10 Heart-Pumping Tunes For Your Workout

January 28, 2009 | 5 Comments

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Do you listen to music when you exercise?

In 2005, there was a study which showed that people who listened to music during their workout performed up to 13 percent harder than they would without music.  Another study in 2006 showed that people could hold a 2.4 pound weight at shoulder height and arms length in front of their bodies for up to 10 percent longer when they listened to music.  Yet, other studies will argue that for the serious athlete, music is a distraction and should be avoided if you want to see gains in your results.

For me, however, moving to the beat of some of my favorite tunes keeps me motivated and inspired (depending on the words).  With music, my workout lasts longer, I am more alert, and I feel I have much better results.  Overall, I am much more likely to stick to an exercise program when motivational music is playing in my ears which gets my heart pumping.

Music to get you going.

Below is a list of 10 songs which I enjoy and which help to increase my workout performance.  I start out with some songs a little on the slow side, then provide some to amp things up a bit, and then some to slow things back down.  Please share in the comments below your favorite tunes for workout motivation.

  1. 1, 2 Step, Missy Elliott
  2. That’s Not My Name, The Ting Tings
  3. Live Your Life, Rihanna
  4. Pump It Up, Elvis Costello
  5. I Like The Way You Move, Body Rockers
  6. Keeps Gettin’ Better, Christina Aguilera
  7. Womanizer, Britney Spears
  8. Maneater, Nelly Furtado (Instrumental)
  9. Higher Ground, Stevie Wonder
  10. I Love The Way You Move, Daniel Craig

Live Your Life, Rihanna

Pump It Up, Elvis Costello

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Tunes 

How Many Calories Does Weight Lifting Burn?

January 27, 2009 | 147 Comments

You can burn 8-10 calories per minute just by pumping iron.

Compare that to running or bicycling, where you burn 10-12 calories a minute, and that’s not too bad.  But wait, it gets better.  Lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike which lasts for approximately an hour after your workout.  This is due to the fact that your body is trying to help your muscles recover from the workout.  During this spike, your body will continue to burn calories even though you have finished your strength training session … and even while you are relaxing.  And, because muscles use a lot of energy to sustain themselves, for every 3 pounds of muscle you build, your body will burn an additional 120 calories per day.

Knowing this makes it easy to understand why weight lifting should be included in a weight loss plan.  And no matter what your weight lifting goals are, it is a good idea to keep a journal of your progress as you increase your weight load, otherwise you just may be working sporadically.  To help you keep track of your progress and reach your weight lifting goals, I have created for you a printable Strength Training Journal.  This journal includes a chart for 3 strength training sessions per week.  More than that is not recommended as it could result in over training.  Keep a log of how many reps you do and how much weight you are lifting for each move.  Then, every 4 weeks, review your charts to see how well you have increased your workout.

Download Strength Training Journal.

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training 

3 Challenging Ab Exercises That Will Build The Core

January 23, 2009 | 2 Comments

In my last post, I talked about important facts you should know about abdominal training.  And in that post, I mentioned why sit ups are not the best exercise for your abs.  In this post, I want to share with you some excellent, albeit somewhat difficult, alternatives to sit ups.

Most people tend to believe that our abdominals are two separate muscles … the upper abs and the lower abs.  The truth is, our abs are one long muscle.  And while some exercises emphasize working a certain portion of the abs (for example, the crunch emphasizes the upper portion), any ab exercise, when done properly, will work the entire muscle.  Below are three videos demonstrating challenging exercises that will work the entire abdominal muscle as well as the core.  Remember to allow 48 hours between workouts to give your muscles a chance to rest and repair.

Let’s get started!

The Plank: The plank is superior to crunches as it is a basic core stabilization exercise.  Besides the abs, it works the back, glutes, and shoulder stabilizer muscles.  Go for a 30-second hold.  If you want to take it up it a notch, lift up a leg during the hold.

Reverse Plank With Leg Lifts: A very challenging exercise and an all-around excellent core stabilizer, this exercise is also known as the Pilates leg pull back.  It works your abs, arms, core, hip flexors, and legs.  If you find this move too difficult, do it without the leg lifts and go for a 30-second hold.

The Pilates Teaser One: The Teaser One is a very challenging exercise that strengthens the inner thighs as well as the abdominals.  It is an exercise for the more advanced and it is a wonderful core stabilizer.  It is a great exercise for sculpting the midsection.

Related Articles:  Get The Facts On Abs

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training 

Get The Facts On Abs

January 22, 2009 | 2 Comments

There are good reasons for doing abdominal exercises.  The most common one being … six pack abs! But while having a washboard across your midsection may make you look good, remember too that strong abdominals will help you feel good as they play a crucial role in your daily life.

Your abs support your spine throughout all movements.  From simple movements, such as sitting in a chair, to more difficult movements, such as shoveling snow, strong abs will help prevent backache and reduce, and perhaps even eliminate, existing back pain.  It is good to know as much as possible about abs, so …

Read these facts before beginning your abdominal training:

Fact No. 1: Abdominal exercises won’t make the the fat go away.  Ab exercises will strengthen your muscles, but these muscles lie underneath a layer of fat.  You could do crunches all day, day after day, and not lose any inches off your midsection.  The only way to reduce the fat is to eat less and do more cardio.

Fact No. 2: Sit ups are not the best exercise for abs.  Sit ups only work the abs in the first part of the motion.  Once your shoulders leave the floor, your lower back and hip flexors are doing the work.  And sit ups can cause you to arch your back and can eventually lead to back pain.  Instead try crunches, which work all your abdominal muscles, or other ab exercises which are easier on the back.

Fact No. 3: To build ab muscles, you do not need to do hundreds of reps on a daily basis.  Abdominals are like any other muscle group and should be done in sets of reps with a brief break in between.  Do up to 15 reps per set for optimal strength.  Or for endurance training, do up to 25 reps per set.  And, like any other muscle group, abs should be allowed a day of rest between workouts.  You should always wait 48 hours between intense workouts.  Muscles develop during rest, and over training can lead to injury.

And lastly,

Fact No. 4: Not everyone can develop six-pack abs.  Despite your healthy eating habits, your numerous hours of cardio, and your dedication to abdominal exercising, you still may not be able to get rid of all the fat around your middle, and, therefore, will never be able to show off your hard ab work.  Many people are just not genetically capable of reducing the fat around their midsection to such a small amount.

Related Article: 3 Challenging Ab Exercises That Will Build The Core

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training 

The Power Of The Squat

January 4, 2009 | 2 Comments

It is no surprise that the squat is often referred to as the most important strength training exercise.  Afterall, it is a full body exercise.  When done in proper form (important so as to avoid injury), the squat will build muscle in your back, abs, and arms.  It will build strength in your legs and, yes, even your knees, despite what many people believe.  And it will help you gain hip flexibility.

How to do a squat:

Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart.  Slowly lower your body while keeping your back straight. Move your hips back as though you are going to sit in a chair. Keep your knees over the toes and your heels on the floor.  Your body weight should be on your heels.  Lower yourself to a 90 degree bend in the knee.  Slowly return to a standing position by lifting up with your heels, never using your toes.  Squeeze your glutes on the way up.

Below is a video demonstration of a proper squat using heavy weights. While it is not necessary to use weights when doing a squat, adding weight will intensify the move. Beginners and people with balancing problems should use light weights or skip the weight altogether. Instead, they may place hands on hips or thighs throughout the exercise.

Don’ts:

  • Don’t lean your upper body more than a few inches forward when lowering.
  • Don’t allow your knees to shoot out in front of your toes.
  • Don’t shift your body weight to your toes thereby lifting your heels off the floor.
  • Don’t arch your back as you stand back up.
  • Don’t look down as your body tends to follow your eyes.

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training