Glutes

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Glutes, Abs & Hamstrings

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A Flatter Stomach Just 3 Steps Away

Tired of laboring over those flabby abs without any real results?

Unless you’ve been schooled in the proper ways to exercise, it can sometimes be difficult weeding through the best ways to get a fit and firm figure. In fact, if you aren’t careful, lack of results will be the least of your worries. You could be setting yourself up for a workout-ending injury!

With the help of in-demand personal trainer and Look Great Naked (Prentice Hall Press) author Brad Schoenfeld, you’ll finally start seeing the fruits of your labor. He’s here to set the record straight when it comes to the tricks of the toning trade. With his expert help, you can be well on your way to fabulous abs.

“Every day I hear people buying into workout myths,” he tells us from his home base in New York City. “I think more than any other muscle there are myths associated with the abs. Most people train the abs wrong or train them too frequently.”

According to Schoenfeld, these are the four most common myths associated with toning that tummy:

MYTH #1: Training the abs will give you a flat stomach.
You simply can’t spot reduce fat. When you exercise, fat is removed from all areas of the body. The calories expended during ab exercises are very low. If you are looking for a high calorie burner, there are better exercises. Working the abs will develop the underlying muscle, but if there is a layer of fat obscuring your "six pack" neither you nor anyone else will ever see it.

MYTH #2: The lower and upper abs are separate from one another.
The abs are one long sheet of muscle. They aren’t separate. Any ab exercise you do is going to involve both the lower and upper abdominal areas. You can shift the emphasis more toward the lower or upper regions by performing specific exercises. To target the upper abdominal area, you use exercises that bring the chest toward the pelvic (crunch-type exercises). To target the lower abdominal region, use exercises that bring the pelvis toward the chest (reverse curls).

MYTH #3: You should perform ab exercises every day for best results.
There is no substance to this. You wouldn’t think of training the biceps or the quadriceps every day -- and the abs have almost the same percentage of "fast twitch" to "slow twitch" muscles as the biceps and the quads. If you train your muscles every day, you are going to be shortchanging yourself of results. The muscles develop during rest. When you train them every day, you’re actually breaking down muscles. It's best to allow 48 hours for the muscle to recuperate and provide optimal results. ...

MYTH #4: During the crunch, you should place your hands behind your head for support.
You should never put your hands behind your head for support. When you put your hands behind your head and clasp, there is a reflexive tendency to pull on the neck muscles. This puts you at a greater risk for straining the neck muscles, especially when the repetitions start getting difficult and you are fatiguing and want to get out the last few reps. The best advice is to place your hands behind your chest or put your fists at your ears.

The good news is that with the proper guidance from Schoenfeld, you’ll have a much-coveted stomach in no time -- provided you keep the proper form when working out and follow a healthy diet.

“You don’t get the proper results if you don’t have the proper training protocol," Schoenfeld says. "It diminishes the results. You can also overtrain and not get as good results. If you do the proper routine, the abs develop very quickly.”

Schoenfeld emphasizes that to achieve a super-sexy stomach you first have to shed the layer of fat covering the muscles. The best one-two punch: good nutrition and regular physical activity. Without proper nutrition, you aren’t going to get the results you’re working for, he says.

For an extra boost of fat burning, Schoenfeld advocates an aerobic activity. The combination of a healthy diet and cardio exercise will speed up your progress and help burn extra fat.

Schoenfeld shares an abdominal routine from Look Great Naked. He suggests performing the following three exercises as one giant set. Do 15 to 20 reps of the toe touch. Without resting, do 15 to 20 reps of the reverse curl. Then do 15 to 20 reps of the twisting curl. Rest 30 seconds and repeat the giant set two more times.

Toe Touch
Begin by lying on the floor with arms and legs straight up, perpendicular to your body. Slowly curl your torso up and forward, raising your hands as close to your toes as possible. Contract your abs and then reverse direction, returning to the starting position.

Reverse Curl
Begin by lying back on the floor. With your hands at your sides, raise your butt as high as possible while keeping your upper back pressed to the floor. Contract your abs and then reverse direction, returning to the starting position. ...

Twisting Crunch
Begin by lying face up on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your thighs should be perpendicular to the ground, and your hands should be folded across your chest. Slowly raise your shoulders up and forward toward your chest, twisting your body to the right. Feel a contraction in your abdominal muscles and then slowly reverse direction, returning to the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process, twisting your body to the left.

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Do you look great naked?

If you answered with an emphatic “NO!” you’re not alone. According to studies, an estimated 80 percent of women over 18 aren’t happy with their bodies.

OK, so maybe what sets you apart from the rest is that you’ve tried everything to trim and tone your flabby figure. You eat right and you spend hours on the treadmill, yet nothing seems to work when it comes to tightening your tush.

Well, it's time you got to the bottom of your problem. Welcome to the eFitness booty camp featuring the dean of drill sergeants, renowned personal trainer Brad Schoenfeld. The author of Look Great Naked (Prentice Hall Press) has helped sculpt many a flawless figures -- his clients typically have bodies you would kill for!

Schoenfeld is super successful because he targets the common trouble spots which weigh down most women: the thighs, the abs and the rear end. The fitness pro says it's a three-pronged attack of balanced diet, cardiovascular workout and toning exercises to ensure a fit and trim figure.

Healthy eating and regular cardio activity are musts when it comes to boosting metabolism and losing weight. But this one-two punch needs help to effectively tackle a drooping derriere.

Schoenfeld says too many women fail to do the proper training required to get their act in gear. Cardio alone just doesn't doesn’t cut it when it comes to toning.

"Aerobics don’t overload the muscle," Schoenfeld tells us from his Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, New York. "The muscle only responds to overload. A stimulus is not used in aerobics -- it’s endurance-based.

"In other words, you are doing the same thing over and over again. The body is not forced to adapt. Therefore you don’t see much in the development of the gluteal (butt) muscles. The only way to really do that is through weight training."

Many women share a common misconception that weight training will make their butts bigger. Schoenfeld says training the gluteal muscles will actually add shape to the butt. When your derriere starts dragging, the only thing that will give it a much-needed pick-me-up is exercise. As a bonus, building the muscle will increase your body’s fat-burning ability!

Variety is the key. The butt is comprised of three muscles (the gluteus maximus, the medius and the minimus) so it’s important to work it from various angles.

Whether you bemoan a bubble butt or flat fanny, toning exercises can reshape your rear. But how you should workout depends on the shape you’re shooting for, Schoenfeld says.

"If you have a flat butt and you’re looking to build it up, you should do fewer reps (8 to 10) and use heavier weights," says Schoenfeld. "If you’re looking to tone up the region, use higher reps (15 to 20) and lighter weights."

The next step is determining the appropriate weight. Schoenfeld says you can tell if you’re lifting the right amount of weight if you struggle with the last few reps. If you’re breezing through the workout, you need to add more weight to your routine.

To get the most out of this workout, do the proper amount of reps the first exercise, then move on to the second and third exercises without resting. When you have completed all three exercises, rest for 30 seconds and repeat the entire set. After the second set, rest 30 seconds and repeat a third and final set.

Always allow 48 hours rest between workouts. Here are your super three exercises for building a better butt

Good Morning

Begin by resting a barbell across your shoulders. Assume a shoulder-width stance and keep your lower back taut throughout the movement. Slowly bend forward at the hips until your body is roughly parallel with the floor. In a controlled fashion, slowly reverse direction, contracting your glutes as you raise your body up along the same path back to the start position.

Standing Leg Curl

Begin by attaching a weight to your right ankle. Grasp onto a stationary object and slowly curl your right foot upward, stopping just short of touching your butt or as far as comfortably possible. Contract your right hamstring and then reverse direction, returning back to the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left.

Kneeling Abduction

Begin by kneeling on the ground, assuming an "all fours" position. Keeping your right leg bent, raise it to the side as high as comfortably possible. Contract your glutes and then slowly return the weight along the same path back to the start position. After finishing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left.

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Push Past Your Plateaus
Re-stoke the fires in your fitness, and your life

Forearm plank with single knee lift

Kneel on floor with knees hip-width apart, forearms on floor, elbows in line with shoulders, palms clasped. Extend both legs back, balancing on the balls of your feet and forearms. Keeping hips square, abs pulled up and in, bend one knee to touch the floor;

Forearm plank with single knee lift 2

then, keeping knee bent, press foot upward until knee is hip-height. Do 8-10 lifts; release plank and rest briefly, then switch sides and repeat.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps with each leg. Strengthens buttock muscles, hamstrings and abdominals

Stand with left side to a chair and place left hand on chair back for support, right hand on hip. Keeping both legs straight, point toes of left foot forward and toes of right foot out at 45 degrees, keeping heels together. Contract abs so tailbone points down to the floor.

Squeeze buttocks and press right leg back, keeping it straight on a diagonal, lifting only as far as you can without changing torso alignment. Lower and repeat for 16-20 reps. On last rep, hold leg at top of lift and do 20 small pulses upward. Switch legs and repeat. To progress: Let go of chair to utilize more abs.

Do 2-3 sets of 16-20 reps plus 20 pulses with each leg. Strengthens buttock, hamstring and upper hip muscles.

Standing erect with hands on hips, shift weight to your right foot, lift left knee and place left ankle across right thigh so left knee turns out. Contract abs and drop tailbone to maintain upright, balanced position.

Bend right knee to sit back into a one-legged squat. Contracting buttocks, rise back to starting position.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps with each leg. Strengthens buttock and hip muscles.

The 5 Secrets Of A Better Butt!

Some like it hot while others start to sweat the moment spring gives way to summer and they are faced with the heat of swimsuit season!

Sure, a lot of women look forward to packing away the heavy winter jackets. But many others get nervous thinking about slipping into something a little more uncomfortable... like short shorts or a body-baring bikini.

If you spent the winter months cuddling up to one too many comfort food, you're probably cringing at the thought of hitting the pool or beach. No butts about it: you need an effective tush-toning routine... and you need it NOW!

Chill out. You can have a better butt by June with the help of fitness expert Michael Stefano. The author of The Firefighter’s Workout (HarperCollins) has the hottest butt-firming routine in town. Michael says the answer to your tush troubles lies in the proper strength-training workout.

The biggest mistake most people make is to solely turn to cardio,” he tells us. “While cardio might be a piece of the puzzle, it won’t sculpt, tone or firm. You’ll have negligible toning effects but nothing hardcore. You have to incorporate resistance training to tone the butt or any other body parts.”

But, it takes more than strength training, cardio and proper diet to boast the best buns around. You also need Michael's 5 secrets to a better butt. You'll consider this bonus the golden rules for toning ALL your trouble spots... from head to toe.

1. Apply perfect form with the right resistance. From the proper stance to the proper posture, form is everything. If you don’t follow the instructions to the letter, you won’t get the results. Whatever method you’re using, make sure you choose the right movements and adhere to proper form.

2. Make sure you have the proper intensity. While most men are too intense, most women aren’t intense enough. When we talk about intensity, we’re talking about muscle fatigue. You have to work to some level of muscle fatigue. You should feel a slight burn or discomfort due to the release of lactic acid. If you can’t make another move, you’ve probably gone too far. Proper intensity is absolutely essential.

3. Control the number of sets and reps. You want to be between the 12 to 20 range, but you still want to hit muscle fatigue. If you need to increase the intensity of your workout, don’t increase the reps or sets. Instead, add weights or resistance. Staying in the 12- to 20-rep range will accomplish both toning and fat burning.

4. Get adequate rest and recovery. You can’t do these exercises every day or you’ll overtrain the muscles or set yourself up for injury. Allow for 48 to 96 hours rest between each workout. In other words do no more than two to three sessions a week. Another crucial element: the proper amount of rest time between sets. When performing Michael's circuit training workout, rest one to two minutes between sets. This makes it a somewhat aerobic, fat-burning workout. Keeping rest to a minimum enhances the fat-burning effect of the workout.

5. Combine big multi-muscle movements with smaller, isolated movements. For example, combine the squats with the kickback. The squat works the entire lower body while the kickback concentrates on the glutes.

Bottoms up: here is Michael's ultimate butt-toning workout. Perform 12 to 20 reps of the step up (each leg). Then move directly to 12 to 20 reps of the squat. Complete the set with 12 to 20 reps of the standing kickback (each leg). Rest one to two minutes and repeat the entire set two more times with a one to two minute rest in between.

STEP UP
Place your right foot flat on the step and your left foot flat on the floor. Exhale and push off as little as possible with the left foot as you bring both feet up to step level. Inhale and lower your left foot to the floor. Repeat to muscle fatigue (in the range of 12 to 20 reps). Repeat with the legs reversed.
Intensity Booster/Reducer: Adjust step height, hold dumbbells or perform all reps with one leg before making the switch.

SQUAT
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides. Keep the head held straight while you maintain the natural arch in your back, knees are soft. Inhale as you bend at the knees and hips to a sitting position, or as low as you can comfortably go without pain or discomfort in the lower back or knees (squatting down half way will still get remarkable results). Allow the arms to swing forward for balance. Your buttocks never drop below the level of your knees, and your knees do not extend beyond the toes. Exhale, slowly rising to a standing position, with knees and hips straight, allowing the arms to drop back to your sides. Ideally, select a resistance level (body weight or dumbbells) that enables you to hit muscle fatigue in the 12- to 20-repetition range.
Intensity Booster/Reducer: Hold dumbbells (as shown), perform at a slower pace (squat down to a slow count of 8, and back up to a slow count of 4) to increase resistance. Do half squats to reduce intensity.

STANDING KICKBACK
Stand holding the back of a chair or bench for balance. With your feet together, rotate your right foot to the right with all the rotation coming from your hip joint. Exhale and in a very slow and controlled motion with the right foot rotated out, without bending your knee, lift the right leg (with all motion at the hip joint) behind you. The actual movement will only be a slight lift. Inhale and slowly lower leg to starting position. Repeat to muscle fatigue (in the range of 12 to 20 reps). Repeat with legs reversed.
Intensity Booster/Reducer: Ankle weights can be used to add intensity, while reducing the height of the lift will reduce it.

The 10-Minute Fat-Blasting Workout!

You should start seeing results within three weeks.
INTERVAL AEROBICS WORKOUT FOR THE ABS
Bike or walk in place for 30 seconds. Without resting, perform the pictured clamshell crunch.
Clamshell Crunch
Tones your upper and lower abdominal area
Start position: lie on your back with feet flat to the floor. Bend the knees and place hands behind your head for support. Do not pull the head.
Movement: Lift your shoulders and hip/butt area off the floor at the same time (cross legs if you want). Keep your back flat on the mat, flex your entire abdominal area as hard as possible. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement until you have completed 15 repetitions. Without resting, move to the next exercise.

Floor Oblique Crunch
Tones your side oblique muscles, making your waist look smaller and putting lines of definition; gets rid of love handles.
Start position: lie on your back with feet flat to the floor. Bend the knees and place hands behind your head for support. Do not pull the head.
Movement: Keeping your back flat on the floor, bring your right elbow to your left knee. While doing so, flex your entire abdominal area and feel the flex especially in your side oblique muscles. Return to start position and repeat for the other side. Repeat until you have completed 15 repetitions. Without resting, move to the next exercise.

The Bicycle
Tightens the entire abdominal area while toning the lower butt area.
Start position: lie on your back with your right leg bent and your left leg nearly straight up.
Movement: Do a bicycle-like movement. Keep your back flat to the mat, but flex your stomach muscles as hard as possible through the movement. Do 15 repetitions for each leg -- a full repetition will include both legs.
Once you have completed 15 repetitions of the three exercises with no rests in between, get back on your piece of exercise equipment or jump rope or walk in place. Repeat this superset for a total of 10 minutes, then repeat it every other day for best results.

FRONT SQUAT
This exercise lifts, shapes and tones your front and back thigh muscles.

Stand with your feet a few inches wider than shoulder width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand, held on each shoulder with criss-crossed arms. Keeping your back straight and your eyes straight ahead, lower your body to a comfortable position, feeling the stretch in your front thigh muscles. Flexing your front and back thigh muscles as hard as you can throughout the movement, return to start position and give your front and back thighs an extra flex on the finish. Repeat 15 times. Without resting, move to the next exercise.

REVERSE LUNGE LIFT
This exercise lifts and tones the front and back thighs, and firms the entire hip-butt area.

Stand with your left foot forward and right foot back -- about two feet between each foot. Your right arm is up, and your left arm is down at your side. Reversing the position of your arms as you go, bring your right knee up until your thigh is parallel to the floor and your right heel is just about touching your inner knee area. Repeat the movement 15 times. Repeat for the other leg. And without resting, return to the first exercise, the front squat. Keep going until you have done three full rounds of both exercises.

(a) Sit on the floor or the board with your back straight and your legs extended in front of you. Place your hands by your sides, then lift your butt an inch or so.

(b) Keeping your shoulders down and elbows slightly bent, lift your hips until your body makes a diagonal line from your head to your ankles. Keep your neck straight by looking upward. Hold for 3 breaths and lower. Work up to 12 repetitions

(a) Lie faceup on floor or on the core of board. Place a ball between your legs at calves, then extend your legs. Rest your hands gently behind your head.

(b) Keeping your back in contact with the board, rotate the ball between your legs so that your right foot is on top. (Without a ball, make a scissors motion with your legs.) Pause, then roll the ball so your left foot is on top. Work toward 12 repetitions.

Lie on your upper back with your ankles and calves on the ball. Keep your hips raised, as shown. with your feet on the ball, roll it toward your butt and back out again. For a greater challenge, fold your arms across your chest.

Begin with the ball under your shoulders, hands behind your head and feet on the ground. Raise your hips and hold for three seconds. for a greater challenge, extend one leg while raising your hips.
NOTE:

Avoid this exercise if it irritates your back.

Flab To Fab: Awesome Abs In Minutes!

What’s the point of toning your abs if you can’t see past the fat?

Far too many of us waste countless hours in the gym or in front of the television working for awesome abs that never come to fruition. No, despite our efforts, we’re left with the same old pooching belly and sagging skin. All our efforts are in vain and we’re left wondering, “WHY?”

Fitness expert and personal trainer Michael Stefano has the answer to this pesky problem. If you’ve never done circuit training, it’s time to put the intense workout to the test. The New York firefighter, who penned the bestselling Firefighter’s Workout Book (HarperCollins), says achieving fab abs is about following a proper diet and an effective cardio/strength training regimen.
“Creating toned and sculpted abdominal muscles won’t do you any good unless you can burn the fat that keeps them hidden away,” Stefano tells us. “Combine classic cardio or fat-burning exercise in short spurts at target heart rate levels, with compact and effective ab builders to cover all bases.”
Over time, your regimen may become dull, weakening your motivation. Stefano notes that boredom is the number one killer of a workout program. That’s why it’s important to kick it up a notch every now and then, which is exactly what the Cardio Abs workout achieves. Combining cardio and strength training into one workout gives exercise enthusiasts the best of both worlds.
What you’re doing is interspersing sets of two of the most effective ab exercises (the crunch and bike kicks) between intervals of cardio activity.
Stefano says: “The cardio is actually burning the fat. Doing the crunches and the bike kicks develops the abs and the obliques. While the exercises give you the six-pack abs, they don’t burn the fat that hides your stomach. You have to do cardio to burn fat. The great thing about this workout is that you’re keeping your heart rate at a fat-burning level throughout the routine.”
Stefano’s workout will also put to use the exercise equipment that’s been left untouched since you bought it. Treadmills and stationary bikes are ideal for the Cardio Abs Workout. But, even if you don’t own the proper machines, you can still march in place, jump rope or do step exercises for the cardio part.
CARDIO ABS ROUTINE
1. Begin with 5 to 10 minutes of brisk walking or jogging on a treadmill, or pedaling on a stationary bike. Two other in-home cardio options might include marching in place or jumping rope.

2. Stop and immediately get down on your mat for one set of crunches done to muscle fatigue. If possible, adjust intensity (as described below) so as to hit fatigue in the 20- to 30-repetition range.
3. Get back on your treadmill, bike, step, or continue stepping or jumping for 5 to 10 more minutes.
4. Stop and immediately get down on your mat for one set of bike kicks done to muscle fatigue. Again, adjust intensity so as to hit fatigue in the 20- to 30-repetition range.
5. Beginners quit here, but for a greater challenge do another stint of cardio before calling it quits.
Repeat this program 3 or 4 times each week, and work at extending the time on the treadmill (or whatever mode of cardio you chose) to 10 minutes or even 15 minutes. Combine with some weekly strength and flexibility training for the upper and lower body, as well as a sensible eating program to achieve the overall best results.
Crunch
Lie on your back on a mat or padded carpet with your knees partially bent, feet flat on the floor, arms folded across your chest (as shown). Exhale as you press the lower back into the floor and begin to raise your head, shoulders and chest off the floor, concentrating on bringing the ribs towards the hips. Pause briefly as you feel your abdominal muscles tighten. The movement need only be a few inches. Inhale as you slowly curl back down, trying not to let your head touch the floor, maintaining tension in the abdominal muscles for the entire set. Repeat to muscle fatigue.
Intensity Booster: To increase intensity, lengthen the pause to 2 seconds, or place your hands behind your head instead of across your chest.
Bike Kick
Lie on your back on a mat or padded carpet with the lower back pressed into the floor. Put your hands behind your head (but don't pull on the head). Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through the bicycle pedal motion. Touch your right elbow to your left knee and then left elbow to right knee. Continue to breathe naturally. Alternate opposite elbow to opposite knee in a slow and controlled manner to muscle fatigue.
Intensity Booster: Full extension of the legs will increase intensity (as shown), as will keeping the motion very slow and deliberate. Keep the knees partially bent throughout the movement to decrease intensity.

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