A good tip about workouts from Shape

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
A good tip about workouts from Shape
3
Fri, 05-07-2004 - 12:14pm
magazine. (REALLY good for me as I just don't push myself hard enough or change up my routine enough. That's why I chose to do a bootcamp this month.) This article reminds me of when I used to go to aerobics/strength training back in the late 80's - they changed up our routines all of the time & I was buff! I'm sure Jazzercise changes up routines, regularly, right Deb? Here's the article:

Are You Wimping Out?

While they're neck-and-neck with men when it comes to doing moderate exercise, women fall behind when it comes to pushing themselves harder, according to a recent Gallup poll. Of the more than 2,000 adults surveyed, 47 percent of women ages 18-49 who exercise say they never workout vigorously compared with 28 percent of their male counterparts.

According to fitness experts, while moderate exercise helps maintain fitness and improves healthy, too many workouts at the same intensity could actually prevent you from seeing a real change in body weight and muscle definition. Here are four great ways to rev up your next workout:

1. Interval train. Every five to ten minutes, pick up the pace or work as hard as you can for one to two minutes during your usual cardio routine. As your endurance improves, increase the duration of the harder bursts and reduce that of the easier bouts.

2. Cross train. Never do the same thing more than once or twice during the week; mixing it up challenges your body in new ways.

3. Add resistance. When the 12 rep of a strength exercise is no longer challenging, add weight, the American Council on Exercise recommends. Increase weight to the next increment, and decrease the number of reps.

4. Superset. Once you've been strength training for three to six months, try doing two sets of exercises that work similar muscle groups back-to-back without resting in between (for example, do a set of front raises, immediately followed by a set of lateral raises for the shoulders).

Katherine (Kat)
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2001
Fri, 05-07-2004 - 12:41pm
Great post!I'm very guilty of doing the same thing and am trying to mix it up some.Thanks for posting , Kat.

Miss P




 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2004
Fri, 05-07-2004 - 1:07pm

Great info Kat!

Lori

"Remember, I'm pullin' for ya.  We're all in this together." --Red Green

cl for Ask the

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2003
Fri, 05-07-2004 - 6:28pm

Hi Kat---thanks for posting the article!!

“You can only grow if you’re willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” -Brian Tracy