Copyright (c) 2008 Nancy Rishworth

Are you suffering from a recent muscle injury? Whether you tore or strained a muscle exercising or are recovering from an injury, you know the pain and frustration of a slow recovery. Fortunately, our bodies have amazing recuperative abilities. We can help that recuperation along by working with some therapeutic exercises.

Therapeutic exercises are a series of exercises that are prescribed with the intention of correcting muscle impairment, improving your musculoskeletal function or your overall health. These exercises are often highly focused on a specific muscle group, but provide the benefit of overall muscle relaxation and increase flexibility.

They may consist of several procedures. As part of the exercise regimen, you may receive instruction on strengthening muscles, stretching muscles, deep breathing, massage and relaxation or meditation techniques. The aim of these exercises is to achieve the following benefits:

- Increase flexibility

- Strengthen muscles

- Improve or reduce joint and muscle pain

- Deepen and regulate breathing

- Increase cardiovascular fitness

- Improve posture

These therapeutic exercises are especially beneficial for people that are suffering from lower back pain. With persistence and repetition, therapeutic exercises aimed at strengthening your core muscles can help you overcome your persistent lower back pain. Whether you’ve suffered an injury or merely carrying some extra weight, strengthening this muscle group can add to your quality of life. Not only will you increase flexibility, but you’ll find you have greater energy and stamina as a result.

Putting together a therapeutic exercise routine is not as complicated as it sounds. Often, a physical therapist or personal trainer will prescribe a set of exercises to help strengthen your muscles and increase flexibility, or you could find an exercise regime that focuses on helping people achieve strength and get back into shape.

What is important is consistency. Whether you are working with a prescribed exercise regime or you are performing exercises with the goal of increased flexibility, it’s essential to perform these exercises on a regular basis. Some of the simple core exercises can be performed each day in a matter of minutes, others can easily be incorporated into a warm-up or simple exercise routine.

There’s nothing more frustrating than being slowed down by muscle pains or injury. Fortunately, if you take a proactive approach, you can quickly change this pain into gain. All you need are a few therapeutic exercises, a little bit of practice, and you’ll soon have a new lease on life.



By: Nancy Rishworth

About the Author:

Body Weight Fitness

You have set your goals, you have an idea of the results you are trying to achieve, and now you want to implement a successful training regime to get the physique of a proper bodybuilder. Exercises are divided up into core exercises, which will always be included in your training plan, and various other optional exercises which you can pepper your routine with.

Altering the exercises you do will help shock the body, and increase muscle mass in your different muscle groups. There is a distinct difference between working towards mass, and generally exercising your body. To increase your mass, you need to use heavy weights, and only do three sets containing eight repetitions each. If your aim is to lose body fat, you will use lighter weights, and do more sets and repetitions. One of the fallacies amongst new gym users aiming to gain mass is that more is better. Well, they are half right! More weight is better, but more sets and reps will actually be detrimental to your efforts.

Bench presses, squats, and deadlifts will be a core part of your workout. The other exercises mentioned can be used to add variability to your plan.

Bench Press

Though this is going to be a fundamental part of your plan, do not devote so much time this exercise that you wind up with a disproportionately large chest and skinny legs!

Body Position – Lie in a firm, balanced way on the bench with the bar directly resting above your nose. Place your feet on the ground comfortably, and ensure your back is in contact with the bench all the way to your buttocks.

Movement – Take hold of the bar, and in a controlled way, bring it down to your mid-chest. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury. Inhale deeply throughout.

Completion – Using fully extended arms, lock your elbows, and press the bar upwards towards the starting position. The whole exercise should be done at a constant speed to keep your muscles under continuous strain.

Squats

This is an effective way to exercise several muscles at one time. It will build your lower body, and eliminate the possibility of chicken legs!

Body Position – Stand with your back to the bar. Try to position your feet a little wider apart than your shoulders. Place your hands comfortably on the bar. Your bar should be located around mid-trapezius height.

Movement – Hold the bar steady, and squat using your hips and the bend of your knees to help you. Your focus should be forward at all times to prevent you falling.

Remember to keep your torso straight to avoid putting strain on your back.

Completion – Rise back up to your starting position using your knees and hips.

Keep exhaling to increase the oxygen levels in your blood. Control your movement carefully throughout.

Deadlift

This will combine your upper and lower body in one solid exercise.

Body Position – Your feet should be slightly wider apart than your shoulders. The bar should rest across the top of your feet. Keep your focus forward, bend your knees, and grab the bar. Your back should be perfectly rigid.

Movement – Maintaining the rigidity of your back, raise the bar. Your arms should be fully extended. If you are tempted to bend your back, you are faced with the strong possibility that you will damage your disks. Power should be coming from the lower body.

Completion – Carefully move the bar through the same motion back to the starting position.

CHEST EXERCISES

Incline Press

Body Position – Sit in a reclined seat. Whether the seat is adjustable or fixed, your back should be firmly pressed against it. Your feet need to be in full contact with the ground.

Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury.

Completion – Lock your elbows, extend your arms, and move the weight back to its starting position. You should feel the muscles in your upper chest working hard.

Decline Press

Body Position – Lie on the bench and secure your feet on the pads provided. Your head will be at a lower angle than your body. Whether you are using a fixed bench or an adjustable one, your back should be making contact with it at all points.

Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. You should feel your lower chest muscles straining.

Completion – Move the bar back to the starting position by extending your arms and locking your elbows. The bar should always be perpendicular to the floor. A good spotter will help you perfect this technique.

ARM EXERCISES

Bicep Curls

Body position – There are many variations of this exercise you can use, but a curl bar comes highly recommended. Using the grips, clutch the bar in an underhanded manner. Your arms will naturally find the right position this way. Your arms need to be near to full extension with the bar on its rest around thigh height.

Movement – Keeping your elbows in a constant position, raise the bar toward your chest. Your muscles should be squeezed tightly. If your elbows move, this will hinder the impact of the exercise.

Completion – Without letting the bar drop vertically, return the bar to the starting position. It should travel exactly the same path as when you lifted it.

Rope Pulldown

Body Position – Your feet need to be the same distance apart as your shoulders as you face the cable machine. The rope handle should be at a height where when you hold it your arms are still pressed tightly to your sides.

Movement – With your arms tight to your sides, hold the rope handle and pull it directly downwards. Your hands will separate slightly as you complete your movement.

Keep your back and torso rigid, and do not bend over your hands. If you use your body weight to push the weight down, you arms will not get a thorough workout.

Completion – Resist and control the return of the weight to the starting position.

This control is what will increase your muscle mass.

BACK EXERCISES

Lateral Pull Down

Body Position – Sit firmly on the chair attached to the overhead cable machine.

Your knees should be comfortably sitting beneath the restraining pad. Grip the handles attached to the lateral bar.

Movement – You can either pull the bar behind or in front of the head. Behind the head is more beneficial as far as the muscles are concerned, but it also increases the likelihood of pulling your shoulder socket.

Completion – In a careful, controlled, steady way, return the bar to the starting position.

Bent over Row

Body Position – Stand sideways on to the bench. Leaving the outer leg on the floor, bend your inner leg and place the knee on the bench. Put your outer hand on the bench, so your body is situated directly over the bench. Use your free hand to pick up the dumbbell which should be on the free side of the bench.

Movement – Pick the weight up from the floor and pull it straight up. This movement should leave it around hip height and slightly in front of your body.

Completion – Control the descent of the weight until it is a few inches from floor level. Do not allow it to bang on the ground.

LEG EXERCISES

Lunges

Body Position – Take a normal stride, freeze, and then extend the stride a little more. One foot should be in front of the other. The knee of the leading foot should rest directly above its accompanying foot. Depending on your level, you can also do this exercise holding a free weight in each palm.

Movement – Keep your focus forward, and use your front knee to lower the trailing knee towards the ground. Do not lean and cause a deficiency in the exercise.

Completion – Straighten both legs to raise your body. Your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles should be utilized to maintain the rigidity of your upper body.

Leg Press

Body Position – Seat your self comfortably on the leg press machine. Your feet should be evenly spaced in the middle of the footpad, and the angle of your knees should slightly exceed 95 degrees.

Movement – Extend your legs slowly, to the point where they almost lock (but don’t!) using pressure from your heels. If you use your toes to push, the exercise will not work as you intend it to.

Completion – Carefully, and at a slow pace, return the weight to the starting point.

It should not slam back; you should be resisting it all the way.

This list of different exercises is certainly not exhaustive. However, these are some of the simplest and most effective exercises you can include in your routine. It will be useful to have a variety of options when you become more advanced in your planning, and want to target specific areas to work on.



By: Thomas Calkins

About the Author:

Body Weight Fitness

tely, many people interested in getting into shape and doing something for their body fail to focus on the importance of core exercises. Simply put, core exercises focus primarily on muscle groups around the body’s pelvis and torso, the core. By using core exercises, you can build a stronger, healthier body, particularly around the abdomen, lower back, pelvis, and hips. These are the very parts of the body that carry the weight and do a lot of work. Therefore, it is important that they be maintained.

What you will quickly discover is that once you incorporate core exercises into your daily regimen, doing everyday things will become so much easier. Everyday movements that require some body strength, such as lifting up kids, pushing the lawnmower, using a vacuum cleaner and bending down and back up, become less stressful. Another benefit of doing core exercises is that you find you can now do even more things to include playing tennis, softball, golf, and other fun sports.

Another huge benefit associated with doing core exercises is that you will notice a much better posture. As a result, experiencing muscle strain, injury, and pain subsides. It is a common misperception that pushups and crunches are the only exercises needed to have a strong core. In truth, there are distinct core exercises that do much more. The key is to add core exercises to your normal workout so these muscle groups are no longer neglected.

Now, some core exercises do include doing pushups, crunches, sit ups, and squats. However, there are additional exercises that should be added. For instance, the following are some options that you might consider.

- Bridge – With the bridge, you would begin by lying on your back, keeping your knees bent and your back completely relaxed without any kind of arching or pressing the back to the floor. Tightening the abs, slowly lift your hips off the floor, aligning them with the shoulders and knees. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then slowly move back to the starting position.

- Segmental Rotations – Another of the core exercises that is highly effective is this. This begins with you lying on the floor on your back, bending the knees and relaxing the back. Again, tighten the abs while slowly allowing your knees to move to the left of the body. Just make sure your shoulders do not come up off the floor in the process. At first, you will only be able to lower the knees so far but in time, you will find your flexibility and strength improving. Once your knees have been moved to the left, hold them for five seconds. Return the knees to the center position, slowly moving them to the right, again holding for five seconds before returning to the center. You should do three sets at first, slowly increasing.

- Quadrupeds – Start on your hands and knees, keeping your hands shoulder’s width apart. Then, make sure the neck and head is perfectly aligned with the shoulders. Tighten the abs, lift the right arm off the floor, and reach forward. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Lower the arm and do the same for the left arm.



By: Brooks Donner

About the Author:

Body Weight Exercise

“Stomach exercises” are among the most frequently asked about and searched on (via internet) yet misunderstood subjects in the entire field of health, fitness and exercise. Regardless of age, experience or gender, everyone wants a flat “stomach” because the abdominal region is the true showcase of your physique. Since the abs are usually the last place to “shape up” and “lean out,” then most people would say that if you’ve got abs, you’ve got it all.

Well, in my way of thinking, this is only partially true. There’s more to a complete physique than “abdominal exercises” and “six pack abs” and most people are completely wrong about “stomach exercises” and “”stomach muscles.” (you’ll find out why in just a moment)…

The Difference Between “6-Pack Abs” And Truly “Fit Abs”

Having a great looking set of abs is very much a matter of low body fat. But make no mistake, just being lean and seeing a “six-pack” doesn’t mean you are strong, fit or conditioned. Real fitness means more than visible muscle development, it means strength, endurance, and stability, and this type of true functional fitness does not come from merely eating the right foods or reducing your body fat.

Nutrition is so important that you could even say that “abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym” and you would not be telling a lie. But this clever maxim is not telling the whole truth either. Great abs come from nutrition AND training, not one or the other. The training develops them. The nutrition uncovers them.

Don Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in America in 1493 looking for a fountain of youth and today in the “stomach exercise” marketplace, it seems that far too many people are looking for a “magic fountain” in order to flatten their waistlines.

Ponce never found the fountain of youth and you will never find a magical solution for flat abs. There are no short cuts. It takes a change in lifestyle to get a change in health, physique and performance. That includes nutrition AND training. There’s No Such Thing As “Stomach Exercises”

THIS is your stomach! Proper choice of exercise is a critical factor in your quest for a firm and flat waistline. But you will never get a great “stomach” from ANY “stomach exercise” because your stomach is a part of your digestive tract, not your skeletal muscular system! So let’s get the terminology straight, shall we? The area of you body you really want to improve is called your “core region.” Many people refer to it as the “abdominal region.”

However, training only with “ab exercise” is NOT the optimal approach. The abdominals only include the front (anterior) side of your body and if the only type of training you do is abdominal training, you may be unwittingly setting yourself up for lower back problems. If you don’t think this is serious, then consider this statistic: According to the

American Chiropractic Association, more than 31 million Americans are suffering from low back pain at any given time. So would you like to trade great abs for a bad back? I didn’t think so. The good news is that you can kill two birds with one stone. You can develop great abdominal muscles, great core muscles and a strong, pain-free back by using exercises that focus not on the “stomach,” (which is not a muscle you train at all), not on the “abdominals,” (which is only part of the muscles you need to target), but on the entire core.

The core is the key to your success. The core is the entire complex of muscles around your hip and waist region from your lower rib cage to the bottom of your pelvis. If you just focus on “abdominal exercises” alone (or “stomach” exercises, LOL), you will develop what I refer to as a “one dimensional body.” I focus on training the body as a whole, or “multi-dimensional training” to develop a complete person and to develop effective and powerful athletes.

What every program I write has in common is that I do not attempt to “isolate” the abdominals (or train the “stomach muscles!”) It’s all about the core and about integrating your body as a unit so you function better in daily life. As you do core-focused exercise programs you are improving not only your muscular system but also the systems that drives your muscular system – that is, the nervous system.

This may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs. The more efficiently your nervous system works, the better your results will be. Core workouts that improve both muscular strength and conditioning while also improving neural drive and develop stronger neural control of the associated muscles.

This type of training for your core may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs.

* THIS is why my “brand” of core training gets results in women who have had C-sections, or other abdominal surgeries when nothing else worked

* THIS is why the core exercises I recommend will flatten out a “pooching” belly, which is a result of deep muscular weakness and lack of neuromuscular control (It’s NOT just a body fat problem!)

* THIS is why my clients have overcome lower back when all else failed

* THIS is why my workout program have helped men and women recover from embarrassing incontinence

* THIS is how I have helped hundreds of new moms regain their flat and firm midsections after having their babies

* THIS is why my clients remain injury free, while so many other training programs are actually the CAUSE of injuries * And THIS is why my type of training – PROGRESSIVE CORE TRAINING – develops amazing athletes – top wrestlers, PGA golfers, and pro boxers with powerful punches and abs of steel. I’ve written an entire book about core training (“Firm And Flatten Your Abs), which you learn more about on the Flatten Your Abs home page, as well as dozens of articles which you can read elsewhere on this site (or you can subscribe to my biweekly newsletter).

The purpose of this article was not to give more workout routines (there are plenty of core training workouts to be found on this site and in my book and lots more to come in upcoming issues of my newsletter). The purpose of this article was to “install” 3 incredibly important lessons into your brain:

* You can’t train your “stomach” because your stomach is an internal organ of digestion not a skeletal muscle!

* You can’t totally “isolate” your abdominals because your abdominals do not work in isolation, they work in conjunction with the rest of your body (and “isolation” as with only doing crunches, is not the optimal approach anyway).

* You get more by training your core! You become a better athlete, you help prevent injuries, you get stronger and you get that coveted 6-pack abs look. I hope the “morals” of these lessons have already sunk in and will become a part of your own fitness philosophy… and the next time you hear someone talk about “stomach exercises”, you’ll now be able to get a good chuckle out of that.



By: David Grisaffi

About the Author:

Body Weight Exercise

Excess body fat could pose great health risk on an individual. And excessive fat concentration in the mid section may lead to higher health risks, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. Health experts agree to attain a healthier body and tone flat abs is to exercise and have a balanced diet. Nowadays there are plenty of exercise tips to lose belly fat fast. The fact is if you want to lose that extra weight you have to remain active, have a healthy balance meals and a healthy lifestyle. By eating the right kinds of food you may be able to trim down those excess fats and coupled with some proven exercise tips to lose belly fat you are on your way to a healthier body and flat abs.

First you must understand that losing weight entails a whole body workout, it’s impossible to get rid of one section of your body alone. Spot reducing will not give you favorable results, instead incorporate exercises that will tone and shape your muscles and then do some exercises that will target your midsection. There are exercise tips to lose belly fat that you can incorporate in your workout routine that can give you excellent results in no time.

These 5 exercise tips to lose belly fat could be included into your routine work out:

1. The Plank

The Plank is a core exercise that strengthens and tightens the abdominal muscles, as well as the back and the lower back muscles. The position; push up pose, forearms and toes are the ones only touching the ground. Hold this pose for 6 counts or until you can tolerate holding this pose. Then slowly go down and repeat the pose 3 times.

2. Abs crunch with stability ball

This core exercise let’s you target and isolates the abs muscles for a more precise muscle workout. However if you do not have a stability ball you can put your legs on a sturdy chair and do the crunch. Do the crunch for 12 counts and repeat for 3 times.

3. Pilates

It is a good body conditioning routine that develops flexibility, endurance and strengthens the core muscles. It tones the abs muscle without adding muscle bulk this is a good workout to have a flat toned abdominals a great exercise for ladies too. There are different pilates routines to choose from, from beginners to the advance routine.

4. Walking

Another great exercise tip to lose belly fat, walking lets all the muscle in the body burn more easily especially the abdominal muscles. Walking is a great cardio workout also. This will strengthen your heart and improve your breathing.

5. Cardiovascular exercises

Cardio exercises or aerobic exercises, like jogging, swimming, biking, and sprinting are some of the best cardio exercises that you will definitely enjoy. It gives a good whole body workout and is a great exercise tip to lose belly fat.

These exercise tips will help you lose belly fat, just remember to add variety in all your routine and diet. Adding variety to your workout will motivate you to go further into achieving your goal. This will also reduce the incidence of plateaus which often makes an individual frustrated.



By: Andres Munoz

About the Author:

Body Weight Workout

get to wear this dress once (for the most part) so why not make sure you are strong enough to truly enjoy wearing it, and wear it through your Wedding Ceremony and your Wedding Reception? Traditional wedding dresses are heavy. The fabric itself is heavy and often hot, and then you pile it on in layer after layer, add beading, lace and bows, and it can feel like it weighs a ton! Not only are you expected to walk gracefully in your wedding dress, but then you are supposed to dance in it without falling on your rear.

Strengthening my core will help me wear my Wedding dress all day?

the “core” actually consists of many different muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis and run the entire length of the torso. A solid foundation for movement in the extremities are the muscles that stabilize the shoulder, pelvis and spine. To ensure that you will be able to wear your Wedding Dress and not have it drag you down, you need to make these muscles fit and strong.

Which is the optimal way to strengthen my core for my wedding day?

There are several exercises you can do to strengthen your core muscles, such as:

- Abdominal Bracing -

This is the main technique used during core exercise training. It refers to the contraction of the abdominal muscles. To correctly brace, you should attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine. This action basically recruits transverse abdominus. Be careful not to hold your breath – you should be able to breathe evenly while bracing.

- Plank Exercise

- Side Plank Exercise

- The Basic Push Up

- Back Bridge

- Hip Lift

- Russian Twists

- Squats

- V-sits

- Lunges

- Side Lunges

- Back Extensions

- Push Ups.

Other exercises that will help strengthen your core involve exercise equipment:

- Medicine Balls

- Kettlebells

- Stability Balls

- Balance Products such as the Bosu Ball, balance boards, wobble boards and others

- Dumbbells

With all of these exercises, it would be very easy to harm yourself if you don’t execute them properly. Working with your personal trainer is the best way to make sure you don’t cause more harm than good.



By: Zach Hunt

About the Author:

Body Weight Training

cises are just as important as the name implies – they workout the core of your body, which benefits the rest of your body as well. Your core area are the muscles around your trunk and pelvis. Good core stability means that the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen are all working together, which in turn makes it much easier to do a lot of things. For example, when you have good core strength, you will find it easier to play golf or tennis and even to tie your shoes! You will have better posture, and you greatly reduce your risks for lower back pains or injuring your muscles. Sadly, however, most people think they just need to do a few sit ups or crunches to work out their core, and by doing so, they severely neglect that muscle group. Fortunately, there are a lot of easy core exercises you can do – right from the comfort of your own home, if you like – to strengthen your core area.

First, there are the standard core exercises, the ones most of us learn to do in grade school. These include squats, push ups, sit ups, and crunches that target your abdominal area. If you are looking for some more intense core exercises, then first up is the bridge. To do this exercise, you need to lie on your back with your knees bent. It is very important to keep your back in a relaxed, sort of neutral position – no arching your spine or pressing your back into the floor! Next, tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off of the floor so that they are aligned with your knees and your shoulders. Hold this position for three seconds (count them out: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi), then slowly return to the starting position, and start all over again.

The second type of ******** core exercises are segmental rotations. Again, begin by lying down with your back in a relaxed position and your knees bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles once more. This time, however, you are going to let your knees slowly fall to the left while keeping your shoulders on the floor. Do not stress yourself too much – only let your legs fall as far as is comfortable for you. When you are doing it right, you will feel the tension of the stretch but you will not experience pain. Hold for another three count, return to the starting position, and then repeat, this time lowering your legs to the right.

The last set of core exercises are quadrupeds. For this exercise, you begin on your hands and knees. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders and your head and neck should be aligned with your back. Start off by tightening your abdominal muscles, then lift your left arm off the floor and reach ahead. Hold for a three count, then lower your left arm and repeat the exercise using your right arm. Once you are back in the starting position, this time, you are going to raise your left leg off the floor. If you feel yourself falling off balance, just tighten the muscles in your trunk area. Hold for a three count, go back to the starting position, and do the same with your right leg.

Do these core exercises regularly, and you will be on your way to a strong, healthy core – not to mention some serious six-pack abs!



By: Dominic Ferrara

About the Author:

Body Weight Fitness

Abdominal core conditioning program is a synergized and total approach to abdominal training. The central region of the body is known as the ‘core’ and is comprised of the abdominal muscles and the lower back. These are the most important muscles in our body which help us to function in our daily tasks, prevent injuries and also make us look good if we shed that extra flab around it. The core is the region from which we get all our strength and movement and is also the focal point of balance. Hence, the conditioning of this musculature is very important.

Moving from the outer-most to the inner-most, these muscles are rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques and transverse obliques. For conditioning the core area, all these muscles need to be targeted and worked out. Most of us do not see these muscles because of the flab on them but they are underneath and can emerge if we follow the abdominal core conditioning program. These are the so-called ‘fab six-abs’ which remain invisible on almost all, but the fittest of bodies.

Pulling in the abdominal wall is the main criteria in abdominal core conditioning program, as this conditions the core muscles deep inside and not just the upper layer of muscles. The abdominal exercises are usually divided into three groups- upper, obliques and lower but the upper and lower abdominals are not separate. Some exercises in abdominal core conditioning program emphasize moving the lower body more than the upper body, while others focus only on the upper abdominals.

Here are a few do’s and don’ts of abdominal core conditioning:

Do warm up before starting your exercises by doing some simple aerobic movements. Do work the lower abdominals first, followed by the obliques and lastly, the upper abdominals. The upper abdominals give support when you are working out the lower abdominals but, if you do the reverse, only the upper abdominals will get a total work-out.

Don’t work the upper abdominals first, as you will exercise those muscles to the core leaving them pre-fatigued and will not be able to do a challenging set of lower abdominals exercises.

Hip-flexors are joined to the lower vertebrae and doing any exercise which involves a full 90 degree flexion of the hips will place emphasis on the lower vertebrae getting more exercised than the abdominal muscles. Don’t do sit-ups for this reason.

Do use a wide variety of exercises to improve your core and abdominal region.

Do use a medicine ball, cables or exercises bands, as they will increase your external load and ultimately improve your core area.

Don’t use your hands to carry the weight of your head; avoid tugging at your head at any time doing any core flexion movements.

Remember – Spot-reducing fat loss will not happen with extra high reps!

Fast movements should be avoided by all beginning core exercises. The Firm and Flatten Your Abs System explains how important exercise form is to success.

Do gradually progress from a firm ground to a more unstable setting as you get better and master the core exercises, for example, a Swiss ball to increase the strength of your nervous system.

Do not do crunches all the time, as they lead to overuse and poor posture. Always make sure you do back exercises such as back extensions on a Swiss ball…

Do gradually move from floor-based core exercises to standing exercises for core movements.

By adopting these basics for abdominal core conditioning program, you will reward yourself with a fit and injury-free body, not to mention a great set of six-pack abs you always dreamt of.



By: David Grisaffi

About the Author:

Body Weight Training

It’s 100% absolutely true; you can build a **** chest without surgery.

There are myths floating around regarding women and chest training, everything from chest training will make your ***** disappear to chest training will dramatically increase your **** size.

Both of these myths are just that, myths.

I’m going to tell you how you can build a beautiful and **** chest by simple weight training tactics that can be implemented just once a week in less than 15 minutes.

First, let me tell you why those myths are myths.

Smashing the Chest Training and **** Shrinkage Myth:

Weight training cannot and will not make your ***** shrink. ****** tissue is made up of fat tissue. Burning body fat will result in smaller ****** size.

Weight training develops lean muscle tissue. Adding strength training develops the underlying chest muscle and will add more shape to your upper body, creating those eye-pleasing and **** curves.

To put it bluntly, the only way to lose your ****** size is to lose a lot of body fat.

Smashing the Chest Training and **** Swelling Myth:

Weight training won’t make your ***** double in size. Weight training builds the underlying muscle underneath the breast’s fatty tissue. Muscle is lean and dense, fat is bulky and mushy.

Muscle tissue added to your chest area will be lean and dense, giving your chest shape. The added muscle tissue may give your ******* that needed enhancement and perk.

Bottom line, a good chest training program will add beautiful shape and stunning high cleavage so you look snazzy in that hot dress.

Now that I got the nagging myths out of the way, let’s discuss a good chest program to heed the results of a hot body.

Bench Press

The bench press is the core exercise for the chest muscle. When you do the flat bench press (barbell, dumbbells, or machine) you are hitting the entire chest muscle as one unit.

It’s important to build your flat bench press because a strong chest will assist in other exercises.

Incline Press

The incline press is another core movement for the chest. The incline press shifts more of the stress to the upper chest, enhancing your cleavage.

A little plus with the incline dumbbell press is you can get on an adjustable incline bench and change the angle for each set or each workout. The higher you adjust the incline the more of the upper chest area you work.

Chest Dips

An overlooked chest exercise is the chest dips. Probably the reason this excellent exercise is pushed aside is because it requires raw strength to execute.

If you are a beginner or haven’t ever tried the chest dips, many gyms have assisted dip machines that allow anyone at any fitness level to perform dips.

Ideally, you want to get to a point where you can do chest dips freestyle for best chest development.

Chest Flys

The chest fly is an isolation exercise that puts stress on the inner part of the chest.

The chest fly can be used in a variety of ways. The basic is the fly machine (pec deck). Another way to do the chest fly is with dumbbells, which allows you to target either the upper inner, middle inner, or lower chest area, depending on how you adjust the incline bench.

Chest training program to build a **** chest

Week #1

Flat bench: 3 x 8-10

Incline press: 3 x 8-10

Decline flys: 3 x 10-12

Week #2

Chest dips: 3 x 8-10

Incline press: 3 x 8-10

Flat flys: 3 x 10-12

Week #3

Incline press: 3 x 8-10

Chest dips: 3 x 8-10

Incline flys: 3 x 10-12

Week #4

Flat press: 3 x 8-10

Chest dips: 3 x 8-10

Incline flys: 3 x 10-12

Conclusion

Men agree that a woman with a well-built chest developed through regular weight training is ****… giving that fit, healthy, and athletic look. If you want to look hot and feel good about yourself, don’t neglect the essential basics of weight training.



By: Karen Sessions

About the Author:

Bodyweight Exercise

You’ve seen the commercials Ive fallen and I cant get up! While this has been a topic of many jokes and late-night comedy skits, the reality is falling is a very real danger for many people. Too often falls can lead to broken bones, hospitalization, and sometimes life-threatening illnesses due to being confined to a bed while recovering.

A less extreme, but still real situation is when a person lacks the leg strength to get out of a chair. Or someone who throws out their back just picking up a child or the groceries from the trunk of the car.

Did you know that this is not inevitable? With consistent and effective exercise, you will maintain your daily activities without injury well into your sixties, seventies, eighties, and beyond.

You may have heard the buzzwords functional training and core training mentioned in the latest fitness magazines. While these terms sound complicated, they are really terms for the most effective and exciting system of strength training being used today.

Functional training strengthens your body for the everyday movements it has to perform. This could be any type of movement, whether for a sport, your job, or just picking up your kids. Most injuries occur in the course of our everyday lives. Strengthen your body for these activities and you will sustain less injury. Functional training also improves balance. This is essential for preventing falls. A combination of strength and balance will give you the confidence to move through your day with ease!

Core training works on strengthening your core, your abdominal and low back muscles. Just as a house needs a foundation to build upon, so does your body. Work on the core first and every other exercise you add will be more effective and make you stronger. Many functional training exercises incorporate core training. There are also exercises that isolate the core for maximum benefit. Core training is the idea behind Pilates and is also used in yoga.

You can incorporate both types of training into your regular workout with equipment such as stability balls, medicine balls, elastic tubing, slides, and dumbbells. Some exercises require no equipment at all! Several videos and guides on the market can teach you many of these exercises. You can also hire a personal trainer for a few sessions so you can learn the proper techniques. These methods are more effective than traditional gym strength training machines because more muscles are used and the body becomes more coordinated and strong as a result. Machines do play an important role, however. As a new exerciser, you may not have the strength or coordination necessary for functional training. I recommend a combination of basic core strengthening and the use of machines to develop basic strength before starting the more complex functional and core movements.

One of the best and simplest functional exercises is the squat. We use this motion all day long getting up from a chair, or picking an object up from the ground, as examples. Learn to squat properly and do it consistently and you will remain strong, independent, and less prone to injury. A great core exercise for beginners is one you can do anytime, anywhere. While sitting or standing, pull your navel towards your spine. Concentrate on performing this movement without flattening your back it is important to maintain proper posture. This strengthens very deep abdominal muscles that are responsible for protecting your back. Try this exercise while driving when you stop at a red light, perform 10 repetitions. Your abdominals will thank you for it!

Think about it, do you walk around during the day doing leg extensions? What about abdominals crunches on the floor? While these exercises work targeted muscles and are good accessory exercises, functional exercises create a stronger, healthier body that will be protected from injury and provide a higher quality of life.



By: Alder Debid

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Body Weight Routine