Lighter Workouts Do Well

Pumping out all the sweat in your body is an irresistible force when using all those fitness equipment. How about we’ll do a lighter workout without those machines and still get those energy levels you need.

Research shows that a program of low intensity exercise training -- like light cycling on a stationary bike for 30 minutes three times a week -- can reduce tired-all-the-time feelings by as much as 65%. And it only takes 6 weeks of light workouts to feel pepped up. Moderate-intensity exercise programs boost energy levels, too, but not as much. Know what the easiest workout in the world is? Walking.

One possible explanation for the better energy boost from lighter workouts: More vigorous workouts shape you up but also tire you out. So if you're just trying to get off the couch for a change, start slow. Go at whatever pace is comfortable for you -- in a few weeks, you'll feel your tiredness fade. Then you can think about kicking things up a notch.

What's The Least You Can Do?
Exactly how little can you do and still get fit? A new study suggests 1.7 might be the magic number.
Middle-aged men and women at risk for heart disease who walk at a moderate pace for just 1.7 miles a day improve several important measures of their aerobic fitness.

More Is More
Ok, we admit it. The data show that jogging at full speed for nearly 3 miles a day reaps the greatest cardiovascular benefits. But if jogging shorts and running shoes aren't your style -- or you're just feeling kinda tired today -- at least get yourself out there for 1.7 miles. It's still enough to keep you on the road to better fitness.

More Ways to Do Less
Going slower doesn't always mean that you'll lose the fitness race. Here are some other ways to keep yourself in the game when you feel like throwing in the towel:

Slow it down. You don't have to keep up with that marathon runner. Lower-intensity exercise can actually help you lose more weight than higher-intensity exercise.

Take a breather. Right in the middle of your workout. A 20-minute break between two 30-minute sessions has been proven to help you burn more fat and calories.

Break it up. Can't pull together 30 minutes of exercise? Grab 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes after dinner. Done.

Get those Sculptured Arms

Let us focus on having those sexy arms. There are tricks on how to work this body part and you can do it whether you’re in the gym or not. Remember Michelle Obama’s sculptured arms? You too can have those using this simple trick.

Grab a Jelly Bell.

If you are in the gym, adjust the seat so your legs bent slightly more than 90 degrees and your arms stretched out straight, holding the handles. Push with your legs while pulling the handles to the bottom of your rib cage, keeping your elbows near your sides. Slowly straighten your arms and glide back to the starting position. Row 30 to 45 minutes, three days a week. For optimal results, add 90-second high-intensity bursts every 5 minutes.

If you are at work, stand about three feet away from your desk and plant your palms shoulder-width apart. Lower down for four counts, pause for one count, then rise up for four counts. Start with 20 and increase as you become stronger. Challenge yourself by moving your hands closer together.

Stick to this ranges and you are less likely to gain weight while getting that sculptured arms.

Abs Exercise Myths

Work your abs everyday. Just like every muscle parts, your abs need rest and recovery. Be consistent for that three to five days a week of abdominal training and you’ll get that sleek abs.

Take half hour of ab workout. I think that’s too long to train your abs. About five minutes of ab training each time is effective. Remember, think about quality over quantity.

Slow crunches make you strong. I do kickboxing and such training isn’t in slow-motion but I get effective lean ab work.

Train abs at the end of workout. Its really doesn’t matter whether at the beginning or at the end, as long as consistency is practice then go ahead. Don’t forget to warm-up first just to prevent any types of injuries.

Pilates can't get you six-packs. If you practice regularly, combining with proper diet and cardio, then absolutely it can give you a six-pack. One thing, its not a guarantee to have such pack, this depends on your muscle tone, or how lean you are, or how long your torso is and also how tall you are.

Without weight machine, you won’t get firm. Wrong, I’ve read an article about how Bruce Lee get those muscles without touching a single machine. Although, women love to stick to the floor, we also get those lean muscles just like Bruce has – ok not too bulgy.

Not Getting that Flat Stomach

If you think you’re not getting that flat stomach, check first the diet you eat. No matter what you eat, if it is not the right diet, then it’s useless to get that flat stomach even you are the doing that rigorous cardio regimen.

And there are tricks that help, too. Drinking coffee—when part of a weight-loss diet—may also trim the stomach slightly, and the caffeine may speed up the metabolism. One to three cups of coffee a day helps.

A study done at University of Tennessee, implies that overweight adults on a low-calorie diet who had 1,100 milligrams of calcium daily lost 81 percent more stomach fat than those who got only 400 to 500 milligrams of calcium per day. Then getting three daily servings of dairy is a reasonable goal.

What food do I need to avoid? White, starchy carbohydrates top the list. People who chose white bread over whole grains gained about half an inch around the middle every year.

How about crunch workout position? According to Shawn McCormack, director of and head instructor at the Body, a Manhattan fitness studio, ““Crunches only work the superficial muscles at the front of your torso.” One of the best ways to strengthen them is by holding a simple plank position. For an extra challenge, lift your hips up an inch or two and then move them back.

Make sure you have the right diet and proper workout position to get that flat stomach you desire.

Do the Exercise

Loosing weight is simply watching what and not to eat, but what does the research say about a successful long-term weight loss program? Exercising is one way to loss that weight…but why do the exercise instead of restricting some food and getting hungry all the time?

1. Exercise changes your metabolism
Physical activity changes the energy equilibrium (your metabolism) of your body by increasing the amount of energy your body needs every day.  

2. Cardio burns calories
One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose weight you need a calorie deficiency of 500 a day to lose a pound a week (500 x 7 days = 3500). It's better to eliminate calories with exercise because restricting food can actually lower your metabolism.

3. Activity breeds more activity
Studies show that individuals who exercise are generally more active throughout the day.

4. Working out builds muscle
You can increase muscle mass and the size of your muscle fiber by exercising (especially weight bearing activity). In order to nourish these fibers the body uses calories from fat that are stored in the body. As your energy requirements go up, you burn more fat during exercise and all day long. So the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns, the faster you lose weight.

Remember, weight loss is a combined program of strong exercise component and an exclusive food dieting.