Category Archives: Fitness

Multi-tasking when working out is key, as most of us don’t have several hours to spend at the gym. So workouts incorporating strength training and cardio are a great way to accomplish two forms of exercise at once!

But what kind of workouts pull double duty on cardio and strength training?

Cardio Comes in Various Forms

Before we get to the circuit, I want to spend a few minutes talking about what makes up a great cardio workout.

Certain movements done in a circuit (back to back with no rest) can elevate your heart rate as you progress, giving your body a great cardio session. Many people think of cardio as running, the stair stepper, or high-intensity interval training, but it doesn’t have to be.  You can elevate your heart rate to an aerobic level by doing targeted circuit exercises.

Aerobic and Anaerobic

• Aerobic: something that you can do for a long period of time without fatiguing quickly.
• Anaerobic: something you are working very hard at (e.g., sprinting) and can only be done for a short amount of time.

Exercises that double as cardio can be done aerobically, but it could be beneficial to throw in a few exercises that will put your body into an anaerobic state.  For instance, you could do your strength training and throw in a couple of exercises that would spike up your heart rate like high knees, burpees, or jump squats.

A Strength Training and Cardio Circuit

This circuit should be done with movements back to back, and no rest. Each movement can be done for 40 seconds.

Please ensure you are cleared for exercise by your physician before starting. If any exercises cause any pain, please skip that one or substitute with a different movement.

Exercise equipment needed:

• Dumbbells (light enough that you can press over your head 8-12 times)
• Water
• Jump rope

Movement 1: Squat, bicep curl to overhead press

1. Hold dumbbells at your side as you go into a low squat
2. As you stand, you’ll start your bicep curl to overhead press. This should be done in one fluid motion
3.  Once your hands are pressed over your head, bring your arms back to your side and start the movement over again

Movement 2: Up and down arm planks

1. Start in plank position (with elbows on the ground)
2. Push up with one hand, then the other
3. Go back down into plank position with one hand, then the other

Movement 3: Plank to back rows

1. Hold both dumbbells in your hands in an upward planking position.
2. Changing arms each time, bring your hand (as a back row) towards your hip keeping your elbow right along your side.

Movement 4:Low Squat Circuit

1. Start in a wide low squat.
2. Squat up and down in this position for 20 seconds then hold a low squat for 20 seconds.

Movement 5: V-ups

1. This is an abdominal exercise. You will start lying down flat on your back.
2. Lift your arms and legs at the same time to come into a “v” shape with your body, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
3. With this movement, it’s very important to protect your low back.  Do not let your back arch in anyway, keep your lower back pressed into the ground.

When exercising, one of the most fundamental and functional movements is a basic squat. There are so many modifications for beginners and variations to make them harder – they really never get old.

So you may be wondering what makes squats such a powerful exercise. After all, they seem like a pretty basic move. Well, there are a few very good reasons why squats should definitely be part of your regular exercise routine.

Functional Movement

Functional movements are powerful. They not only tone and tighten your muscles but they also put your body through everyday movements, making you move more efficiently overall.

As we age, the importance of functional movements become apparent, especially as we become more sedentary. Movements that used to be easy, like sitting down in a chair or picking up a box, become increasingly harder. By maintaining functional movements in your workouts, you’re promoting total body mobility as you age.

Work Multiple Muscles at Once

Squats help tone and tighten your legs, glute muscles, and core muscles. So while at first glance you may think you’re only working your lower body with squats, you are in fact engaging your upper body too.

What areas in your legs and glutes your squats target mainly depend on your stance and where the weight is distributed (for example, you may be using weights, kettlebell or a barbell).

How to Perform a Squat Correctly

Maintaining correct form in every exercise you perform is vital. Bad form when performing squats with weight can be taxing to your knees and back. Here’s how to properly perform a squat:

1. Start with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly.
2. When squatting, the movement should be as though you are about to sit in a chair. Your knees should not go over your toes and your chest should stay up.
3. Keep your weight in your heels as you perform the squat, and as you push up into a standing position.
4. When you are back in the starting position, squat down and complete the exercise again.

Start with 10-12 reps and work your way up to doing 20 reps at a time with no weight (or 15 reps with weight).

How to Modify Squats

When you’re new to squats, balance can be challenging. To ease into this exercise, find something to hold onto during your squat. This will stabilize your body and help you complete the squat with good form. A railing is a good go-to!

The following two squat variations are also a great way to change things up:

The Sumo Squat

The Curtsy Squat

If you’re looking for a challenge, adding weight to your squats is a great way to increase the intensity. Barbells, dumbells, and kettlebells are great for adding a level of difficulty into your basic squat.

Our abdominal muscles are an integral part of our core, which helps provide stabilization for a lot of our movements. Strong abdominals contribute to a strong core. But abdominal workouts can be challenging and confusing, especially if you’re new to working out.  So what is the best way to strengthen your abdominal muscles?

Your Abdominal Muscles

Abdominal muscles are one section of your core and are made up of mainly four different groups:

1. Transversus abdominis,
2. Rectus abdominis
3. External oblique muscles
4. Internal oblique muscles

The abdominal group of muscles cover your internal organs and can be found in front of your body, below your chest and above your hips. The internal and external oblique muscles span the sides of your body.

When you think of abdominal exercises crunches probably spring to mind. When you perform a crunch movement, your body targets the rectus abdominus muscle (what you see as a “6 pack”) and the external and internal obliques. Planks on the other hand, work all four groups of abdominal muscles and are deemed one of the best movements for strengthening not only your abs but also your core in general.

Top 4 Moves to Strengthen Your Abdominal Muscles

There are many types of exercises and specific moves that will help build and maintain core strength. But I’m going to share with you today, my top four moves to effectively target and strengthen your abdominal muscles:

1. Ball Crunches

Adding a stability ball into your abdominal workout allows your body to get a wider range of motion while protecting your back. So take your crunches up off the floor and onto a stability ball!

Work up to doing 2–3 sets of ball crunches, 15 repetitions at a time.

Directions:

1. Sit comfortably on a stability ball and slowly walk your legs out so that your back is in the middle of the ball.
2. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, your hands behind your neck to support it and your core tight.
3. Contract your abs and exhale as you raise your torso about 45 degrees.
4. Pause, then lower, inhaling as you go.

2. Plank

Adding planks to your workout is a great way to strengthen your entire core, as this movement works all four groups of abdominal muscles.

When you start adding planks to your exercise routine, work up to being able to hold the position for 1 minute at a time, with three repetitions.

Directions:

1. Get in a push-up position and hold yourself up with your forearms, with your elbow directly under your shoulders.
2. Hold your body in a straight line with your core tight. Do not let your back arch.
3. Hold for as long as you can.

3. Ab Roll Out Using Stability Ball

This seemingly simple movement is much harder than it seems. And again, we’re adding a stability ball into the mix!

As you stretch out your abdominal muscles using the stability ball, you’re making them work. This is a great exercise to help strengthen your abdominal muscles.

Directions:

1. Start on your knees with a stability ball about 1.5–2 feet in front of you.
2. Rest your forearms on the ball and slowly roll the ball away from your body, keeping your back straight.
3. When your arms can no longer go out anymore, or your form is going to break, slowly pull the ball back into the starting position.

4. Cable Wood Chop

This movement involves pulling a cable weight across your body in an upward to downward or downward to upward motion. You will need to use a free motion cable machine for this exercise, which is common to most gyms. This exercise works your stabilizer muscles including your rectus abdominis and oblique muscle groups.

Directions:

1. Using a free motion cable machine, put on the extension that looks like a triangle, with a hand hold.
2. Select a weight you can pull across your body 15–20 times
3. Adjust the arm of the machine to your starting position, either up high or down low.
4. Hold the triangle with both hands.
5. Keeping your arms straight and legs hip-width apart, pull the cable across your body as your torso rotates, in one fluid movement.
6. Return to the start and begin the movement again.

Whether you hit the gym before or after work, during your lunch break, or later in the evening, a successful gym outing can depend on what you did – or didn’t – bring with you.

While the specific contents of your gym bag are going to differ wildly depending on your personal preferences, when you work out, and what type of workout you’re doing, there are a few basic that should be in everyone’s bag.

Finding the Right Gym Bag

When you become a gym goer, you’re going to need a bag. There are two basic things to consider when it comes to finding the right one:

1. The Locker Situation

Depending on the gym, some have lockers that are huge and can fit any size bag. Others have much smaller lockers. The size of your gym bag is going to depend on the size of your storage!

Something else to consider is how you’re going to ensure your gym bag stays safe and secure. Some gyms provide pre-programmed locks while others require you to bring your own.

2. Your Gym Bag Items

What needs to go in your bag is going to also dictate the size and functionality of your gym bag. Do you need a few easy-access pockets? A mesh water bottle holder? More than one compartment? What about some zippered spaces to keep your keys, wallet, or jewellery?

8 Gym Bag Essentials

Now that you have the perfect gym bag, it’s time to decide what goes in it.

While the contents of your gym bag are going to differ, there are nine basic items I consider to be must-haves for any gym bag.

1. Flip Flops

Are you showering after a workout? Many gyms have showers available to use after your workout and it always wise to protect your feet in any public shower area with flip flops!

2. Towel

A towel is one of those must-have gym items. Even if you aren’t making use of the showers, you’ll need a towel to wipe your sweat away afterwards. You may also prefer to workout with a towel handy, in case you want to lay it down underneath you when using the mats.

3. Post Workout Snack

After a hard workout your body is going to need fuel. Having a healthy snack on hand can curb cravings until you are home and can make a proper meal.

4. Water Bottle

Having a water bottle with you during your workout will help keep you hydrated, which is so important when exercising.

5. Music Device / Earphones

You might like to crank up the tunes and power through your workout. Or, perhaps you just want to tune out to a great cooking show. Either way, make sure you have your music device and earphones with you to help you stay motivated!

6. Jacket

If you’re in a cool area, you’ll want a clean jacket or shirt to change into, especially if you’re a sweater!

7. Watch

Keep a watch on hand. Not only will it help you keep time but you can also use it as a stop watch or heart rate monitor.

8. Gloves, Wrist Wraps, and Weightlifting Belt

These particular items aren’t going to be for everyone, but if your main focus is lifting weights, they are must-haves. Gloves protect your hands from slipping and blisters, while wrist wraps support your wrists when gripping heavy weights. Weightlifting belts are used to protect your lower back when attempting movements like deadlifts.

For most, burpees are a groan-inducing exercise. A favorite of gym teachers, personal trainers, and boot camp instructor alike, the burpee is an exercise most of us have done, and hated, at some point in our fitness pursuits. But it’s time to stop fearing and start embracing the burpee! Here’s why:

It’s a Great Total Body Workout

The burpee involves your upper body, lower body and core all in one simple, cardio busting movement!

Like jumping jacks burpees can be done in sequence and utilized in a circuit. Since it’s such a great cardio move, burpees are often pulled into an exercise simply to raise your heart rate between exercises (known as active rest).

Like with all strength movements, burpees get easier with time and practice. At first, doing 10 may seem like a tremendous feat, but after practicing a few times a week, you’ll be doing 30 in a row no problem.

How to Execute a Burpee

1. Start in a standing position.
2. Bend your knees and place your hands on the ground in front of you, jumping your legs back into an upward plank.
3. Jump your feet back in and stand up

You can also add a little jump at the end. Or, for added difficulty, you can do a push up as your legs jump back into an upward plank. The goal is to make this one fluid motion.

This video from Linora Low is a great visual on how to execute a burpee properly.

A Burpee Circuit

Here’s a fun burpee circuit you can do in 10 minutes, no equipment needed! As this circuit is a full cardio circuit, ensure you are cleared by your physician to do rigorous heart-pumping exercise before starting.

Do each move in the circuit for 30 seconds, then rest for one minute, and repeat!

1. Burpees
2. Jog in place
3. Jump squats
4. Jog in place
5. Burpees
6. Rest
7. Jumping jacks
8. Rest
9. Burpees
10. Jumping jacks

Core strength is a hot topic these days. But what about upper and lower back strength?

Why Back Strength Matters

You use your back for everyday movements, like picking something up off of the ground or pushing and pulling a vacuum. Your back muscles support your spine, and a weak back can lead to muscle imbalances and injury.

Your back is made up of three different muscle groups: the superficial layer, intermediate layer, and deep layer. With many back muscles layering on top of one another, it’s important to focus your workouts on each part of your back to ensure you are strengthening your back as a whole.

Here are some great exercises for strengthening your upper and lower back:

Upper/Mid-Back Exercises

Seated Back Row
Find a low pulley row machine with either a V-bar or rope. Sit down with your knees bent, feet on the front resting platform, and back straight. Make sure you are comfortable. Pull the bar or rope towards you, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Ensure that your back is straight the entire time.

Watch this video by Women’s Strength Nation for a step-by-step on how to do this exercise:

Wide Grip Pull Ups

Wide grip pull ups focus primarily on your lats. Your grip will be about two times the length of your shoulders. A couple of tips on pull ups, keep your body straight and avoid swinging your body, you can cross your feet or bend your knees to steady yourself.

Watch this video from LSW Health on how to execute the wide grip pull up properly.

Pull ups are easy to modify, you can purchase a band that can assist your body weight. You can also use a pull up assisted machine (which is made to assist you in pull ups), or perform negative pull ups to start. A negative pull up means that you slowly lower yourself down, the exact opposite of a normal pull up.

Lower Back Exercises

Back Extensions

Back extensions are a great exercise for strengthening your lower back. You don’t need to add on weight (by holding a weighted plate), but if you want the added challenge, you can. Find a hyperextension machine at your gym, lock your legs in firmly and cross your hands over your chest. Slowly, lower your upper body down towards the ground and up again.

Find a hyperextension machine at your gym, lock your legs in firmly and cross your hands over your chest. Slowly lower your upper body down towards the ground and up again.

Watch this video from LIVESTRONG on how to execute back extensions:

These are great, easy to execute exercises that will help you to strengthen your upper and lower back!

Even for the most ardent gym goer, there are some pieces of equipment that remain a mystery. But it’s good to shake things up and try exercising outside your comfort zone every once in a while, so here are three amazing, but often overlooked gym machines:

1. Rowing Machine

If you haven’t used a rowing machine, you’re in for a fun, new workout. A total body cardio machine, the average 185-pound adult can burn close to 400 calories in just 30 minutes on the rowing machine [1].

It’s important to focus on proper form when using the rowing machine. This YouTube video from WaterRower offers an excellent tutorial on how to properly and safely use the rowing machine.

The Benefits of Rowing

• Rapidly burn calories
• Easy on your joints and back
• Total body workout

Typically placed by the treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes, the rowing machine is worth seeking out on your next visit to the gym.

2. Rope Pulling Machine

Rope pulling gives you all the functional benefits of climbing a rope without any of the risk!

Get ready for a fun, sweat inducing cardio and strength workout! This machine is so exhausting it’s likely you’ll only be able to last for 30 minutes on your first try. Start off with light resistance for the first 2 minutes on the machine, then slowly increase the resistance each minute until you can no longer pull the rope for the duration of 60 seconds.

The Benefits of Rope Pulling

• Functional movement
• Both cardiovascular and strength training
• Increases grip strength

Most mainstream gyms have this awesome machine, with many smaller gyms starting to incorporate them as well.

3. Cable Crossover Machine

If you like variety, the cable crossover machine is for you!

With the right technique, this machine can work every muscle in your body, from the pectorals through to the obliques, and help build strength and definition.

The Benefits of the Cable Crossover Machine

• You can do all your exercises on this machine – it’s a real time-saver!
• A hybrid of free weights and machines
• Works your core as it stabilizes you during the movements

You’ll find these machines either sitting on their own in a corner or by the upper/lower body machines.

If you’re unsure of how to properly use any of the above machines, make sure to ask the professionals at your gym for some training.

References: