related field and for experience. Many experienced fitness coaches will provide references or testimonials. And, finally, many fitness coaches go through additional training in behavior change principles, which helps clients like you to move past personal barriers that may have been delaying progress. Wellcoaches® is a corporation, endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine, that trains health and fitness professionals in coaching competencies.

Ask your Trainer / PT/ Coach what training he/she has had in behavior change or coaching.

As you work on your goals, remember to use all available resources to help you achieve desired results. Virtual fitness training is one convenient and affordable resource that can bring you to real success.

Source : Sonja Boggs| Ezine