The Top 10 Thigh Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly

Many people are after toned legs with less fat. While many exercises do tone the legs and burn fat, you must add cardiovascular exercise to your routine if you want to maximize fat loss. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise, most days of the week. You can increase the intensity of any toning exercise by adding dumbbells or increasing the weight of the dumbbells you are using.

Squats

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower yourself toward the ground as if you were about to sit in a chair. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, stand back up, returning to your starting position. Make sure your behind extends behind you so that your knees don’t move forward past your toes. You should be able to see the top of your sneakers throughout the whole workout. If you don’t see your shoes, shift your weight back.

Jump Squats

Stand with your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Lower yourself toward the ground, then jump into the air as high as you can, landing softly. Make sure your behind extends behind you so that your knees don’t move forward past your toes. You should be able to see the top of your sneakers throughout the whole workout. If you don’t see your shoes, shift your weight back.

Walking Lunges

Stand with your hands on your hips or at your sides holding dumbbells. Step one foot forward as far as you can while dropping your back knee toward the ground. Return to start and step the other foot forward as you drop the other back knee toward the ground. Continue alternating legs as you travel forward across the room.

Curtsy Lunge

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step one leg behind you as you cross it behind the front leg, bending both knees simultaneously as you lower toward the ground. Return to your starting by pushing off the back knee. Repeat the same number of sets on both legs.

Reverse Lunge

Stand with your feet flat on the floor. Step one leg back behind you and lower your back knee toward the ground. Press off your back leg, returning to your start position. Complete the same number of reps on the other side.

Forward Lunge

Stand with your feet flat on floor. Step one foot forward as far as you can while dropping the back knee toward the ground. Be sure to lower yourself toward the ground instead of forward toward your toes. You should see your front toes throughout the entire movement, so be sure you don’t extend forward. Complete the same number of reps on the other side.

Side Lunge

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip distance. Step one foot out to the side as far as you can while lowering yourself toward the ground. Your opposite leg should remain straight, and you should feel a stretch in the inner thigh of that leg. Push powerfully off the bent leg to return to your starting position. Complete the same number of reps on the other side.

Abduction

Lie on the ground on your side. Lift your top leg as high as you can, and lower to start with control. Roll over and complete on the other side. You may rest a dumbbell on your leg near the outside of your knee to add resistance, or wear a set of ankle weights.

Adduction

Lie on your side. Cross your top leg over your bottom leg. Begin lifting your bottom leg up toward the ceiling. Try not to let your torso rock backward. You may wear ankle weights to increase resistance. Repeat same number of sets on both legs.

Wall Sit

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back against a wall. Walk your feet out and lower yourself toward the ground until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat several times. Avoid putting your hands on your thighs. Instead, keep them overhead or down at your sides.

4 Steps to lose weight after pregnancy

Step 1

Determine whether you are physically ready to lose weight after giving birth. The pregnancy website Baby Center recommends waiting until after your six- or eight-week check-up to begin dieting.

Step 2

Decide on your goal weight. If you were a healthy weight prior to your pregnancy, set your pre-pregnancy weight as a goal. If you were overweight before getting pregnant, ask your doctor or midwife for a healthy weight range for your height and age.

Step 3

Eat between 1,800 to 2,200 calories a day if you are breast-feeding to ensure your infant has adequate nutrition. Eat at least 1,200 calories a day, if you are not breast-feeding. Both these calorie levels will enable you to lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week, which will get you to your goal weight relatively quickly. Your calorie needs may vary from these amounts, so ask your doctor or dietitian how many calories you need for healthy weight loss.

Step 4

Plan three low-calorie meals each day that feature natural, rather than processed foods. Choose natural breakfast foods such as steel-cut oats, bran or shredded wheat cereal or egg white omelets. Select lunch meals featuring whole-grain breads and wraps, baked chicken or seafood, green salads and whole fruit. Fill half your dinner plate with vegetables and fruit, and use one-quarter of your plate for a lean protein, and one-quarter of your plate for a whole grain.

The 5 Most Important Elements of a Women’s Arms Workout

I thought about this a lot and I have used it for my own training routines and for those of my clients. Women need to pay special attention to these elements.

1. Technique
   If your a reader of Real Muscle Online then you’ll know that technique is the most important thing. And, although it isnt actually part of CREATING an arms routine, I had to include it because it is just so important.
2. Sets and Reps
   When thinking up a routine you have to keep in mind your goals. If your goals are to get rid of flabby arms then a more aerobic approach might be the go. If you want to get big arms or more muscle definition, then heavy weight with low reps might be for you. Either way, learn what sets and reps can do for your arms workout.
3. Injuries
   Do you have sore shoulders or a bad back. Have you in the past? Certain exercises for the arms place a lot of pressure on these areas and can do some damage if your technique isn’t perfect. Make sure your in good health first.
4. Frequency
   This refers to how often we do the whole workout (ie 3 days a week). The frequency is important because doing too much can hinder progress and not enough can do the same. Again, think about your goals and the time you have to train and then decide what would be most productive. At the minimum to see results with these type of goals you should workout three times a week.
5. Big Exercises
   This is a really big issue for some women. Many of the women at my gym spend far too much time on exercises that really dont work that well. The poor things have been suckered into using those fancy exercises by the gym trainers who really dont know what they are doing. When you are composing your arms workout, use exercises that can handle more weight and have a more full motion. I call them ‘big exercises’.It is hard to define big exercises though because we are mainlyÂ�talking about isolation movements that target only the triceps or the biceps. However, I would say the motion of a narrow grip bench press (triceps) is bigger than a tricep kickback because it can take more weight and has a bigger range of motion. Likewise, I would choose a dip over a narrow grip bench press! Get the idea?

Women’s Tricep Exercises

I thought I would use this post to post a list of my “approved” exercises that I want all of my readers to try. If anyone wants details on how to do them drop me an email and I’ll write a post!

• Dips (works mainly chest though)
• Skull crushers
• Tricep cable pushdowns
• Narrow grip bench press
• Behind the head lifts

Women’s Bicep Exercises

• Bar bell curl
• Preacher curls
• Concentration curls
• Cable curls
• Alternate dumb bell curls

So, your arms workout should be composed of several of these exercises, a definite and pre decided number of sets and reps as well as a good amount of protein straight after the workout. But, as I mentioned, technique will either make or break you. Take the time to learn how to do the exercises properly.

Example Women’s Arm Workout

Here is an example of a rookie arms workout:
Triceps:

• Dips – 3 sets of 15
• Narrow Grip Bench Press – 3 sets of 12
• Skull Crushers – 3 sets of 8

Biceps:

• Bar bell curls – 3 sets of 12
• Concentration Curls – 3 sets of 8
• Alternate Dumb bell Curls – 3 sets of 8

Get a perfect beach body!

Wait!! Why are we writing this just as we're heading into winter?? Because before you know it, summer will be here and all your winter fat will need to melt away! So start now!

To truly see the best results possible you should give yourself at least six weeks - when I really want to get in phenomenal shape I allow nine weeks for my body to see optimal results. It's May, and you've got less than a month - so let's begin ASAP! 


Four Aspects To Concentrate On:

1. Diet
2. Supplementation
3. Mentality
4. Exercise

REFINE YOUR ABS
A flat stomach is as much about having a low percentage of body fat as it is about having lots of muscle tone. These five moves help you achieve both.

STABILITY-BALL CRUNCHES
A wobbly surface like a stability ball makes you recruit more muscle, so you get more from your crunches. With your back on the ball, keep feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Place your hands behind your head. Contract your abs, lifting your shoulder blades and upper back off the ball. DO: Two sets of 20 repetitions, two to three times a week.

MEDICINE-BALL CRUNCHES
Work all of your ab muscles by lying on your back (knees bent, feet flat on the floor) and having a partner throw a medicine ball to you in different directions — straight at you, to your left, to your right. Catch the ball by moving only your torso and arms. Toss the ball back to your partner. DO: Two sets of 20 repetitions, two to three times a week.

V-SITS
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor. Draw your knees toward you, keeping them bent at 90 degrees (hips at 45 degrees). Raise your upper body toward your lower until you're balancing on your butt (your body is making a V shape). Return to starting position. DO: Two sets of 20 repetitions, two to three times a week.

INTERVALS
Blast calories with bursts of high intensity.
Long: Push yourself to the highest effort level you can sustain for three minutes. Then, drop down to an effort level of 3 (out of 10) for three minutes. Repeat five times.
Short: Push yourself to an effort level of 9 for 30 seconds, then back off to 3 for one minute. Do this five to eight times. DO: One long- and one short-interval workout each week.

LONG, SLOW DISTANCE
This teaches your body to become good at burning fat for fuel. Run or bike at an intensity of 6.5 to 7 on a scale of 1 (easy) to 10 (almost impossible) for at least one hour, increasing the amount of time by 10 minutes each week. DO: One distance workout per week.

Fad diets among caloric carnage

Great article on Why Fad diets could do more harm than good. Well it's more of a Q&A rather than an article. But read on:



The Question:

I have an abiding distrust of fad diets and wonder what we will see in terms of long-range health effects. Is it true that people can lose a lot of weight with these special diets? Seems suspicious to me.

The Answer:

Sophia Loren once proclaimed, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." If Sophia can laugh in the face of "low carb" dietary fads, so can the rest of us. A decade ago the clarion call was, "Eat carbs, not fat!" Now it's "Eat fat, not carbs!" And, are Americans any lighter now than a decade ago? Not even by an ounce. In fact, we have leaped nationally from a population 50 percent overweight in the 1980s to the 65 percent mark today.

The word diet comes from the Greek word diaita, which means "course of life." For way too many, this means a life-course dominated by an obsession with very specifically organized food programs, all promising to be The Answer to obesity. While many of the plans do contain scattered nuggets of scientific truth and some nutritional accuracy, most are simply The Answer to the authors' financial woes.

Why these diets seem to work, especially for those with 20 pounds or more to lose, is that the books regiment every aspect of food consumption. The dieter is told what to eat, when to eat it and, most importantly, how much to eat. The calories are all worked out in advance and, as long as the food is weighed and measured, voila. Caloric consumption is under control. But, is the new plan something that can be embraced over time, and is it healthy to do so?

The boring, totally hype-free truth is that weight loss occurs for the long term when slow and gradual lifestyle and eating behaviors are changed. The body is a perfectly balanced energy system and is a ruthless accountant when it comes to calculating energy in (food) and energy out (activity). In addition to portion control, cutting 500 calories a day, by reducing calories consumed and expending calories through exercise, a person can theoretically lose one to two pounds a week. This can be something as simple as both cutting out the latte and bagel at mid-morning and going for a brisk, 30-minute walk at lunch.

But, since we live in a society where food is accessible 24/7, offering a cornucopia of caloric carnage, many of us truly need a good, well-balanced guide to eating properly for general health as well as for weight control. The best programs out there do not restrict you to specific foods, such as grapefruit or cabbage soup. Weight Watchers comes out on top along with the D.A.S.H. Diet, and diets that tend towards high fiber, lean proteins and stick with low-glycemic foods.

This column cannot begin to cover all the books out there that contain good, solid, healthy information and plans. The best thing is to find a method that works for you and provides a lifestyle you can enjoy and employ over the long term. Consulting with a registered dietitian is also recommended.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/789946_Fad-diets-among-caloric-carnage.html#ixzz2EWqSUcCY

Pregnancy Fitness Week by Week

As an expectant mama, you are in for some surprises (you're suddenly turned off by your usual turn-ons), aversions (you now despise your favorite mocha java latte), and symptoms (you feel like you've been run over by a Mack truck — every day). Stay one step ahead of these pregnancy changes and browse these pregnancy tips to learn more about what to expect during your pregnancy week-by-week.

First Trimester

Weeks 1 and 2: Exercise During Pregnancy – Yes, You Can!
Pregnancy should not be viewed as an excuse not to exercise, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Week 3: Pregnancy Weight Control
Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be permanent.

Week 4: Some Good Reasons to Work Out
Getting with the program is good for your pregnant body (both now and after delivery) and your mood.

Week 5: Swimming and Pregnancy
Swimming is fun, safe, low-impact — and it lets you feel weightless no matter how much pregnancy weight you gain!

Week 6: Working Out During Pregnancy – A Queasy Question
Should you or shouldn't you work out when you're nauseous? The answer: It depends.

Week 7: Working In Pregnancy Workouts
It's one thing to make the commitment to pregnancy exercise — it's another thing to find a slot for it in your schedule.

Week 8: Pregnancy and Working Out – Some Definite Don'ts
A quick list of workout no-nos to be aware of during your pregnancy.

Week 9: Workout Pace During Pregnancy
If you haven't worked out in a while, there are some good reasons not to start out with a bang.

Week 10: Activities to Avoid During Pregnancy
Even if you're a jock from way back, there are a few athletic activities that aren't recommended now that you're pregnant.

Week 11: Pregnancy Exercise Routine
Exercising for two hours one day, then another hour a week later won't do much to get you in shape. Here's a better approach.

Week 12: Motivation to Work Out During Pregnancy
Need help finding the motivation to exercise? Here are ways to make it more fun.

Week 13: How Much Water to Drink While Pregnant?
It's more important than ever to stay hydrated now, so plan on adding an extra glass of liquid when you work out.

Second Trimester

Week 14: Pregnancy Workout Goals
Early pregnancy fatigue has you dragging, and you just want to crawl into bed — here are ways to get going.

Week 15: Maternity Workout Clothes
Wearing the right workout clothes will keep you safe, and make you look (and feel) good too.

Week 16: Workout Snacks During Pregnancy
Lucky you — you get to replace the calories you burn up at the gym! Here's how to choose pregnancy snacks wisely.

Week 17: Eat More When Working Out While Pregnant
You get to eat an extra 100 to 200 calories for every half hour of strenuous exercise during pregnancy. Stay away from that candy bar…

Week 18: Back Exercises During Pregnancy
Pregnancy backache got you down? Here are two options for stretching, loosening, and releasing tension.

Week 19: Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy
Just say no to these eight workout moves that are off-limits during pregnancy.

Week 20: Stretching During Pregnancy
Your stretched muscles and loosened ligaments make you more prone to injury these days, so be careful.

Week 21: Pregnancy Stretches: Take a Lap
Don't be a working stiff! Use these tricks and tips to help you stay loose.

Week 22: Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy
Physical activity is one of the best ways to stimulate your bowels and fight constipation during pregnancy.

Week 23: Pregnancy Exercise Scores Points
You're not the only one who benefits from pregnancy exercise — your baby does, too!

Week 24: Pilates During Pregnancy
Everybody's doing it — but is Pilates the right exercise for you?

Week 25: Posture During Pregnancy - Straighten Up!
Your posture takes a hit during pregnancy, but there are good reasons to stand up straight.

Week 26: Watch Your Balance During Pregnancy
It's not just what you do, it's what you do it on, especially now that your balance isn't what it used to be.

Week 27: Too Much Exercise During Pregnancy?
How do you know how much workout is too much for baby?

Third Trimester

Week 28: Exercise and Pregnancy Heart Rate
It's important to keep an eye on your heart rate — here's an easy way to see if you're overdoing it.

Week 29: Prenatal Yoga
Yoga is perfect for the pregnant body and soul — and perfect preparation for labor.

Week 30: Exercise Gear During Pregnancy
Having the right stuff is especially important now that you are pregnant — here's what you need.

Week 31: Kegel Exercises
The name may be silly, but these pelvic-floor strengthening exercises really work wonders.

Week 32: Relieving Neck Pain During Pregnancy
An easy way to relieve the tension that is no doubt building up in your neck right now.

Week 33: Pelvic Exercises During Pregnancy
Up against the wall, Mama — it's time for your pelvic tilts!

Week 34: Weight Training During Pregnancy
Lifting heavy weights isn't a good idea during pregnancy — here's why (and what to do instead).

Week 35: Energy During Pregnancy
Where to find your energy lift now that you've cut down on those lattes and caffeine during pregnancy

Week 36: Fit Pregnancy, Happy Baby
There's science behind it, but who cares? It works! Here's a surprising payoff to exercising during pregnancy.

Week 37: Ball Exercises During Pregnancy
Looking for a good late pregnancy workout? Get on the ball!

Week 38: Walking During Pregnancy
Why that late-pregnancy waddle is actually good for you

Week 39: Squat Exercises During Pregnancy
Not in the field, of course — but a few good squats in the routine now will help during labor.

Week 40: Exercises To Turn a Breech Baby
If your baby is breech, there are some specific exercises you can do to make him turn.

Week 41: Mini-Workouts Before Labor
A mini-workout during pregnancy to keep you toned while you wait for the baby to arrive

Week 42: Relaxation Techniques How to loosen up those tense muscles one last time — because it may be a while before you can relax again

Jane Fonda 'fun and easy' new yoga DVD

She won millions of fans with her workout films of the 1980s.

But now Jane Fonda has admitted that her pneumatic regime from that era was actually 'all about going for the pain'.

The fitness guru revealed that punishing yourself was the main point of such classics as her 1982 video Workout which sold 17m copies worldwide.


Fonda said that generation of women who did endless pelvic lifts wearing leg warmers and leotards were not supposed to feel the burn - but to feel the agony instead.

Now at age of 74 she has released a new yoga DVD which she describes as a ‘fun and easy’ way to stay fit.

Even though she remains evergreen, Fonda admitted that age is now catching up with her and that she is having to adjust the routines she performs.

In an interview she said: ‘I used to be all about going for the pain. Not anymore. I'm not asking them to do anything too hard. I do them (the exercises) with older people in mind.

‘I want it to be fun and easy for them, but effective.’

In the interview Fonda said that she was grateful to look as good as she does and that she was ‘well aware of how 75 can look’.

She said: ‘Every single time I go to get out of a car now, I say 'Thank you, Lord, I have strong quads’.

‘Because if I didn't have strong quads, I couldn't be independent. You have to keep your back and legs strong so you can remain free and independent.’

Artistic Yoga for Weight Loss

Yoga Guru Bharat Thakur explains how yoga is not about twisting the body into different positions "Yoga is not about twisting and turning the body into different positions.

"There's a lot more to it," says Bharat Thakur, the founder of Artistic Yoga, who studied under his master, Sukhdev Brahmachari for many years and combined the ancient yogic knowledge with sports medicine and exercise physiology to create Artistic Yoga, a dynamic form of yoga that is becoming a rage in India and worldwide. "If one practices this system, one is assured to lose weight, be free of many diseases and still have the yogic glow." "I started with Bharat Thakur's Artistic Yoga about a year back and since then there has been no looking back. I lost five kgs in the very first month and that kept me motivated and going. Today, I feel balanced, my body feels light and toned, and I am always full of positive energy. Apart from the immense physical benefits I feel happy, recharged and stress-free." says Dr Seema Kishor Jayna, an orthodontist.

Kale for good health! Eat it!

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli, it contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.

As a serving suggestion, you can make a simple Mediterranean salad with a bunch of thinly sliced kale, massaged with extra-virgin olive oil, fresh-squeezed lemon, red peppers and chopped Kalamata olives.

Although relatively unheard of by most people, kale is now fast emerging as a kind of super-food. Whether it is consumed as a soup, cooked with food or in a smoothie, this slightly bitter vegetable is chock full of antioxidants and help to protect you from free radical damage, which is said to cause premature ageing and disease. If you like cabbage, then chances are you will like the flavour, texture of kale. It is in fact a type of cabbage though on examination, you will find that its leaves resemble crisp lettuce leaves. Be sure to cook it, however, as consumed raw, the vegetable is hard to digest.

Get fit for Child Birth - Here's how!

PREGNANCY is the perfect excuse to overindulge - eating for two, putting your feet up and giving in to all those cravings.

At least that's what many women believe. But rather than using pregnancy as an excuse to veg out on the sofa with a tub of ice cream expectant mothers should be thinking about ways to stay fit and active.

It's only in the past decade or so that medical experts have embraced the concept of exercise for pregnant women. Until fairly recently physical activitywas associated with dangers such as miscarriage and premature births.

Research has shown, however, that moderate exercise during pregnancy is not only safe but beneficial. Childbirth is an enormous physical challenge and a fit woman is better able to cope with labour than an unfit woman while regular exercisers tend to recover more quickly. Exercise can also help to reduce the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, as well as improve the development of the fetus and placenta.



Core exercises in particular can have significant benefits in terms of posture, reducing the back pain associated with the later stages of pregnancy and strengthening the pelvic floor. A functional pelvic floor will help support the weight of the baby during pregnancy, ease its passage through the birth canal and reduce problems such as constipation and incontinence. Physical activity can promote wellbeing through breathing and relaxation and, of course, avoid the excessive weight gain so often lamented by new mums. Unless there are complications, most women can benefit from physical activity during pregnancy provided they follow some basic guidelines designed to keep them and their baby safe.

It's important to be realistic about exercise and recognise that the body changes dramatically during pregnancy. Cardiac output increases and blood pressure drops. There may be feelings of breathlessness, heartburn, morning sickness, postural changes and back pain. As the baby grows, the centre of gravity shifts forwards, making it more difficult to maintain balance. The body also releases a hormone that relaxes the ligaments and renders joints susceptible to over-stretching.

For novice exercisers, now is not the time to begin a vigorous exercise regime. Moderate aerobic activities such as cycling, walking and swimming will, however, be of huge benefit.

Regular exercisers should not attempt to exercise to pre-pregnancy levels. The goal is maintenance rather than adaptation and a reduction in the intensity of workouts is recommended. Contact sports and high-risk activities such as scuba diving and surfing should be avoided.

In summer it is important to avoid overheating as the fetus cannot regulate its own temperature. Take simple steps such as training during at the coolest times of the day, staying hydrated and wearing light and loose clothing. A woman should listen to her body and gauge what level of intensity is suitable for her.

Heavy weight training should be avoided. Instead, try light weights and more repetitions. Never train to failure and avoid lifting weights overhead and isometric exercises as these can dramatically increase blood pressure.

It's also important to exercise caution while stretching. During pregnancy the body releases a hormone called relaxin to loosen the ligaments in the pelvis in preparation for birth. This affects all other joints and makes a pregnant women susceptible to injury. Expectant mothers should also limit the amount of exercise performed on their back, particularly from the second trimester on. This can cause dizziness and reduce the blood flow to the fetus.

Chicken Dishes That Flatten Your Belly!

Chicken-Olive Sauté

Olives, tomatoes, and fresh herbs make this tummy-flattening dish a winner.
Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, coarsely chopped
3 lg cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 3/4 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
40 lg pitted kalamata olives, sliced (about 1 1/3 c), MUFA
8 oz lg cherry tomatoes, halved, or 2 med tomatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces (about 1 1/2 c)
Directions
1. Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until tender and just starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add chicken, sprinkle with pepper, and stir. Cook, turning often, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Add olives. Cook and stir 1 minute until heated and fragrant. Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer, until tomatoes are heated and juicy. Serve over rice or couscous, if desired.
Nutritional info per serving: (sauté only) 286 cal, 25 g pro, 10 g carb, 2 g fiber, 16 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 63 mg chol, 671 mg sodium
Flat Belly Bonus: Kalamata olives ripen on the tree, so they have higher oil content—and therefore more belly-slimming MUFA—than regular canned or jarred types.

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/flat-belly-diet/flat-belly-diet-recipes-healthy-chicken-dinner-recipes/chicken-olive-saute#ixzz2DsS8mwYA

3 Best Chest Exercises for Women

There’s no quick fix for getting a bigger chest. No magic pill will make your breasts grow to gargantuan proportions. And surgery, while boasting instant results, actually requires months of painful recovery.

Why bother when a few pushups each day can offer you great results? Sure, you’ll have to sweat, but that’s what showers are for.

Don’t wimp out and take the so-called “easy” route of trusting your best assets to a carving knife – not until you’ve explored all of your options, at least.

Most women tend to complain that they do not have enough upper body strength, because they fear that doing chest exercises will make their shoulders too broad. The truth is that proper chest exercises do not make a woman’s shoulders broad. Actually, chest exercises are some of the best workout routines that can help women tighten and lift up their breast, and strengthen their shoulder muscles. Below, I have outlined four chest exercises for women.

Push Up

-          Lay on the floor
-          Keep your legs straight and bend your arms
-          Keep your palms facing down, close to your chest
-          Lift your body from the floor by straightening your arms
-          Your knees should also be off the floor
-          Keep your back and neck straight
-          Hold this position for two to three seconds
-          Lower your body by bending your arms
-          Avoid touching the floor with your chest
-          Hold this position for two to three seconds
-          Repeat this movement 5 to 10 times

Push Up on Swiss Ball

-          Lay on the floor with the Swiss ball sitting by your feet
-          Lift one leg and place it atop the Swiss ball
-          With the strength of your arms, lift up the second leg and place it on the ball
-          Keep your legs, back, and neck straight
-          Bring your body down by bending your elbows
-          Lift your body back up using only the strength of your arms
-          Repeat this movement 3 to 5 times

Ball Chest Fly

-          Pick up a pair of dumbbells
-          Sit on a Swiss ball
-          Slide down slightly, with your back resting on the Swiss ball
-          Raise your hips and bend your knees
-          Position the dumbbells on each side of your chest
-          Lift the dumbbells up vertically, and fully extend your arms
-          Hold this position for one to two seconds
-          Bring the dumbbells back down by chest level
-          Hold this position for a couple of seconds
-          Repeat this movement 5 to 10 times

Resistance Band Chest Press

-          Attach the resistance band on a closed door or window
-          Stand straight with one leg in front of the other
-          Bend the leg in front of you slightly to stabilize your foothold
-          Stick your chest out and look forward
-          Bring the resistance band from behind you
-          Pull the resistance band until your arms are fully stretched horizontally
-          Hold the band in this position for one to two seconds
-          Bring your elbows back to chest level
-          Hold the resistance band in this position for a couple of seconds
-          Repeat this movement 5 to 10 times

There you have it! Try to incorporate these chest exercises in your daily routines, while you do your strength training workout. Your upper body will benefit tremendously from these chest workouts.

Fat off your butt - lose it!

Doing exercises is on the top of my mind. You can try everything else out there to get rid of that butt fat, but you cannot do it unless you do a good amount of exercises for that particular area. There’s plenty – from lifting your leg up backwards, to placing your leg on a chair (that’s behind you) and doing squats with your other leg – as many and as low as possible). I know the latter helped me to tone my butt and get rid of the butt fat real fast.

Working Out the Butt

Working out the butt isn’t that hard. It is worked almost anytime we use our legs and as such the way to make muscle gains is to make harder what we do normally.
The following motions and exercises work the butt muscles really well:

• Stair Climbing
• Hill running
• Bike Riding
• Sprinting
• Lunges
• Squats

Now, we are never going to shape and tone our butt if we just do normal squats, just going through the motions. Likewise, we are not going to make any progress by just wandering up some stairs. Like any muscle, in order to make it grow we need to add resistance by adding weight or intensity. One of my favourite examples that brings back some painful memories for me is carrying a heavy boxing bag up a flight of stairs for half an hour. That will give you sore legs tomorrow.
However, that also is a little extreme. The best and most traditional way to shape the butt is with weights at the gym. I will go over some of the simple ways later.

Getting a Toned Butt…

Getting a toned butt is an emotional task. It can take a very long time and the results can be painfully slow. However, with the information contained in this post and this blog losing that fat butt will be as painless as possible. Here are the important aspects that you MUST DO if you want to lose your fat butt as fast as possible:
1 – All over weight loss
Yep, you guessed it! If you want to have a good looking and shapely butt you need to lose the fat that is covering it. It is like any muscle, if you want people to be able to see the definition and tone you need to remove the layer of fat that is covering it.
Now, I don’t want to get into an argument about whether a big booty is better than a small one. I like them both! This post is for women who want to lose weight off their butt and as such will focus solely on that.
The fact of the matter is – and I have mentioned it a thousand times – you cannot lose fat off of only one area of your body. If you want a toned and firm butt you need to lose fat off of your entire body.
In order to lose weight quickly you need to use three things well:

1. Diet;
2. Weight Training; and
3. Cardio

This post will look at all three things briefly. In order to lose weight you need to, very simply, burn more calores than you take in. You do this by boosting your metabolism with the right foods and the right types and amounts of cardio.
2 – Cardio Hard!
Have you ever seen a footballer or a runner or a bike rider with a bad butt? I haven’t. They do so much running and lunging and all sorts of movements that work the glutes. If you want to tone and shape your butt then you should do like they do.
The types of cardio that are best for the butt are the hard ones! Sprinting up hills, lunging, jumping squats and all that kind of stuff. You see, if you increase the elevation of the surface or do cardio that makes you bend over more then your butt will get more use. So, if you wan to shape and tone your butt while you are doing cardio, pick a hard one.
3 – Weight Training
Weight training for the butt isn’t that hard. It is essential. Not only does weight training shape your butt muscles, it makes your metabolism speed up and as such you will burn more fat and absorb less calories as fat during the day. All of these are the perfect ingredients for toning a muscle!

The Best Weight Training Exercises for the Butt

As I have mentioned, adding resistance to natural movements is the best idea. Here are the best butt exercises:

1. The Jumping Squat
   I have mentioned this baby before. It will leave your whole lower body burning and begging that you never do it again. Fast results with this one.
2. Weighted Lunge
   Careful if you have bad knees, otherwise a perfect exercise.
3. Step Ups
   Start with a light weight and gradually increase.
4. Hill Sprints
   One of my all time favourites!
5. Leg Press Machine
   One of the few machines that I use at the gym. Keep a wider stance on this one with some heavy weights to really work your butt.

These are just some of the best exercises. These five are more than enough to do the job if you do them well. Does anyone have any others they love to use?

Great Looking Skin in Winter

The weather outside may be unsightly, but your skin doesn't have to be. How to banish dry skin and give your winter skin care regimen a boost. For many people, the cold clear days of winter bring more than just a rosy glow to the cheeks. They also bring uncomfortable dryness to the skin of the face, hands, and feet. For some people, the problem is worse than just a general tight, dry feeling: They get skin so dry it results in flaking, cracking, even eczema (in which the skin becomes inflamed).

To keep one's skin soft and supple becomes a difficult task in the winter. A good skin care routine is a must during this season, to assure that your skin does not become dry and rough.

And it is not only the face that is important. Skin being one of the most essential parts of the body requires constant nourishment and good care. Here are a few good tips to help protect your skin:


1. Exposure: Skin is the most sensitive part of the body. It is sensitive to a lot of elements. Hence, minimal exposure is the key. Try not to expose your skin to the sun, wind too much. Always apply a sunscreen or moisturiser to keep harmful UV rays at bay.

2. Exfoliating: Removing your dead skin is important to let new fresh skin grow and breath. Using a loofah during a shower, regular pedicures and manicures and using a scrub regularly helps in removing the dead skin and leave your skin soft and silky.

3. Shave: An important tip for boys, while using a razor is to keep in mind that you do not use a razor more than 3 times. Never use a rusted razor which can lead to irritation of skin.

4. Moisturise: The best thing you can do for your body is to regularly use a moisturiser. Moisturise your skin after every bath and also before you go to bed. Make sure the moisturiser suits your skin and does not cause allergy or irritation.

Best exercise to lose weight on legs, thighs and stomach?

You can’t do certain exercises to lose weight in certain areas, it just gets taken off all around.So anything that burns energy in general – walking, cardio, swimming, dancing, sports liketennis & soccer, gymnasticspilates and yoga are great, also you can lift weights (don’t worry it won’t make you bulky, trustme, that’s very hard to do on PURPOSE, much less on accident)lifting weights will have the additional benefit of toning up your muscles underneath the skin,which helps to reduce “flab” like you want.

At 17 and 145 though, I wouldn’t worry too muchabout your skin – it should contract very easily to accommodate the new size.Since you like to walk, that is an awesome way to get good exercise that’s easy on your bodyand will burn fat.

My suggestions:

(1) pick something you enjoy. If you don’t, you won’t stick to it. Walking seems good for yousince you said you like it.

(2) nutrition, nutrition! Remember that your body NEEDS certain things, don’t let it down withcrazy restrictions or anything. But also don’t eat too many sugary foods. If you eat proper mealswith vegetables, fruit, etc., your body SHOULD get all the nutrients it needs, and therefore youwon’t have cravings for junk food as much. Bottom line: eat healthy, and this does NOT meanstarve yourself!

(3) you won’t see results immediately! Keep at it! And why don’t you make this a longer goal?Walking isn’t just good for losing weight, you’ll be much more energetic and feel better if youkeep it up.

(4) IMPORTANT!! Get a friend to do this with you, if at all possible – it helps SO MUCH to havesomeone with you, because you can keep each other motivated. Also makes those long walksmore enjoyable!Good luck, and please. Check a BMI (body mass index) calculator, or better yet a doctor, so youcan find a good weight for yourself. 100 is only healthy if you’re short and have a small frame.It’s very very light, and I doubt it’s healthy for you personally.

Jessica Simpson’s weight loss plan revealed

Jessica Simpson started her weight-loss campaign with a 15-day smoothie diet.
The singer-and-actress - who welcomed daughter Maxwell Drew into the world in May - had 60lbs to lose so to give her body the boost it needed, she followed a strict plan of consuming just healthy and nutritious smoothies for 15 days before slowly introducing snacks and meals.
She then spent five days having three smoothies a day with two healthy snacks, five days of two smoothies a day plus two healthy snacks and one meal and then five days of one smoothie a day with 2 snacks and 2 meals.
The plan - which was crafted by Jessica's former private chef and started in July - was part of the diet company Weight Watchers, of which Jessica is the new spokesperson for, and followed their its famed point system.
According to website TMZ, items on the menu included foods like egg white omelets, chicken satay, whipped chick peas, soba noodles and shrimp skewers.
Jessica - who is now back to her pre-pregnancy weight - signed a $4 million deal with Weight Watchers to become their spokesperson and follow their weight loss plan religiously.
Their plan involves giving each item of food, snacks and meals points and the dieter is not allowed to go over their daily allowance of points.

Weight Loss is Not Rocket Science

Eat less fat, do more exercise and you'll lose weight

As dieting mantras go, it could not be any simpler. All you need to do to lose weight is eat less fat and do more exercise.And the secret to successful slimming is so straightforward it has been dubbed the ‘Not Rocket Science’ diet.

The diet industry is booming, with research suggesting the average woman spends nearly £500 a year on health foods, equipment, clothing and membership fees for gyms and slimming clubs to try to lose weight. But research suggests there could be a simpler solution.

A team of scientists at Harvard Medical School in Boston studied 4,000 obese adults and found those who followed the common sense advice were much more likely to lose weight than those who adopted fad slimming regimes, went on liquid diets or bought weight-loss supplements.

Two-thirds of the group said they had tried to lose weight in the previous year through a variety of diets.
The researchers found 41 per cent of those who cut their fat intake were more likely to have shed 5 per cent of their body weight in under a year than those who went on liquid diets, used non-prescription dieting supplements or followed popular slimming regimes such as the Dukan or Atkins diets, which combine high protein intakes with relatively large amounts of fat.
And if they exercised more than usual, they were almost 30 per cent more likely to lose the weight, the study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found.

Although 5 per cent weight loss may not sound significant, experts say it is enough to delay the onset of diabetes in an obese person. And the ‘Not Rocket Science’ diet helped many volunteers shed more weight, with 37 per cent of those who cut down on fat more likely to lose a tenth of their body weight, while exercising boosted their chances by 36 per cent.The researchers did also notice significantly greater weight loss among those who took prescription diet medications, which doubled the chances of 10 per cent weight loss.

Dr David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said the ‘Not Rocket Science’ diet sent out ‘a good message’.


But he added: ‘Whatever works in the short-term will only be a success if it also works in the long-term. These changes to physical activity and dietary intake have got to be sustainable.’

Weight Loss Diet for Vegetarians

Lifestyle that is more comfortable with technological advances and increasingly sophisticated tools, making obesity becomes an epidemic. And this makes consultants, books, video guides about weight loss diet became highly in demand and sought many people, only to discover the most effective way to lose weight.
In the past, only to buy necessities of life had to walk several miles, now with one click, all the requirements had been delivered the next door. Some of the activities that was once common, now rare, even not at all. Though these activities helps to maintain the balance of the body’s metabolism, even if just a walk-lived activity.
From a variety of methods, techniques, and guidance on weight loss diet, you can see clearly, that the core of it all is a regular diet, began to reduce the consumption of excess calories, scheduled exercise, and weight loss diet supplement. In addition, the main core of it all, which I do not have a detrimental effect on the body, just adjust your diet so do not consume excess calories, and exercise regularly.
Age had a significant effect with obesity. Children more quickly can you lose weight, because they tend to be active in their daily lives. Age to make some

activities more reduced. Several studies have shown that changes in the human body begin the age of 20 years and likely permanent.

A vegetarian weight loss diet is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. Because only consume fresh vegetables and fruit as the daily menu. I say the most effective because it contains high protein, containing natural fibers, mineral-rich, low calorie, and low in carbohydrates. A composition that is needed by the body’s metabolism, but did not gain weight.

The problem that happens is, the picture and thought patterns that have been formed, that the food is just made of vegetables less appealing taste and usually taste awful. And processed foods from meat, fish, or containing salt and sugar in large doses, appetizing food and very tasty. In addition, this is a frequent cause of failure at the first try. They returned to old eating patterns.

Only with the confidence and strong will, making you able to run vegetarian weight loss diet successfully and permanently. Once you can slowly reduce the consumption of calories from your daily diet, and replace it with vegetables, you can see and feel your weight loss, and feel more healthy body.

You can start slowly replacing your snacks with fresh vegetables. When you grab a handful of snacks, you can also grab a handful of broccoli, and dip into your favorite sauce. Changing your salad ingredients with vegetables, such as olives, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, and even radishes. Color and flavor of the wide variety of vegetables, will add variety and delicacy of flavor your salad.

Many people mix a little meat in their vegetarian weight loss diet, to increase the delicacy and reduce boredom. Eggs and milk are preferred, because the high protein content, although it also contains calories and fat are not small. Chicken and turkey are also sometimes added in vegetarian weight loss diet, with an excuse to increase protein content.

Guidelines and recipes for vegetarian weight loss diet can be found in many places online or offline. You can collect them and pick a few that really fit with your condition. Natural foods, fresh, and healthy will actually lose weight and make you become more healthy and dynamic. Adequate exercise can actually help you lose weight, but sometimes there is no point if you keep eating many calories consumed. Only by walking about 10 miles per day will burn enough calories. Nevertheless, this would be in vain, if you eat two bags of chips in the evening.

Teen Weight Loss Does Not Improve Self-Esteem

A new research study finds that losing weight may not improve a teenage girl’s self-esteem

Sarah A. Mustillo, a Purdue University researcher, discovered the surprising findings among obese white teenage girls.

“We found that obese black and white teenage girls who transitioned out of obesity continued to see themselves as fat, despite changes in their relative body mass,” said Mustillo. “Further, obese white girls had lower self-esteem than their normal-weight peers and their self-esteem remained flat even as they transitioned out of obesity.”

Reducing obesity among children and teens is a major policy objective for health professionals. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 17 percent of American children ages 2-19 are obese.

“If the current national movement to end childhood obesity is successful, we can anticipate many young people moving from obese into the normal weight range, which will result in better physical health,” Mustillo said.

“I wanted to know if the same thing would happen for psychological health. Girls often struggle with self-esteem anyway during adolescence and, therefore, it is troubling to find that the negative effects of larger body size can outlive the obesity itself.”

The study, based on data from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, is in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Researchers looked at the health and weight of more than 2,000 black and white girls for a 10-year period beginning at ages 9 to 10. Investigators separated the girls into one of three groups — normal weight, transitioned out of obesity and chronically obese — based on their body mass trends during the 10-year period.

Investigators discovered a difference in self-esteem levels between races. Self-esteem for black girls transitioning from the obese to the normal range did rebound; however, both races continued to have negative body perceptions.

“The self-esteem for black girls was lower overall to begin with, but for those who moved into the normal weight range, self-esteem increased more than it did for any other group of girls,” Mustillo said. “We would like to look at this at more closely to understand how subcultural norms influence this process.

“We did not show that self-esteem stayed flat because girls continued to see themselves as heavy, but just that they happened at the same time,” she said.

“Even so, providing mental health assistance during the weight loss process could be a benefit. Understanding and addressing body image, identity and self-esteem issues could ultimately help keep the weight off. Why keep dieting and exercising if you are still going to see yourself as fat?”

Experts agree that more research is needed to understand why girls feel this way, but Mustillo, who focuses on obesity trends in adolescence, said the feeling of lesser self-worth might be difficult to shake because society is full of negative stereotypes and messages about obesity.

“Studies show that children internalize stereotypes and negative perceptions of obese people before they ever become obese themselves, so when they do enter that stigmatized state, it affects their sense of self-worth,” she said.

“Then, whether they are gaining or losing weight, the negative message they have internalized and feelings of worthless may stick with them.”

Another aspect of this study to consider is that the data set used is from the 1980s and 1990s, and doesn’t reflect today’s higher obesity rates.

“Obesity is more common today than it was 10 to 20 years ago, so perhaps it is becoming less stigmatized,” she said. “Or, will the increase of anti-obesity campaigns counteract any greater acceptance?”

In her future research, Mustillo will ascertain if there are certain periods during adolescence when individuals are more vulnerable to mental health stigmas associated with obesity.

Source: Purdue University

Why you should Exercise & not just for weight loss

People figure that the more you exercise the more weight you're going to lose. That's not entirely true. Of course there are several factors combined with exercise that will determine your weight loss; like your diet, your metabolic rate, etc.

So if you're still thinking about quitting exercising just because you've lost 2 pounds instead of 10, think again. The benefits of exercise are:

1. Improves your sex life.
Both men and women experience more enhanced arousal when they are more physically fit.

2. Improves the quality of your sleep.
Exercise not only helps you get to sleep more quickly, it also improves the quality of your sleep.

3. Makes food taste better.
Apart from removing all toxins in your body, the plus 1 about this is food tastes so much better as your body is rebuilding every part of your senses. There’s nothing like physical activity to stimulate your appetite.

4. Improves your mood.
Exercise promotes positive brain chemistry which means you’ll feel better.

5. Provides relief from anxiety and mild depression.
Try it. If you're feeling upset, just walk or run. You'll see the difference.

6. Increases your energy levels
The more energy you use, the more it feels like you have.

7. Helps combat chronic disease.
Exercise helps improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels which decreases your chances of suffering from things like heart disease, type II diabetes and certain cancers. Exercise has also been linked with a delayed onset of dementia.