Bench Press: The Best Of All Chest Exercises

March 30, 2009 | 7 Comments

Many women avoid chest exercises for fear they will over train their chest and gain a gorilla-like posture. And for such reasoning, the bench press is normally not considered an exercise for women. But there are benefits for women who get a good pectoral workout. And while there are many different ways to get a good pec workout, the bench press is considered by many weight lifters to be the best of all chest exercises.

Here are the benefits of a good pec workout:

Most of us have relied on our chest muscles our entire life for pushing and pulling heavy things. When we have good upper-body strength we have more strength for activities such as lifting and holding our children, pushing lawnmowers, and rearranging our furniture. And with strong chest muscles we are less likely to injure ourselves while doing such activities.

What a good pec workout won’t do.

Don’t think that with a regular bench press workout you will turn your A cups into double-Ds. It just won’t happen. But with a little dedication, it can give you nice athletic cleavage. And because it works the delts and triceps, it will give you nicely shaped arms and a better athletic frame. Simply put, you will be in better overall shape.

How to bench press:

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the barbell so your arms are evenly spaced a few inches wider than shoulder-width apart. Arch your back just slightly. Lift the bar off the rack and hold it at arm’s length over your chest. Straighten your arms, but don’t lock your elbows. Slowly lower the bar to your chest. Pause, and then push the bar back up. During this exercise, be sure to pull your abs in tight, exhale as you press the bar up, and inhale as you lower the bar down.

If you want to focus on your upper chest, then incline the bench to a 45-degree angle. Or if you really want to get strong, decline the bench 30 or 40 degrees.

Don’t have a barbell?

Then do pushups! Start in a pushup position, hands shoulder width apart. While keeping your back straight, bend at the elbows until your chin almost touches the ground. Push back up, and repeat.

Popularity: 31% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Chest Exercises

Joining In The Fun At The Ultimate Blog Party 2009

March 20, 2009 | 24 Comments

Photo by stilinberlin.de
Are you here for the party?

Last year I missed out on The Ultimate Blog Party, a virtual party hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom specifically for women bloggers, who can participate by throwing their own blog party. But this year, 2009, I am sure to participate. Afterall, there are prizes to be won at this party!

If you are new here and/or have arrived through Janice and Susan’s Ultimate Blog Party 2009 … Welcome to my little corner of the party! I am grateful you are here. I am Julie, the owner of The Health & Wellness Post. And this is a strength training blog to help women (and men!) improve their health and lose weight. Besides being a health blogger, I am also an independent distributor for the superjuice Vemma.

Here at The H&W Post, I rarely take time away from exercise to have a party, but I’m never above putting a little party into my exercise. So before you move along with your blog party hopping, let’s join Chalene Johnson in a little hip hop dance. But first, as requested by twins Janice and Susan, here are my top 3 party prize picks:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer provided by Moms Who Think (#58). (Can you believe I’m 44 and have never had a mixer!)
Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook (#49) provided by Pudget: Losing Weight On A Budget. I’m a big fan of Jillian’s!
Simply Precious Photo Tile Necklace (#41) provided by Elemental Memories. This is so precious!

Other preferences: Nos. 15, 19, and 21. Now, let’s exercise … um, I mean party!

Popularity: 28% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training

Nuru “Exercise Anywhere” Cards

March 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Yes, yes, I know. There are many of you out there who want to exercise, but just don’t care to join all us crazies at the gym. And when you workout at home, you may feel like you are at a loss as to what to do.

Well, here’s something that can help you build a better body in the comfort of your own home.

Crystalee at nuruplanet.com recently provided me with a deck of Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards for my review. Quite frankly, this is a nice little deck of cards. And I’ll share with you my reasons for being so fond of this sweet little item.

First of all, the Nuru deck is right in step with the type of training which I share on my blog, strength training. It illustrates various ways you can exercise using your own body weight as resistance (which in turn will burn calories and tone muscles) thereby making it easy to exercise anywhere. It targets all the major muscle groups … abs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, and glutes. And it is for everyone, from the beginner to the advanced.

Next, this item consists of 30 cards, bound together with a small metal ring, which fit nicely into the palm of your hand and easily in your purse. It doesn’t take up much room in your home and is perfect for traveling.

Lastly, it comes with a decent price making it affordable for everyone. You can get the Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards for under $10 as shipping is free. Don’t we all love free shipping!

Here’s a sample of what you will find in a Nuru deck of cards. (Photos provided by NuruPlanet.com.)

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Body Weight Exercises

Exercise Can Help Get You Through A Financial Crisis

February 1, 2009 | 4 Comments

Photo by Ernst Moeksis
What do you do when all hell breaks loose on your finances?

We all have times during our lives in which we experience a crisis. Whether it be a financial crisis, a divorce, or a health issue, we experience them. And with each crisis comes a fear of how we are going to get through it. The most recent crisis millions of people are dealing with is, of course, the economy. With thousands and thousands of Americans facing layoffs right now, the main question on every one’s mind is, “What if the bailout doesn’t work?” If the government doesn’t turn these tough times around soon, what will we do?

According to motivational speaker Anthony Robbins, we have to rescue ourselves. We have to find a way to empower ourselves so that we can take action in our own rescue. Now, this article isn’t to discuss all the steps you should take to rescue yourself from a crisis. Anthony can help you with that better than I can. This article is only to tell you the first, and probably most important, step. In order to start rescuing yourself from a financial crisis, or any crisis, you first have to get strong . . . mentally and physically. And the best way to do that is by starting each day with an intense workout. Whether it be running, weight lifting, or something else, hit the pavement and hit it hard. When you do a workout which pushes you past what you think are your limits, you get a sense of accomplishment, pride, and self-confidence. Then you can take these feelings and use them as ammunition to fight the storm that faces you and push yourself through what you think are your financial limits.

A good workout will:

Feed both your mind and your body.

Help you avoid falling into a depression.

Motivate you to do something to change your life.

Empower you to take the necessary action to turn things around.

Give you strength to follow through.

But don’t just concentrate on building strength during the time of a crisis. Do it continually so you will be up to the challenge of tackling a crisis head on as soon as it hits.

Popularity: 33% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training

10 Heart-Pumping Tunes For Your Workout

January 28, 2009 | 4 Comments

Photo by re-ality
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.

Live Your Life, Rihanna

Pump It Up, Elvis Costello

Popularity: 25% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted by Julie | Filed Under Tunes

How Many Calories Does Weight Lifting Burn?

January 27, 2009 | 67 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.