3 Basic Exercises for Energy

Instant wake-up
Cardio—even a 15-minute walk—gets your blood pumping and moves oxygen through the body. New York City personal trainer Jen Cassetty also recommends these moves anytime you feel yourself fading. Do two sets of 10-12 reps each.

Morning bend
Stand with feet shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, hands behind head. With your back flat, bend forward until your back is parallel to the ground, keeping weight in your heels and hips. Return to standing.

Wall angel
Stand against a wall with spine touching it from shoulders to hips, then raise arms parallel to floor. Keeping arms and back against the wall, rotate arms upward as far as you can, then down to starting position.

Side crunch
Sit on a chair or bench with hands behind head. Press elbows straight back to stretch your chest and open your lungs, then bend sideways at the waist to crunch to your left. Come back up and repeat crunch to the right. That's one rep.

3 R'S Of Workout Recovery Nutrition

The principles of post-workout or recovery nutrition can be quite simple and easily be accounted for in a client’s custom nutrition plan. These principles include providing energy to replace muscle glycogen stores, helping to maximize the repair of muscle damage, and sufficiently replenishing any fluids and electrolytes lost during training.

Simply put, you need to help your clients follow the three “R’s” of recovery—refuel, rebuild and rehydrate. These are the cornerstones of post-workout and recovery nutrition. They are also essential for maximizing the training effect, which can have different applications depending on the type, intensity and duration of the activity. Here is a brief overview of the three R’s of recovery, followed by sample recovery diets for three specific workouts.

1. REFUEL
Nutritional recovery starts by refueling with glycogen or carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body and brain with the fuel needed to recover and ultimately adapt to the training session.

Current data indicates that after a workout the muscle cells’ ability to begin rebuilding and replenishment peaks at about 15 minutes and declines by as much as 40 percent within 60 minutes.

Researchers report that immediate intake of carbohydrates results in a 300 percent increase in muscle glycogen at two hours and a 135 percent increase at four hours.

2. REBUILD
The next step is rebuilding cells by focusing on the protein and amino acids required to help maximize muscle repair. Even a simple cardio session results in muscle breakdown, so protein is an essential component for all post-exercise nutrition.

In a 2010 review published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition Exercise and Metabolism, researchers noted that the consumption of 20 grams of protein, or an equivalent of 9 grams of essential amino acids, can maximize muscle protein-synthesis rates during the first hours of post-exercise recovery.

However, the amount of protein needed in the post-workout period is often overestimated. There are certain levels of protein that are needed, but more doesn’t always mean more muscle or better recovery.

Depending on the type and intensity of exercise, and the total calories of course needed for recovery, a range of 0.3 to 0.5 grams per kg of bodyweight, or a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, is recommended.

3. REHYDRATE
The final step is rehydration. Adequate fluids help regulate body temperature and blood pressure, and transport energy and nutrients throughout the body.

That is why it is essential to allow the body to achieve balance and maintain the process of recovery by replenishing any fluids lost during activity.

Cramping and muscle fatigue can often keep clients from sticking to a workout plan. By rehydrating and replenishing sodium, they’ll be able to reduce these post-workout symptoms.

To learn more about how you to calculate how much water your clients should be drinking, check out this Evolution Nutrition blog on hydration.

Now that you’ve had a chance to skim over the three R’s, let’s put them into practice using three different workouts.

STEADY-STATE CARDIO RECOVERY NUTRITION
Goal: To rehydrate and replenish electrolytes, while maximizing post-exercise calorie burning

Recovery Snack Options: Whole-wheat crackers, fresh fruit with high water content and cheese

6 whole-wheat crackers
1 medium apple (sliced)
2 slices non-fat cheese

Nutrition: 278 Calories / 43g Carbohydrate / 13g Protein / 6g Fat

POST-WORKOUT YOGURT PARFAIT
¼ C nonfat yogurt
½ C whole grain cereal
½ C fresh strawberries (or other berry)

Nutrition: 270 Calories / 62 g Carbohydrate / 10g Protein / 2g Fat

Guidelines: Fluids and electrolytes can be consumed immediately after and should be equal to about 16 to 20 ounces of water/fluid for every pound lost during the steady-state cardio. If bodyweight loss cannot be measured, a good rule of thumb is to drink 1 cup immediately after exercise, and 2 to 3 cups of fluid over the next few hours of recovery. Wait 20 to 30 minutes before you start to replenish energy stores with carbohydrates, proteins or fats, but listen to your body and eat if you feel like you need to fuel.

WEIGHTLIFTING RECOVERY NUTRITION
Goal: To maximize the “anabolic window” or recovery phase 30 to 45 minutes after the workout

Recovery Snack Options: Pita bread with hummus and black bean spread.

½ whole-wheat pita (large)
2 T hummus
2 T black bean spread

Nutrition: 261 Calories / 46g Carbohydrate / 8g Protein / 5g Fat

OATMEAL PROTEIN POWER
½ C cooked steel-cut oats
1 T shaved almonds
2 T protein powder

Nutrition: 287 Calories / 40g Carbohydrate / 16g Protein / 7g Fat

Guidelines: As with any workout, carbohydrates are essential to recovery post-weightlifting. To successfully rebuild muscle, special attention should be paid to how much protein is being consumed.

RECOVERY NUTRITION FOR HIIT (CARDIO AND WEIGHTLIFTING) 
Goals: To replace energy stores within 30 minutes after workout and to repair muscle tissue

Recovery Snack Options: One post-workout drink that is equal to about one-quarter of total carbs needed for recovery (e.g., 12- to 16-ounce fruit smoothie made with water, skim milk or a non-dairy milk alternative and protein powder) AND one workout snack

POWER FRUIT SMOOTHIE
1½ C skim milk (nonfat)
½ C frozen berries

BANANA AND PEANUT BUTTER ON A RICE CAKE
½ banana (small)
½ T peanut butter
1 multigrain rice cake

Nutrition: 297 Calories / 47g Carbohydrate / 16g Protein / 5g Fat

Guidelines: Because HIIT has a higher work rate, more fluids are used and more fuel is burned. That means both will need to be replenished in higher rates than in the other two workouts. HIIT’s combination of cardio and weightlifting requires an initial liquid recovery snack, which can be consumed first or closely followed by a nutrient dense meal or snack. Post-workout, a 3:1 ratio is a good standard to use with carbs and protein (e.g., 30 to 40 grams of carbs with 10 to 15 grams of protein).

Frequency for Bodybuilding Workouts

Successful weight training depends on more than the exercises you choose. The frequency of your workouts goes a long way to determining your ultimate success. Too few workouts and you’re quickly wasting your time. Too many workouts and you risk injury from overtraining. Especially for bodybuilding, which depends on developing mass and definition, you need a schedule that gets you in the gym frequently enough to engage your muscles, but with enough recovery time to allow tissue growth.

Workout Frequency Basics
For effective bodybuilding, you’ll need to establish a split workout schedule. This means that, instead of each workout session including all of your exercises, you only focus on a subset of muscle groups for each session. Split routines let you adequately rest a particular muscle group while working out another muscle group the next day. While it’s possible to split your routine up to six days each week, such a high frequency can pose risks from over-training. According to bodybuilding champion Bill Pearl, four- and five-day schedules, with the proper exercise intensity, produce the best results.

Four-Day Plan
The four-day workout plan lets you split your workouts in a variety of ways. One common way to organize a four-day split is to segregate your upper body workouts from your lower body workouts, engaging the former on days one and three, and the latter on days two and four. Usually, you’ll schedule one full rest day in between days two and three, with two full days of rest between day four and day one of the following week.

Five-Day Plan
The five-day plan can be a little trickier, since you’re working out an odd number of sessions each week. You can arrange the focus of each workout in a variety of ways, but one common schedule will break up your upper-body workouts into chest/shoulders/triceps and back/biceps. For example, days one and three work chest/shoulders/triceps, days two and four work back/biceps, and day five works the lower body heavily. This schedule is suited for bodybuilders who want to focus on developing upper-body mass and definition.

Rest and Recovery
Regardless of the frequency of your workouts, you need to schedule in enough rest time to allow your muscles to recover following each workout. You won’t develop sufficient definition if you engage the same muscles multiple times without recovery time. Muscles require at least one full day for regrowth. Be cautious with certain compound exercises on successive days, because those exercises may engage muscles you’ve used during the previous day’s workout. For example, avoid exercises like the high snatch and the high pull during your lower-body workouts, because they also incorporate the biceps, triceps and shoulders.

How to Get a Six-Pack Without Dieting (5 Steps)

Firm abdominal muscles don't just look great: They protect vital organs and improve your posture. If you want the great look and other benefits of a "six-pack" but don't want to diet, don't worry. You can tone your abs and firm up your flabby belly without cutting calories or going hungry.

This doesn't mean you can go on high-calorie binges and still expect to achieve a great-looking six-pack--but you don't have to go on a strict diet to get the abdominal muscles in excellent shape. All you have to do is raise your metabolism through cardiovascular exercise and tone muscle through abdominal strengthening exercises.

Tips

1. Do cardiovascular exercises every day. You should get your heart rate up for at least half an hour a day. Doing this will raise your metabolism. Exercises that can help raise the heart rate sufficiently include biking, aerobics, swimming and jogging. Rowing machines also provide an excellent cardiovascular workout while at the same time toning the arms, legs, back and abdomen.

2. Perform crunches every day. Rest comfortably on your back with your knees drawn up and your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Place your hands behind your head and, tightening your stomach muscles, lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor. Hold this position for at least one breath. Repeat as many times as you can.

3. Practice side crunches every day. Side crunches are similar to standard crunches, but you will be exercising your oblique muscles (the area of the waist where "love handles" sometimes form). To do side crunches, assume the crunch position, then rest your right ankle against your left knee, as if you are crossing your leg. Lift toward the left knee, bringing your right elbow up to touch the knee if you can. Do as many as you can, then switch sides.

4. Do bicycle crunches every day. Lie on the floor with your hands behind your head. Draw your knees up perpendicular to your belly, and pedal the air as if pedaling a bicycle. Raise your shoulders off the floor and touch your elbow to each knee in turn--in other words, when your left knee is drawn up, your right elbow will touch the left knee, and when the right knee is drawn up the left elbow will touch the right knee. The key to this exercise is to keep your stomach tight and your shoulders off the floor.

5. Practice good breathing techniques. Proper breathing helps strengthen abdominal muscles from the inside out. When you inhale, your belly should move outward slightly. When you exhale, gently pull your abdominal muscles in.

How to Exercise With a Stress Fracture

A stress fracture is a very small sliver or crack in a bone, generally caused by repetitive motion or repeated stress on the bone. A stress fracture is common in athletes and most frequently occur in the metatarsals (foot bones) and tibia (leg bone). While a stress fracture usually takes six to eight weeks to heal, it doesn't have to keep you sidelined. With proper care and attention, you can still exercise with a stress fracture.

Consult your physician and find out what exercise is acceptable for you, given the type and severity of your injury. Most likely, your doctor will recommend non-weight bearing exercises while your stress fracture heals.

Go for a swim. Swimming is a non-impact exercise, which keeps your bones from taking the pounding they would on land, which is usually what causes a stress fracture. In addition, swimming in an excellent cardiovascular and all-over body workout. Try laps using the freestyle stroke, pool running with a weighted belt. paddling with the assistance of a water noodle or a water aerobics class in lieu of your regular workout. If your gym or community doesn't have a pool, check with your city's parks and recreation department to find out what pools are accessible to the public.

Hop on a bike. Like swimming, a stationary bike provides a great non-impact workout, perfect for those with foot or leg injury such as a stress fracture. Try using different settings like hills or intervals to vary your workout and mimic your on the ground routine. Use a bike with foot straps to minimize the impact on your feet and legs, especially where you have the stress fracture.

Try the elliptical trainer. Like swimming and the stationary bike, the elliptical is non-impact and provides a great cardiovascular workout. Again, use hills, intervals and the random settings to vary your workouts and increase the resistance for a more strenuous workout.

Hit the mat. Pilates, which was designed to help soldiers recover from World War I injuries, is by design a non-impact workout. Try a mat class at your local gym, studio or community center and get a full-body workout without your feet every touching the ground--perfect for those recovering from a stress fracture. Pilates is also great for developing core strength and flexibility.

Ten Minute Fat Burning Cardio Workout

It’s sometimes hard to find time to exercise, but it isn't difficult to squeeze a few minutes of activity into even the busiest schedule. Working out for just 10 minutes is doable for most people. To be effective though, you will need to exercise at a vigorous pace to make the most of every minute. A10-minute, fat-burning cardio workout that utilizes high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, will jumpstart your body’s fat-burning process.

Basics of HIIT
While a 10-minute cardio workout doesn’t seem like much, HIIT promotes fat loss in a short period of time. It involves alternating short low-to-moderate intense intervals done at about 30 to 50 percent of your maximum effort; vigorous intervals are performed at 70 to 90 percent of your max effort. This 10-minute workout is flexible in that you can use any cardio exercise you desire, including treadmill exercise, elliptical training, cycling, jogging or running in-place. A benefit of HIIT is that it promotes excess-post exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, which means your body will continue to burn calories hours after the workout is completed.

Before and After
Due to the vigorous nature of this workout, it’s important to properly warm up and cool down. Spend about two or three minutes doing some light cardio before starting the workout, followed by some light stretching. Cool down after the workout for an additional two or three minutes, then do a final stretch. It’s important to gradually bring your heart rate down following the workout by properly cooling down. Failing to do so could lead to lightheadedness or even fainting.

The Workout
Start the workout with a 25-second fast interval done at near maximum speed followed by a 35-second rest period performed at moderate pace. Repeat this fast-and-slow interval pattern a total of 10 times, which completes your 10-minute workout. Adjust the intensity of the workout to suit your current fitness level, but make sure to challenge yourself for maximum fat-burning results. If you feel faint or completely out of breath during the workout, it’s a sign you may need to lower your intensity level a bit. If the workout seems easy, increase your intensity level.

Tips
Use any of a number of free interval training apps to easily keep track of your intervals, or you can simply use a stopwatch. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout since you’ll be sweating quite a bit. Vary your workouts every week to prevent boredom, such as trying jogging instead of cycling. Push yourself to make the most of your 10-minute workout, but at the same time be safe and wary of signs you’re overdoing it. Check with your doctor before starting this workout if you’re a beginner or have any existing cardiovascular or obesity-related diseases.

5-Day Workout Plan to Lose Weight

One of the fastest ways to lose weight and gain muscle tone is to alternate your cardio and weight training workouts. Choose challenging, 45-minute fat-shredding routines to keep your muscles and metabolism guessing. Partner your five-day routine with healthy eating and you'll see results within two weeks.

Select Your Routine
Choosing the right routine is almost as important as completing the exercise. You'll want to do cardio and strength training exercises that will keep you engaged, interested and challenged—otherwise you won't do it. Try a mixture of routines where you train inside the house, outside, at the gym and even in the pool.

Two of the easiest cardio routines are running and speed walking. However, some people don’t enjoy running or have injuries that prevent them from doing so. Other cardio includes rowing, swimming, cycling, aerobic dance, elliptical training and boxing. Because most cardio routines are repetitive, incorporate interval training (also called sprinting) throughout your routine to boost weight loss. Sprinting challenges you to push yourself harder for a specific amount of time, then drop back down to a steady pace for a while before pushing yourself again. Change the length of your training intervals for the best weight loss results.

On the days you aren’t doing cardio, concentrate on strength training. Strength training is important because it conditions muscles to incinerate fat more efficiently. You'll burn more calories even when you're not working out because solid muscle tissue burns up to 50 calories per pound.

Weight lifting is one of the most obvious forms of strength training but you can also explore Pilates, yoga, boot camp training or another cardio routine, such as speed walking with weights.

Five-Day Plan
Your week consists of five days of exercise and two days of rest. Plan to workout two days in a row, take off the following day, then workout the next two days. Take off one more day, then finish with one last strong workout at the end of the week.

You can alter which exercise you begin with, but be sure you always rotate between cardio and weights to allow your muscles to repair between workouts.

Start your week with a 45 minute cardio run outdoors. For the first day, aim to complete the entire run at a brisk but steady pace. Day two is strength training, so try completing a yoga DVD such as Mark Blanchard’s Progressive Power Yoga or lift weights for up to 60 minutes. If you choose to lift weights, the easiest way to hit multiple muscle groups is to use a weight lifting manual, such as The Body Sculpting Bible for Men by James Villepigue and Hugo A. Rivera (the authors have another book by the same name for women). Another way to maximize your workout is to purchase a weight training DVD such as Jackie Warner’s Workout or Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones weight training workouts.

Rest on day three and then begin day four with another cardio routine. You can choose to try either another cardio exercise or and interval workout with the same workout as day one. If you choose to interval train, spend shorter times doing energy burst and longer times at a steady pace. For example, if you are running, run to the point where you can’t carry on a conversation for one minute, and then drop down to a steady pace for four minutes.

Day five is another strength routine. Use the same weights as you did on day two and either do the same DVD or strength workout, or try another strength training workout.

Rest on day six and then do a cardio blast on day seven. This is the perfect day to kick up interval training. Increase your fast paced time to two minutes and keep a steady pace for only three minutes during the entire 45 minute workout. Even though this is the most intense cardio day of the week, you’ll notice that your body is stronger and more capable to handle the intensity. Go back to day one with strength building and continue alternating the days.

Beyond Five Days
A five day routine will kick-start your weight loss process; however, to continue losing weight and toning muscles, you will need to change your routine every few months. It takes approximately four to six weeks for your body to adapt to a workout routine, which means that your muscle tone and weight loss efforts could plateau. Create muscle confusion by trying a new cardio routine or adding more weight to your training program. For example, if you’ve been running for your cardio workout, try cycling or aerobic dance for a few months. Introduce yoga as a new strength routine if you’ve been only lifting weights.

Maintain the same weekly program for another two to three months, and then introduce something new.

8 Strategies For Improving Strength

It is a common misperception that the larger a muscle is, the more force it is able to produce.  There is, however, a big difference (pun intended) between a muscle’s size and it’s ability to generate force. Muscles can appear large based on the volume of intracellular fluid, blood and water contained in the tissue. This is commonly referred to as the “pump” that occurs after lifting weights and explains why some incredibly strong weightlifters have a completely different physique than bodybuilders. It also explains why some bodybuilders with large muscles and amazing physiques are not necessarily capable of competing effectively in strength-based competitions like Powerlifting or Strongman.

Bodybuilders train for the specific goal of improving size and appearance, which requires isolation training to focus on increasing a muscle’s size rather than it’s force output. Weightlifters train to maximize the net magnitude of muscle force they can produce. This is a specific skill requiring numerous muscles to work synergistically to contract at the same time. If your clients are interested in improving strength, but don’t necessarily want to experience muscle growth, here are eight things to keep in mind as you design their programs.

1. MUSCLE SIZE IS DUE TO SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY.
Performing a high volume of reps to momentary fatigue produces the response of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which is an increase in size in the fluid-containing sarcoplasm around muscle cells, but not in the individual muscle fibers themselves. Lifting to momentary fatigue fills a muscle with blood that carries oxygen to the muscle to fuel the contractions. It also depletes the muscle of glycogen, which is used to create the ATP to fuel the contractions. Post-exercise, extra blood remains in the muscle to remove metabolic waste, deliver protein to repair damaged tissue, and replenish the glycogen used to fuel the contractions. One gram of glycogen can hold up to 3 grams of water in the muscle cell. As muscle glycogen is restored, it holds additional water in the cell, which can lead to an acute increase in muscle size. This is how a muscle can get larger without necessary becoming stronger. It is simply storing more fluid, which increases the total volume of the muscle cells.

2. MYOFIBRILLAR HYPERTROPHY IS AN INCREASE IN THICKNESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MYOFIBRILS (MUSCLE FIBERS) THAT COMPRISE A UNIT OF MUSCLE, AND IS THE FOUNDATION OF IMPROVING STRENGTH.
When myofibrils become thicker, there is more surface area connecting individual myofibrils to one another. Strength is based on a muscle’s ability to generate tension. As the surface tension between individual fibers increases, the net result is greater force output from the entire muscle. As a muscle experiences myofibrillar hypertrophy, it becomes thicker and denser, but not necessarily larger. This is why many weightlifters lack the overinflated appearance of their bodybuilding cousins—they are simply using their muscles differently.

3. INCREASING STRENGTH REQUIRES PROPER STIMULATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM COMPONENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS.
In the case of improving strength, the goal is to recruit as many fast-twitch (type II) muscle motor units as possible within a specific muscle. This is known as intramuscular coordination. A muscle motor unit is the motor neuron, which initiates the signal for a muscle fiber to contract, and the specific fibers to which it is attached. Increasing the number of fast-twitch motor units that are activated during an exercise can have a significant impact on the total force a muscle can produce. Your muscles shake when you lift a heavy weight because more type II motor units are being “switched on” (as the type I, slow-twitch units fatigue) to shorten their attached fibers and generate the tension necessary to move the applied weight.

4. THE MAXIMAL EFFORT METHOD OF TRAINING IS ONE WAY TO INCREASE STRENGTH BY STIMULATING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE MOTOR UNITS.
This method requires a near-maximal load that can be performed for just one to three repetitions. The Maximal Effort method does not need to be performed to failure; rather, the focus is on moving the weight as fast as possible to maximize the number of muscle motor units recruited. Even though a lifter is pushing as fast as possible, the exercise itself may not be that quick due to the magnitude of the weight. Using the Maximal Effort method requires long rest intervals of three to five minutes to allow both neural and metabolic recovery.

5. THE DYNAMIC EFFORT METHOD OF TRAINING FOCUSES ON THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT TO RECRUIT MORE TYPE II MUSCLE MOTOR UNITS.
Explosively moving a weight requires rapid force production. The nervous system responds by triggering the type II motor units, which can produce a high amount of force in a short period of time. The Dynamic Effort method can use elastic bands and chains to create a variable load that allows the lifter to accelerate as fast as possible all of the way through the movement.

6. THE REPEATED EFFORT METHOD OF WEIGHT LIFTING USES A MODERATE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT PERFORMED UNTIL MOMENTARY MUSCLE FATIGUE.
Muscle motor units are recruited based on the size principle: When a muscle receives the signal to contract, it will recruit smaller type I units first. As the need for force increases, the larger type II units will be called into action. Performing a lift to fatigue at approximately six to eight repetitions is one way to recruit all of the involved fibers within that muscle.

7. LADDER SETS, DEVELOPED BY SOVIET SPORT SCIENTISTS, IS A TRAINING METHOD THAT CAN PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH RESULTS.
It requires a lifter to allow rest within a specific set to focus on maximal muscle motor unit recruitment without experiencing fatigue. A 1-2-3-4 ladder set requires the lifter to perform one repetition and then rest before completing two reps, followed by another rest before completing three repetitions. Finally, finally one more brief rest interval is taken before completing four repetitions in a row. This is considered one set. The amount of rest between reps in an individual set is based on the amount of weight and the speed of movement. The goal of a ladder set is to complete all reps with good form to optimize lifting technique and movement skill.

8. REST
This is a requisite component of success for high-performing strength athletes. The muscles work during the training session, but it’s during the post-training period that the muscles rest, refuel, repair themselves and generally recover to prepare for the next training session. On days when you want to focus on developing max strength, make sure the client has had plenty of time for adequate sleep that night for optimal tissue repair and recovery.

Training to momentary muscle fatigue is a successful method for increasing muscle size. If the goal is to improve muscle strength, however, the training program must focus on achieving successful lifts to recruit and engage as many muscle motor units as possible. This does not always require achieving momentary fatigue. As with any method of exercise, what may work for some clients may not necessarily work for all clients. Identifying what will help your clients achieve specific strength goals will require some trial and error.

Fast-Acting Ab Exercises

One of the most telltale signs of a fit person is the highly coveted six-pack abs.These washboard abs signal lots of time spent in the gym doing crunches and situps – or do they? While it’s true that crunches and situps will help tone your abdominal muscles, doing these alone will not give you the results you want, or as quickly as you would like. For fast results, you need a variety of ab exercises that will work your entire core, as well as a cardio plan that will melt midsection fat to showcase the muscles underneath.

Plank
The plank is a deceptively simple move that will work your core, including your abs, lower back and pelvic muscles. To do a plank, get into pushup position, engage your core muscles and hold the stance for 30 to 60 seconds. You can do a few different variations on this standard plank, including a side plank which works your obliques, or a more challenging version with leg and arm raises. Do a side plank by lying on one side with your feet stacked, and then raising up on the arm closest to the ground. Keep this stabilizing arm straight, then reach toward the ceiling with the other arm. Increase the challenge of the standard plank by raising one leg at a time, or extending one arm at a time forward.

Crunch Variety
Even though crunches alone won’t give you ripped abs, they are still a valuable part of a core routine. In addition to doing traditional crunches, you can also try exercises such as reverse crunches and side crunches to work different areas in your core. Reverse crunches are done by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet in the air. Spread your arms to the side and rest them on the floor. Use your abdominal muscles to bring your knees closer to your chest and lift your hips and butt off the floor. Do side crunches to work your obliques. From a kneeling position, lean to your right side and put that palm on the floor. Put your left hand behind your head and first extend, then raise your left leg to hip height; crunch so the left side of your rib cage moves toward your left hip.

Yoga and Pilates-Inspired Exercises
Yoga and Pilates are both core-centric forms of exercise, so it’s no surprise that a few moves in particular can speed up your ab routine results. Try the cobra, which elongates your abs and works your lower back, too. Lie face down with elbows bent and palms by your chest, then gently raise your head, shoulders and chest off the floor. The hundred is a basic Pilates exercise that is done by lying on your back with your arms extended toward your hips and your knees bent and raised in the air. Lift your head and shoulders off the mat, then pulse your arms and hands in short, up and down movements.

Cardio
Cardio plays another important role in obtaining the desired results for your abs. This type of exercise blasts calories and burns the fat which covers up muscle. No matter how much strength training you do for your abs, if there’s a layer of fat on top of them, no one will be able to see your hard work. Melt the fat away with activities such as running, cycling or swimming for two to three hours per week.

Easy Abdominal Exercises for Overweight People

If you are overweight, stomach exercises are intimidating. Certain exercises are too hard or uncomfortable for those with excess weight around the middle. Abdominal exercises seated are easier to perform than those on the floor, and there are quite a few to try. To lose weight around your middle area, you also need to do aerobic exercise. Stomach exercises tone the muscle underneath, while activities such as biking, swimming, and dance are aerobic and promote weight loss.

Seated Crunch
Perform easy stomach exercises in a chair. The chair provides back support and will not restrict your stomach area. Sit toward the front of a hard-back chair with feet firmly on the ground. Lean back so your shoulders touch the chair. Slowly come back up to a straight-back position without letting your feet lift off the floor. Use a stability ball to perform the same exercise. It will be more challenging because you can lean back farther.

Seated Pelvic Tilt
Using a small ball, you can do a pelvic tilt in the seated position. Sit in a chair. Place the ball between your lower back and the chair. Sit so you can feel the ball against your lower back. Contract your stomach muscles while you simultaneously press against the ball. Make it goal to change the shape of the ball while you press against it. This forces you to perform a pelvic tilt in which the pelvic bone tilts up toward the belly.

Torso Twist
Use a seated abdominal machine at the gym such as the torso twist in which you rotate from side to side for abdominal work. In a chair, you can simulate a torso twist by holding onto dumbbells at chest level and rotating from right to left. You can also do a cable row while seated on a stability ball by sitting with your back to the cable row machine.

Squat and Reach
Perform a squat while holding a stability ball arm's length in front of you. A squat means you bend your knees and sit back as if about to sit into a chair. If you contract your stomach while holding the ball and add a twist to the right and left, you will work the obliques (side muscles).

Knee Lifts
Do knee lifts either seated on a fitness ball or standing. Sit on the ball or stand next to a wall with one hand on the wall for support. Lift one leg with a bent knee. Keeping the knee bent, pulse the leg up toward the ceiling (eight to 10 times) while contracting the stomach muscles. Repeat with the other leg.

Full Body Workouts With Dynamic Stretching

Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching based on movement. By doing dynamic stretches, you should be able to progressively increase the range of motion of a given muscle or joint with each repetition. In addition, when performed at a fast pace, dynamic stretching can double as a workout to elevate the heart rate and increase core temperature.

Warm-ups
Before performing dynamic stretches, do a basic warm-up. The warm-up should raise the core temperature, elevate the heart rate and increase blood flow to the muscles. This will prepare the joints and muscles for stretching. Good warm-up exercises include jumping jacks, seal jacks and light jogging for approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Lower Body Exercises
Lower body dynamic stretching should focus on proper hip movement and increasing range of motion in the quadriceps, posterior chain and calf complex. Dynamic stretches for the lower body might include forward lunges, knee-to-chest pulls, leg swings forwards and sideways, side lunges and split squats. Perform each exercise for 10 repetitions, attempting to increase range of motion and the speed of movement with each repetition as well.

Upper Body Exercises
Dynamic stretches for the upper body will concentrate on improving mobility of the thoracic spine and shoulder girdle. Dynamic stretches for the upper body might include a lunge and twist, wall slides, arm swings and supermans. The emphasis should be on scapular control and rotation stability and mobility of the shoulder and rotator cuff. Perform each exercise for 10 repetitions, attempting to increase range of motion with each repetition and the speed of movement as well.

Total Body Dynamic Stretches
For a complete workout integrate upper and lower body dynamic stretches. Examples might include a knee-to-chest pull followed immediately by a lunge and twist. Quadruped movements -- moving on hands and feet -- are also effective. The best example is the inchworm crawl. From a standing position, slightly flex the knees and bend forward to place the hands on the ground. Move the hands forward until the body is in a pushup position and then walk the legs to the hands using small steps while slightly flexing the knees. Repeat for 10 repetitions, stretching further with each repetition.

Beginner Workouts for Running And Upper-Body Strength

"I'm out of shape" is a lament many of us hear virtually every day -- sometimes in our own heads. Getting fit can take many forms, but ideally, people should seek to balance aerobic gains with strength gains to achieve overall fitness. This means doing several runs and strength workouts a week, with an eye on each type of exercise complementing the other to the fullest extent possible.

General Running Guidelines
Former "Runner's World" editor-in-chief Amby Burfoot offers a number of tips to people just starting a distance-running program. If you're over 40 years old, sedentary or 20 or more pounds over your ideal weight, ask your primary care provider whether it's safe for you to start a walk-run regimen. Also, set aside specific time for exercising so that you won't find excuses to skip your runs. Expect to have days on which you don't feel great, and above all, be patient -- it takes a while to get fit if you've been inactive for a significant stretch.

General Training Guidelines
Certified strength and conditioning specialist Cameron McGarr, writing for "Men's Fitness," suggests always taking a day off between strength-training sessions if you're returning to the gym after a layoff or getting started for the first time. You should experiment in your first few sessions to determine how much weight you should use for each exercise. One recommendation is to do about 80 percent of your max; for example, do 12 repetitions of a given exercise if your maximum for that weight is 15, or eight if your maximum is 10. If you don't have access to a gym, take heart -- you need no special equipment to work your upper body. You can do pushups, triceps dips and other exercises in the comfort of your own home.

Specific Running Workouts
Burfoot advises that you begin training with a mix of walking and running, and take one day off a week all together. In your first week, shoot for 10 sets of one minute of running followed by two minutes of walking; don't worry about your pace. Do this on four days, and reserve two other days for 30-minute vigorous walks. As the weeks roll by, add more continuous running while shortening the walk breaks, so that at the end of one month you're running for eight or more minutes at a stretch while walking for one minute in between running bouts. By the end of eight weeks, you should be able to run for 30 minutes at a time.

Specific Upper-Body Exercises
If you go to a gym or have your own weights, three times a week, do two sets of 12 repetitions of the following exercises: bent-over dumbbell rows pushups and planks. Take 30 to 60 seconds between sets. If you prefer to work your upper body without using weights, you can do rotational circles, doorway pushes and around-the-worlds for your shoulders, pushups for your chest and dips for your triceps. A physical therapist can provide you with a length of rubber tubing you can use to do shoulder resistance exercises such as internal rotations, abductions, extensions and stretches. You can even install your own pullup bar above a doorway; visit a sporting-goods specialty store to find one.

A Good Daily Menu for Hard Workouts

When it comes to achieving a great physique, losing fat, building muscle and getting fitter and stronger, it can be easy to forget that training is just part of the puzzle. What you eat matters just as much as what you do in the gym. To support your training efforts, sculpt your body in the way you want and give you energy for hard workouts, you need to eat the right diet day in and day out.

Calories
Before you start looking at the foods you're eating, you need to work out how many calories you should be consuming. It doesn't matter what foods you choose, your calories and macronutrients -- proteins, carbs and fats -- will always be the most important factors, claims nutritionist Nate Miyaki, author of "Intermittent Feast: An Evolutionary & Scientific Approach to Weight Loss." Active men need 2,400 to 3,000 calories per day to maintain weight while women need 2,000 to 2,400, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To lose fat, you may need slightly less than this, and to build muscle you'll need a little more.

Protein
Protein's job is to build and repair muscles, as well as aid in the production of hormones and enzymes and protect you from disease. When you train hard, your muscle tissue breaks down, so you need protein to repair it. Athletes and exercisers need more protein than those who don't train, according to sports nutritionist Nancy Clark. Active adults need 0.4 to 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body-weight each day, while growing athletes and adults building muscle mass need 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound. Get your protein from lean sources such as poultry, lean cuts of red mean like tenderloin and sirloin, cottage cheese, eggs, soy and lentils.

Carbs and Fat
Low-carb and low-fat diets might be all the rage for weight loss, but these kind of diets aren't sustainable or healthy in the long-run and certainly aren't beneficial to supporting hard workouts. Include a portion of carbohydrate and a portion of fat at every meal, advises nutritionist Ryan Andrews of Precision Nutrition. Use your hand as a guide for serving sizes. Men should have two cupped handfuls of carbs at every meal, while women need one cupped handful. Your fat serving should be the size of two thumbs for men and one for women. Pick nutrient-dense carbs such as sweet or white potatoes, brown rice, beans or whole-grain bread and wraps and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, peanut and almond butter or mixed unsalted nuts.

Workout Nutrition and Meal Timings
When you eat your meals is largely irrelevant -- it doesn't matter whether you eat twice a day, four times or even every couple of hours, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition. You may be wise, however, to consume a larger proportion of your calories and carbs around your workouts. Eating more in the few hours leading up to a workout can boost your energy, and a big post-workout meal will kick-start the recovery process. On rest days, simply divide your daily calorie intake by the number of meals you plan to eat and space them evenly throughout the day.

The Benefits of Elliptical Workout

Whether you choose to work out in a gym or at home, an elliptical trainer can help you transform your body through cardiovascular exercise. This machine, which provides resistance to work your lower and upper body at the same time as you boost your heart rate, is an effective way to burn calories in your attempt to lose weight. Additionally, the lack of joint impact you experience during an elliptical workout makes this machine suitable for those with a range of ailments.

High Caloric Burn
If you weigh 185 pounds and spend just 30 minutes using the machine, you burn about 400 calories, according to Harvard Health Publications. The formula for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume over a specific period. In doing so, you shift your body into a caloric deficit, which causes you to lose fat. While your diet contributes to your ability to achieve this deficit, the use of an elliptical trainer can play an instrumental role in weight loss, given the machine's notable caloric burn.

Several Cardiovascular Benefits
Using an elliptical trainer is an example of an cardiovascular workout, but one that provides more of a full-body challenge than riding a stationary bike or jogging on a treadmill. The elliptical challenges your upper and lower body by providing varying degrees of resistance, and using the elliptical backward provides even more of a challenge for your quadriceps muscles. When you use the handles to work your arms, you're further increasing your heart rate. The cardiovascular benefits you receive from using the elliptical trainer include strengthening your heart, reducing plaque in your arteries and improving your stamina, according to MayoClinic.org. Cardiovascular exercise can also improve your mood, which is why you might find yourself with a healthy addiction to using the elliptical trainer.

Stronger Muscles
Although many people use the elliptical trainer as a method of burning calories, this machine also contributes to greater muscular strength. Although using the machine isn't an alternative to dedicated strength training, it works large muscles such as your hips, glutes, hamstrings and quads, and engages your core muscles as you maintain an upright posture. The trainer also works several muscle groups in your chest, arms and back, provided you use the machine's handles. Seek out a machine with moving handles -- in addition to the added muscle-building benefits, the handles contribute to a greater caloric burn -- and be sure to increase the handles' resistance.

Healthy for Your Joints
Elliptical trainers provide a low-impact cardiovascular workout, which makes them favorable to higher-impact activities such as running or taking a step aerobics class. The low-impact nature of the workout isn't likely cause pain in the joints in your lower body; as such, this workout is suitable for people with joint pain and those who are overweight or have osteoporosis. The machine's handles can provide stability for those with balance issues, and the handles are also useful for beginners until they get used to the feeling of the machine.

Risks of Elliptical Trainers
Although using an elliptical trainer can lead to a variety of health benefits, this workout isn't without its risks. Some people experience toe numbness during their elliptical workout due to the constant pressure on your toes. Fix this feeling by switching your direction every 20 minutes; pedaling backward alleviates the pressure on your toes. It's also possible to develop lower-body pain if the machine isn't set up correctly for your stride. Always seek the help of an experienced trainer if you're new to using an elliptical trainer. Discontinue your use of the machine if you can't use it comfortably.

How to Design a Dumbbell Exercise Workout

If you're too busy to make the trek to the gym everyday, a dumbbell routine will provide a practical way to exercise at home, at work or on-the-go. Free weights are portable and relatively inexpensive, making them the perfect fitness equipment for those with hectic schedules. Construct a simple routine and monitor your progress with a chart. The health rewards for regular strength training, such as a dumbbell workout, are substantial and include increased bone density, improved joint flexibility and weight management, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Look for open windows in your schedule. You'll need a 20- to 30-minute block of time for each workout.

Decide whether you'll do split or full-body workouts. Split workouts focus on muscle groups that work together, such as the upper arms and chest. Full body workouts utilize all the major muscle groups in one session. If you choose a full-body workout, you'll only strength train on two or three non-consecutive days to give your body 48 hours for recovery between sessions. Split workouts are a little more flexible. You can work your glutes and thighs one day, and the arms and back the next day while your legs recover.

Choose your exercises. If you've opted for a split workout, design a routine that will combine compound and isolation exercises that target only a few muscles. For instance, a bench press is a compound exercise that works the chest, deltoids and triceps. Add a military press, shoulder raise and dumbbell flyes to target the same areas of the musculature. If you are doing full-body workouts, begin with the five major compound exercises: bench press, military press, deadlift, bent over row and squats. Isolation exercises, such as bicep curls and tricep extensions, will fill out the routine.

Select appropriate weights. You should be able to do at least eight repetitions of each dumbbell exercise. If you can do more than 15 repetitions at a time, the weight you've selected is too light. It may take some experimentation to choose the proper dumbbell size for each exercise.

Write down your routine. Make a chart that includes the days of the week, sets, repetitions and the weight you will use for each exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends two to four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions for strength and power. One way to keep your workout fresh is to do one set of every exercise and then repeat the cycle one or two more times. Ideally you should include eight to 10 exercises in each routine.

Add variety to your workout. You'll notice after a few weeks that the exercises feel easier. Increase the dumbbell weight to add resistance or swap some new exercises into your routine.

The Worst Foods To Eat After A Workout

Nutrition is powerful. Depending on timing, amounts of food and combinations of macronutrients, nutrition can either amplify your efforts in the gym or detract from them. Who wouldn’t want to make the most of their food choices to achieve health and fitness goals?

While there’s no doubt that your client’s overall healthy eating plan is essential to the exciting results they expect to see, pre- and post- workout nutrition can further boost those efforts. Adequate hydration, a meal of carbohydrates with some protein and fat in the hours before and immediately after a workout are all common recommendations for sustained energy and increased efforts. These exact recommendations may vary to some extent and should be personalized for each client with the help of a registered dietitian. However, that’s not all clients need to know to properly fuel and refuel for training sessions.

For clients just learning about nutrition’s role in an effective training program, it’s important to outline both the foods to eat and the foods to skip. This total picture helps clients now and sets them up for long-term success. Deliver the results your clients demand. While still staying within your scope of practice, you can help clients avoid choices like these after a workout:

LOW-CARBOHYDRATE MEALS
Post-workout, one of your client’s biggest goals should be fueling for the next workout. This means replacing stores of glycogen that can be used for energy in training sessions to come. This is where high-quality carbohydrates are a must. Whole-grain breads, crackers and pasta as well as fruits are rich in carbohydrates that are converted by the body into glycogen and stored in the muscles for future energy. Urge clients to avoid simple carbohydrates such as high-sugar foods, such as high-sugar protein bars, refined bread products and candy, which can cause blood sugar to spike and crash with few to no nutritional benefits.

CALORIE BOMBS
After a strenuous workout, your clients may be tempted to indulge in a higher-calorie meal. This may especially be the case if they’ve heard of the “afterburn effect” or post-exercise oxygen consumption, in which the body may continue to burn calories after exercise depending on duration, intensity and a variety of other factors. Not only can excess calorie consumption after a workout erase these possible gains in the short term, it can also set up your clients for unhealthy diet and exercise habits in the future.

HIGH-FAT FOLLY
As with high-calorie meals, many clients often see post-workout as an optimal time to splurge on a higher-fat meal. What they may not realize is the effect that fat has on carbohydrate digestion and, therefore, the replenishment of the all-important glycogen stores. Research indicates that higher amounts of fat actually slow digestion and the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose and glycogen. Less glycogen being replaced post-workout means there will be less available for the next training session.

LONE VEGGIES
This is the only time you may hear health professionals and dietitians suggest skipping vegetables. It’s not because they aren’t low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods that have been shown to help with everything from cancer prevention to a healthy heart and toned body. It is because they lack the basic macro nutritional necessities of a post-workout meal: moderate-to-high carbs with some fat and protein. Urge clients to wait a few hours after a workout to go crazy with the vegetables to load up on hunger-curbing fiber and nutrients. Immediately post-workout, clients should stick to something that will effectively fuel energy stores.

Help clients harness the power of nutrition before workouts, after workouts and throughout their day with an effective meal plan. Leave foods like the ones just mentioned for other times of the day or the occasional splurge.

5 Benefits Of Dumbbell Training

Most health clubs and gyms offer rows of cardio equipment, aisles of weight-training machines, stacks of free weights and specific stretch areas to help members pursue their individual goals. When it comes to fitness equipment, there is no one “best” piece of equipment. Different types of equipment are purposefully designed to achieve specific fitness outcomes.

For those with goals related to strength training, there are countless options for increasing lean muscle or adding strength. Choices include the traditional weight machines, barbells or dumbbells, as well as a wide variety of specialized equipment such as kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags and even oversized tires. Some forms of resistance training equipment, such as barbells, are more effective for developing max strength, while weight-training machines can help increase muscle definition and lighter forms of resistance such as medicine balls and kettlebells can be useful for improving movement-specific power output. Dumbbells are often used for joint-isolation exercises such as biceps curls, chest flyes or shoulder raises. Using dumbbells for full-body, multiplanar movements, however, can provide a variety of different strength outcomes. It also offers many benefits for cardiorespiratory fitness and flexibility. To help you select the best equipment for your needs, here are five benefits of using dumbbells:

1. Dumbbells can provide the two types of overload that lead to muscle growth: mechanic and metabolic. Mechanic overload is the result of damaged caused by muscle contractions, which stimulates the repair process and leads to an increase in muscle size. Metabolic overload occurs when a muscle is worked to fatigue, which leads to the adaptation of muscle cells being able to store more glycogen which can cause muscles to increase in size. Heavy dumbbells can generate mechanical overload, while moderate-weight dumbbells combined with high reps (to fatigue) can produce metabolic overload.

2. Dumbbell exercises can create both inter- and intramuscular coordination, leading to greater levels of muscle activation. Intermuscular coordination is the ability of a number of different muscles to work together to produce and stabilize joint motion. Intramuscular coordination is the amount of muscle motor units and their attached muscle fibers that are activated within a specific muscle. Using lighter dumbbells for compound, multijoint or multiplanar movement patterns improves coordination between different body segments. Using heavier dumbbells can increase the number of muscle fibers activated within a specific muscle.

3. Dumbbells can benefit both the contractile element and elastic component of muscle tissue. The contractile element is the specific actin-myosin muscle proteins responsible for sliding across one another to create concentric shortening actions or control eccentric lengthening. The elastic component is the fascia and connective tissue that attaches each individual muscle fiber and groups of fibers to one another. The elastic component stores mechanic energy as it is lengthened, which is then released during a rapid muscle-shortening action. Traditional exercises with heavy dumbbells can increase the force production capacity of the contractile element, while multiplanar movement patterns with light dumbbells can enhance the resiliency and strength of the elastic component.

4. Dumbbells can be used for a variety of exercises. Machines allow one motion in one specific movement pattern to place load on one muscle or muscle group. Due to their length, standard barbells are best used for compound movements in one specific plane of motion. Due to their size and the fact they can be held in each hand, dumbbells can be used to create a variety of different movement patterns to develop task- or movement-specific strength.

5. Dumbbells allow the user to focus on one arm or leg at a time, which is one way to initiate strength gains by using a heavy overload. A single dumbbell can be used for exercises such as a one-arm overhead press or a split-leg goblet squat to create overload in one limb at a time.

If these benefits sound like what you’re looking for in your fitness program, but you’re not sure what exercises to do, here is a dumbbell workout to help you get started:

Dumbbell Goblet Reverse Crossover Lunge

• Hold dumbbell vertically in front of your chest.
• Sink back into the hips and step the left leg behind your right leg and sink into your right hip while keeping the spine tall. 
• To return to standing, press your right foot into the ground as you swing your left leg to the left.
• Alternate sides for 8 to 10 reps; complete 3 sets, resting rest 45 seconds between each set. 

Dumbbell Rotational Press

• Stand and hold a dumbbell at each should wither palms facing each other.
• Rotate to the right and fully extend your left arm. Pull your arm back down, rotate to the left and extend your right arm.
• Alternate sides for 8 to 10 reps; complete 3 sets, resting rest 45 seconds between each set. 

Dumbbell Alternating Bent-over Rows With Rotation

• Hinge forward at the hips with knees slightly bent and the spine straight.
• Hold dumbbells in your hands with the palms facing each other.
• Pull your right hand toward your rib cage as you rotate to the right. Lower your hand and rotate to the other side.
• Alternate sides for 8 to 10 reps; complete 3 sets, resting rest 45 seconds between each set. 

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge With Forward Bend to Overhead Press

• Step back with your right foot as you sink into your left hip.
• Bend forward and reach for your left foot with both hands (if you sink into your hip first it is okay to allow your spine to round).
• Press your left foot into the floor and swing your right leg forward to return to standing. As you reach standing, push both arms overhead into a press.
• Alternate sides for 8 to 10 reps (4 to 5 each leg); complete 3 sets, resting rest 45 seconds between each set. 

Pullover to Trunk Curl

• Lie supine on ground with feet on the floor and knees bent and pointed toward the ceiling.
• Hold both arms straight up with palms facing each other. Lower both arms overhead to the floor.
• Pull your arms back over your chest. As your hands reach over your chest with extended arms, curl up your trunk.
• Lower your torso to the floor and repeat.
• Perform 10 to 12 reps; complete 2 to 3 sets, resting rest 45 seconds between each set. 

Dumbell Hip Thrusters

• Lie supine on the floor with feet flat on and the knees pointed up.
• Rest two dumbbells on your hips with palms facing each other.
• Push your feet into the floor and lift your hips up to the ceiling.
• Pause at the top and then lower slowly. Aim for 1 to 2 seconds for the lift, 2 seconds for the hold, and 4 seconds to lower back down.
• Perform 10 to 12 reps; complete 2 to 3 sets, resting rest 45 seconds between each set.

Exercise Routines for Boys

Exercise is a key ingredient to help children maintain a healthy body. An active lifestyle for boys promotes a faster metabolism, improves sleeping habits, and ensures proper growth and muscle mass. One of the key elements to include in exercise routines for boys is to make the exercises fun. Here are some exercise routines for boys.

Stretching and Warming Up
Make sure to stretch for 5 to 10 minutes prior to starting a workout. Stretching helps with flexibility and helps loosen young muscles before beginning an exercise routine. Start with simple toe touches and hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Sit on the floor, spread your legs and extend the left arm to the left toe. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Alternate to the right side. Tuck the right leg inside, and with the left leg still extended, stretch your arm to your left toe. Hold for 15 seconds. Tuck your left leg and extend with your right arm out to your right toe. Hold the stretch 15 seconds. Put your feet together, and reach out to touch your toes with both arms. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. It's important to remember not to bounce when stretching. Now that you've stretched your muscles really well, you can begin a short cardiovascular routine.

Cardiovascular Routines
Boys ages 7 to 14 can complete an exercise routine anywhere from 2 to 4 days a week. The younger the boy, the shorter the exercise routine should be. The exercise routine can increase in duration and frequency with increased exercise tolerance and age. Start with 25 jumping jacks. Again, you can have your child do more or less based on age and fitness level. Jumping jacks get the blood flowing and work lower and upper muscles. Arm circles are great for building natural muscle in the arms. If possible include jogging and short sprints. Sprinting in particular helps boys build up fast twitch muscle in the legs. Swimming is another good cardiovascular exercise for boys. Swimming works leg, arm and abdomen muscles.

Resistance Training for Boys
Avoid weight training routines for boys until age 14 or older. There are plenty of strength-building exercises for boys that can be included in the routine that build muscle without using free weights. Remember boys are still growing. You don't want to put the stress of heavy weight training on a growing frame. With that in mind, push-ups and chin-ups are a great way to increase muscle in boys. As tolerance increases, you can increase the repetitions and number of sets. With push-ups, you can challenge boys by having them do diamond push-ups, wide-arm push-ups and standard push-ups. Start with standard push-ups, but as boys progress in age and strength, challenge them with the above variations. Sit-ups are great for building stomach muscles. Leg lifts, squats and leg extensions can be added to exercise routines for boys. Remember that boys should take a day or two off in between exercise routines to allow growing muscles to recover.

Strength Training for Pear-Shaped Body Types

According to MayoClinic.com, pears -- those who carry extra weight around the hips and thighs -- are less likely to develop diabetes, heart disease or other metabolic disorders than apples, who carry extra weight around the waist. While that's good news, it won't change your jean size or how you look at the beach. To some extent, your body type is your body type, and it's better to just learn to love it. However, tightening muscles in your lower body while building your upper body can make you appear more balanced.

Upper-Body Workout
Pears aren't just big on the bottom; they're narrow on top. Exercises such as flyes, pushups and bench presses build the pectoralis major muscles in your chest and the anterior, or front, deltoids in your shoulders. To make your shoulders appear broader, also work your lateral deltoids with overhead presses or lateral raises. Keep in mind that working these muscles without equally working your posterior, or back, deltoids will cause your shoulders to round, which defeats the purpose. Counter this with reverse flyes or bent-over rows with your elbows out and make sure to stretch your pecs tight by lifting your straight arms out to the side and pressing them back.

Hip Abduction
Sometimes called "outer -thigh" exercises, hip abductions actually work higher gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles that can give your hips a tighter appearance. These exercises will place resistance on your outer-leg area by pressing or lifting your leg away from your body. You can do this with abduction machines at your gym, a cable machine with the pulley set low. You can also lie on your side, using only your body weight or adding resistance with a band or dumbbell placed against your outer thigh. To counterbalance abductions, you must also do adductions, which means squeezing your legs together against resistance.

Buttocks and Thighs
You can save time by working your thighs and the rear end of your pear body -- the gluteus maximus -- at the same time. Leg presses, squats and lunges all work the quadriceps at the front of your thighs, the hamstrings at the back and your gluteus maximus. You can also work these muscles separately with leg extensions for your quads, leg curls for your hamstrings and simple butt squeezes. For an added challenge, try a back-lying hip extension. This is a combination of lifting into a bridge position while simultaneously lifting one straight leg until it is approximately parallel to the opposite thigh. This exercise provides the added benefit of working your core.

Abs
Some people associate their pear shape with weak "lower abs" and concentrate on exercises like leg raises. In reality, there is no such thing as lower abs. Your rectus abdominis runs down the middle of your torso, starting just under your ribs, and it's all one muscle. Leg raises and similar exercises actually work primarily on your hip flexors. That doesn't mean you can't tighten your tummy, you just have to work on the entire muscle at one time with exercises like situps, crunches and planks -- front and back. Gradually increase the challenge for your situps and crunches by moving from a flat surface to a stability ball and then to a declined bench. Also try reverse crunches that involve curling your pelvis up. You can do these on a mat, a decline bench with your legs facing down or in a captain's chair. The captain's chair is best if you have any lower-back issues.

How to Lose Upper Abdominal Weight

There are two main types of fat distribution on the human body: the android and the gynoid. The android body type distributes fat around the upper midsection of the body (the upper abdominals), while the gynoid type accumulates fat around the lower body (hips and thighs). These terms were coined by French doctor Jean Vague in 1947, who observed that body fat distribution can be linked to severe health issues. Upper abdominal weight has been linked to heart disease, bad cholesterol, stroke, and the metabolic syndrome X (see resources). Need to lose? Try these tips and exercises to lose upper abdominal weight and decrease health risks.

Burn more calories than you consume. This age-old weight-loss mantra is essential for losing abdominal weight. Exercising will improve your ab muscles, but changing your diet is the only safe way to lose the fat that hides them. Don't go on a crash diet, though; it'll hurt you in the long run. Eat a small meal every three hours, filling your plate with lean proteins, whole-wheat carbs and veggies.

Work out on an empty stomach. That way, your body will burn fat instead of whatever carbs you just ate. Drink plain water to stay hydrated during your ab workout, and fuel up afterward on quick-digesting proteins and carbohydrates.

Ready for upper abdominal exercises? The traditional crunch may sound boring, but it's effective if done right. Lie on your back with your legs bent. Place your hands LIGHTLY behind your neck. Press your spine into the floor, pull your bellybutton in towards your spine, and lift yourself up. Make sure you're lifting with your abdominals, and not your arms or neck. Hold the crunch for a few seconds, and then slowly move back down. Don't let your shoulders touch the floor---start the next crunch! If you do them correctly, you can do fewer crunches and see better results.

Try these variations on the traditional crunch. For the "butterfly crunch," lie on your back and bend your knees, then let your legs fall out to your sides (they should be forming a rough diamond shape). Lift as usual. For the "bicycle crunch," bring your knees to your chest. Instead of lifting your upper body straight forward, lift and twist to the right, touching your left elbow to your right knee, while simultaneously straightening your left leg. Return to starting position, and then twist to the left.

Sit on the floor, feet flat and knees bent. Clasp your hands and stretch your arms out in front of you. Lean back until you're approximately 45 degrees from the floor, keeping your back straight. Twist your torso to the right as far as you can, moving your hands in the same direction. Return to the starting position, slowly, and twist to the other side.

Try the yoga Plank pose for strong upper abdominals. Lie stomach-down on the floor, and push yourself up as though you're about to do a push-up. Only your toes and hands should be touching the floor. Keep your back straight and your body elongated. Pull your bellybutton back toward your spine, and hold this position for 30 seconds. Relax, stretch, and repeat.

The Boat pose is another great yoga move for the upper abs. Sit on the floor with your knees bent, and lean your torso back as in Step 5. Now, stretch your legs away from your body and hold them at a 45-degree angle from the floor. Your whole body should be forming a V. Hold your arms straight, hands lightly touching your knees. Stay in this pose for 30 seconds.

The Captain's Chair is an abdominal exercise machine found at gyms, but you can replicate it at home. Sit on the edge of a kitchen chair, feet on the floor, with your back as straight as possible. Hold onto the sides of the chair. Slowly bring your feet towards your chest, tightening your abs as you do so. Hold for a few seconds, then lower your feet back towards the floor.