Need an exercise plan?

[tallgirljessca]

If anyone would like a plan designed for their body type, to strengthen and gain some muscle I would be more then happy to get in contact with them and help them with a mapped out plan to bring your body to its most ultimate level. I used to be a personal trainer, especially in weight lifting, if anyone is interested =)

jess

[weaveworld]

I would accept any help Jess..

I walk everywhere, I go on my exercise bike...what will help my arms to get toned?

;D

[phil]

I would love to find a substitute for sit-ups/crunches... I HATE THEM.. therefore I do not do them If I could find another way to work on abs.. that would be COOL!

[Minu]

Pilates is another option, but ultimately, Philly, the only way to strengthen your core, is to work it.

[mago]

true that, bella. try this though, if you are not the crunchin' type...

stand feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Keeping hips and legs stationary, begin rotating your upper body (bend forward 45 degrees, then keep your head at that level and rotate your upper body in a circle) slowly, trying to keep the bend in your torso the same as you pass from front, to side, to back, to side, to front.

to work hip flexors and pressors, stand the same wider-than-shoulder width, and, keeping your head relatively motionless, swing your hips out and rotate the way you did your torso. At some point, it should look vaguely obscene, but then again, that's the fun of working out.

try J-Los, too, at the gym, or at home. or a bellydance workout video.

[Minu]

BELLYDANCIN'! Good exercise, and FUN too, not to mention the fringe benefits for hub...

[Nooney]

Bellydancing was MY idea... but somebody forgat to add that part.

I used to take lessons and loved it! But I haven't been able to find a group that I like since I've been interested in gettin back at it. I have seen some reasonably priced videos in the health and exercise area at Half Price Books in the past. When I get a few extra bucks I think I'll go back and see if they still have any.

[seventhentity]

Actually, I could use some help. I am not a huge fan of gyms. So I'd like to do as much as I can at home. I already have a weight bench, the bench adjust for incline and flat. Plus it has a leg attachment.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to replace the fat with muscle. I've heard that you shouldn't do much cardio as to save the calories for muscle building. True?

Also, how often should you rest vs. lifting. Meaning, 5 days a week training vs. 2 days of rest?

[Nooney]

It depends what trainer you talk to on whether or not they tell you to do cardio or not. All the really fit people I know do cardio at least a couple times a week.

And from what the trainers I've had in the past told me, you can lift every day as long as you rotate which muscle groups you work so that they get 24-48 hours to rest and rebuild before being worked out again.

[Minu]

Hi, seventhentity, and welcomings!

True that, about resting and rotating the groups. If you haven't already been at it seventh, try some serious lifting, and then take note of that lactic acid pain the next day, and even the one after that, while the muscles rebuild themselves. When that pain stops, you're ready to do it again.

I think a combination of light cardio coupled with weight-training is the optimal way to both burn fat off and increase muscle strength/mass, plus the weight work keeps the metablism charged.

If you're serious about trimming off the fat, it's fine & safe to do light cardio daily, for up to 60 minutes, (any more than that is usually not recommended---orrrrr terribley hilarious ; ). Heed the basic, "Can you carry on a conversation while exercising?", because if you're too winded for that, you're going too hard for fat-burning.

Depending on what groups you're keen to develop muscle-wise, 3 days a week of weight work is perfectly respectable.

Back when I was lifting, I did only the upper body, (as in those days, I was hitting the stair machine for 45 mins/day--at both low and high steps, which kept my butt and legs as toned and as big as I wanted them to be).

Hope that's of some use to ye...