Category Archives: Exercise & Training
The Secret to Reaching Your Goal
While goals are very important, I believe some people are so overwhelmed with the end-goal, that they forget they really only have one task today – and that is to reach TODAY’s goal.
You can’t reach your final goal without reaching today’s goal, so why worry so much about where you are headed and just focus about what you need to do today. Whether that is train, eat right, get motivation or increase education, what you do today greatly determines where you are headed. If you treat every day like this, you WILL reach your goal.
What is your goal today? Are you going to reach today’s goal or not?
“Time” To Do Arms: Timed Bicep & Tricep Workout
This was my arm workout yesterday. It was fun, fast paced, and challenging. I set the timer, cranked the music, and my workout buddy and I went to town! With timed workouts like this, you don’t have to count. It’s nice to turn off your brain and just go. The timer becomes your boss (hence the name “GymBoss“) and you start when it say start, stop when it says stop – and you get your workout done in less time. It’s a win-win!
Using the GymBoss Interval Timer, do each exercise for the allotted time.
1st Round: 45 seconds on & 15 seconds off
2nd Round: 40 seconds on & 15 seconds off
3rd Round: 35 seconds on & 15 seconds off
4th Round: 30 seconds on & 15 seconds off
• Barbell Biceps Curl
• Triceps Dips
• Resistance Band Biceps Curl
• Nose Breakers
• Triceps Kickback
• Plank
Complete all 4 rounds.
NOTE: In this workout, I focused more on triceps than I did biceps. Mainly because women typically care more about the giggley underarm part than they do the size of their biceps. The only time you really notice a person’s biceps is when they flex (and who does that?). Triceps, on the other hand, are more visible and also help shape and tone the arm where most women want – under the arm, the side of the arm and where the arm meets the shoulders (which helps make shoulders look more pronounced). I threw in planks to help tone up the entire arm (shoulders, triceps, biceps & forearms), while also tightening the core. Enjoy the workout! Hope you like it!
Fast Shoulder Circuit
Yesterday was shoulder day for me, and this is the workout my girlfriend and I did. Instead of doing traditional reps and sets, I wanted to set up stations that we could quickly move through to really set those shoulders on fire, as well as get our heart rate up too. It was a quick workout, but judging by how nice and sore I am today, it was a successful workout! Have Fun!
Tools: One medium weight Bar/plates or dumbbells (I only did 30lbs), yellow bodylastics band or 5lb dumbbells, 8-10lb dumbbells, 25-35lb plate (or the bar) and a green bodylastics band (or 8-10lb dumbbells).
Complete the following exercises as quickly as possible, with no rest between exercises or rounds. Click on each exercise below to review the demonstration video.
- 12 Dumbbell Overhead Press 30-45lbs
- 12 Lateral Raise Light Band or 3-5lb dumbbells
- 12 Ladder Presses 8-10lb dumbbells
- 12 Upright Row - 25-35lb barbell or plate weight
- 12 Rear Delt Fly - Light to Medium Band (or Rear Delt Fly with dumbbells)
When you are done, you will have completed 300 reps of nothing but shoulder work! YUMMY!!
#FitFluential #MOVE
22 Ways To Do Push Ups
Yesterday, I asked everyone what their favorite upper body exercise was. Although answers varied from pull-ups to upright rows, one exercise stood out: The Push Up.
Honestly, push-ups are just amazing. Not only do they work the chest, they tone the triceps, biceps, shoulders and core – all in one workout. But did you know there are many different ways to do a push up? Hand placement, tools and angles can help you hit muscles in different ways.
For instance, the closer you place your hands together, the more you work your triceps and inner chest (cleavage) area. The further out you place your hands, the further out on your chest you work (like your under arm bra strap area). If you place your feet up on a platform, or raise your hips up into pike, you put more weight on your shoulders and upper chest. You can even do push-ups on an uneven surface like a medicine ball or bosu to challenge your core more. This is why it’s best to try incorporate different styles into your workout – to hit your muscles in different ways, and continue to challenge your strength and range of motion.
Never done a push up? Start with the Modified Push-up. The key is to keep your bottom down. If you were to string a line from your head to your toes, your body should be in a straight line, following that line as you do the exercise. Always start attempting a military push up (standard push up) and then move to your knees when you can no longer maintain good form. The more you do it, the stronger you get. Have fun!
22 Ways To Do Push Up
Click on the link to watch video demonstration for each exercise.
- Push-up
- Close Grip Push-up
- Decline Pushup
- Dive-bomber Push-up
- Push-up To Sit-up Combination
- Push-up To T-plank Combination
- Diamond Push-up
- Bosu Push-up
- Stabilizer Push-up
Incline Push-up- Swiss Ball Push-up
- Modified Push-up
- Weighted Push-up
- Alligator Push-up
- Plyo Alligator Push-up
- Balance Ball Pike Push-up
- Single-leg Decline Push-up
- Resistance Band Push-ups
- Wide Push-ups
- Rotational Push-ups
- Bosu Kneeling Pushup
- Dumbbell Push-up
Ramp up your intensity and try Tabata push ups with the Gymboss Interval Timer. 8 sets of 20 seconds ON and 10 seconds of rest. Talk about a KILLER workout! Whew!
But wait! There’s More!
Now, of course this isn’t ALL the different ways to push up. There are one-arm push ups, plyo push ups, and all kinds of stuff you can do. Check out Funk Robert‘s extremely versatile and powerful push up workout. You’ll see his hands are all over the place – so this workout seriously works from every angle! Maybe someday I’ll grow up to be like Funk and actually learn to plyo like that!! 
Bored in the Gym? HIIT Training May Help
Are Your Workouts Boring?
If you feel like you’ve lost your, as Steve says, “ZIP, ZEST, PEP, DRIIIVE AND DESIRE”, well maybe you just need to get a trainer – interval trainer that is. You don’t necessarily need a personal trainer to kick your butt, especially if you know what to do already. Often times we just get lazy and comfortable, and we lose focus. But, as soon as you add a time component to your workout, suddenly a boring workout blossoms into a high-intensity workout with purpose and drive. To get this done, I use the GymBoss Interval Timer to ramp up my intensity, create focus and hold me accountable.
HIIT it Harder!
HIIT training is nothing new. It’ just gained popularity over the recent years. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT workouts are typically short workouts, from 4-20 minutes, and combine short bursts of intense exercise (typically at maximum intensity) with a moderate activity or rest. The original HIIT format was a 2 to 1 ration, like Tabata. Tabata is 20 seconds of work, and 10 seconds of rest or lighter work.
For instance, a HIIT running routine could be 30 seconds of sprinting and 15 seconds of walking or jogging. However, HIIT workouts now come in all shapes and sizes. The length of intervals, as well as intensity/work, may vary. HIIT, today, is just all about timed intense interval training, no matter what the length or combination of exercises and rest.
So, with the education under your belt now, let’s HIIT our legs! Here was my leg workout yesterday. It was awesome, simple, super effective and challenging. Also, when you use HIIT, you get a lot of work done in less time, so it’s also very efficient. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!
HIIT Your Legs
This workout targets the quads and glutes. I will do a separate workout, like this Ham & Glute Workout, the for hamstrings later this week. Get your GymBoss Interval Timer and get ready to work!
Ramping Squat*
5 SETS: 30 Seconds on, 30 Seconds off
*Ramping (or periodization) refers to ramping up (increasing) your weight. Each set should get heavier and heavier. For instance, do just the bar the first set, then add weight in 10-25lb increments each set, depending on your strength, making each set more and more challenging.
Training Tips: The key to this exercise is to get LOW (like you see in this photo). I’d rather you do less weight, and get a full range of motion. Most people are not even close to getting as low as they can. LADIES LISTEN UP: These last few inches work your inner thighs and glutes a LOT more, so don’t miss out! Your weight should be on your heels the entire time, and your bottom should nearly bottom out on the ground you should be so low. If you’ve never done this before, then practice just with the bar or no weight at all. If you can’t seem to keep your heels on the ground, try spreading out your knees a bit more and sit down into the squat until your feet can stay completely flat. Tight and weak muscles may prevent you from getting this low, so you may want to incorporate this yoga move into your leg day to increase flexibility.
Yoga Squat: Hold this pose (pictured below right) for 30 seconds at a time and really stretch your legs and open those hips. Do this prior to lifting or even between sets to keep you nice and loose.
Heavy Walking Lunges (15-20lbs dumbbells)
5 Sets: 30 Seconds on, 30 Seconds off
Tabata Leg Extensions (toes pointed out)
Tabata is 8 Sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off
1/2 Tabata Leg Extension (toes pointed in)
Half Tabata is half the prescribed set (so only 4 sets) of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off
Tabata High Step Ups* (with or without weights)
Half (4 sets) Tabata on RIGHT FOOT
(20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
Half (4 sets) Tabata on LEFT FOOT
(20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
*Use a high bench or plyo box. Step POWERFULLY up and resist the negative (your weight coming down). So, it will be a quick and powerful explosion UP on to the step (being sure to step up on to your heel), and then a slowly lower down. No matter how tired you get, DO NOT allow your body to “fall” back to the floor. Fight it!
Tough Women: 4 Ways to Build Power, Strength & Confidence
Strong Enough for Men, but Made for Women Too
I always liked the the Secret deodorant slogan “strong enough for men, but made for a woman” but I think it also exposes another secret – the belief that strength is normally only made for men.
Of course we know there are strong chicks too, but I think a lot of women just think they were born that way. Some of the toughest chicks aren’t tough because they LOOK tough – they are tough because they ARE tough. Just like Demi More in G.I. Jane, tough comes with a price. She had to train hard to do the stuff she had to do in that movie – from doing intense workouts, obstacle training and even prepping mentally to shave her head. People aren’t just born that way, they are made that way through enduring tough tasks. The tougher the task, the tougher you become.
Watch this short video clip, and tell me that doesn’t make you want to learn how to do a one-armed push up!
Do You Know Your Own Strength?
While I believe, if most women were honest, there is a side to them that would love to be tough and powerful. But, many women struggle with the self-confidence to grow in this area. This is even more of a problem when a woman is overweight or not in good shape. Ironically, one of the best places to fix that (the gym) makes many women even MORE insecure so they avoid it at all cost, or they save it as a last resort. Well, NO MORE! It’s time for you to become the POWERFUL, STRONG and CONFIDENT woman you desire to be! And I’ve got news for you, it doesn’t include pink rubber weights!
If you want to discover power, strength and confidence, it requires training that requires you to be powerful, strong and confident. If your training doesn’t CHALLENGE these areas, don’t expect to CHANGE those areas. Sadly, many women “ease” into their workouts because they simply don’t know how powerful and strong they really are. Why? Because they just don’t know their own strength – because they’ve never really tested it.
4 ways to toughen up & gain more confidence:
Up your weight. I can’t tell you how many women are not even touching the surface of their own strength. They literally don’t know their own strength. However, if they were to up the weight, they’d be surprised to find they can do the same number of reps with the heavier weight. Would it be more difficult? Sure! Would it be possible? Sure! You’ll never know how strong you are until you try. Don’t worry about bulking up. Most women don’t have enough testosterone to gain manly muscles. - Test your strength. Once a week, choose an exercise to test your 1 rep max, which is the maximum weight you can lift in one exercise. Normally, we are doing multiple reps of a weight, so the weight has to be light enough for us to repeat the exercise 12-15 times. But what if all we have to do is one repetition? That’s the idea of the 1 Rep max. Some of the best exercises, according to Bodybuilding.com, to use to test this are bench press, squats, deadlifts, clean and press, military (shoulder press) and bicep curls. Use Bodybuilding.com’s 1-Rep Max (1RM) Calculator to find out what your 1-rep max should be. There is nothing more empowering that lifting a heavy weight – even if it’s just one time.
Try something new. If you are constantly staying in your comfort zone, using the same equipment or practicing the same training style, you will likely stay the same too. Venture out and try new things. Even if you discover you don’t like something, you will gain power from the knowledge you gained from trying it. Sure, you may feel a little dorky or awkward while you are learning it, but you will walk away feeling amazing.- Do what the boys do. If you are constantly gravitating to aerobics classes and the women’s section at the gym, you are missing out! There is a reason guys are tough. They do though things – and so can you! For instance, flipping tractor tires is tough. Your hands get dirty and it’s hard work, but it’s an amazing workout and you’ll feel great when it’s done. The same goes with exercises like bench press, dips or pull ups. These are often exercises that never make it on a woman’s workout schedule. Sadly, it’s not because the women can’t do it. It’s because they never even try to do it. Make it a regular practice to incorporate tough exercises into your program.
20 Tough Activities & Exercises
Try a handstand (and practice it)- Test your 1RM for bench press
- Take boxing or martial arts lessons
- Do a mud run
- Do something untraditional like flipping a tractor tire or doing wall-ups
- Take a intense boot camp program
- Practice olympic lifting
- Take a gymnastics class
- Do a 5K, half marathon, full marathon or triathlon
- Climb a rock-climbing wall
- Take a grappling (wrestling) lesson
- Test your speed in a quarter mile (sprinting, not driving!)
- Practice push ups, pull ups and dips
- Train with kettlebells
- Take a power yoga class
- Practice batting at the batting cages
- Do a tabata workout (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
- Try a new sport – like surfing, skiing, cycling, mountain biking or swimming
- Play catch – football, softball or even frisbee (and GO ALL OUT to catch it!)
- Play with the boys. Play a coed ball game, workout with the guys, go to a car show and do something guys do. And don’t just show up – take that time to learn more about what you are doing. Whether it’s a drifting race or skin-boarding, knowledge is powerful.
8 Tough Workouts
Tractor Tire Training
10 Tire Exercises - If you’ve ever wondered what you can do with a tractor tire, here’s your answer!
Conditioning Tractor Tire Workout - Be ready for your heart to be POUNDING!
Tractor Abs – Learn 5 ab exercises you can do with a tractor tire.
Improve Your Push Up &/or Pull Up
Even if you can’t do a pull up or push up, THIS will get you stronger.
Savage Training
Try an untraditional workout, designed for mud runs and people who don’t have gym equipment.
BCx Wallup Workout
Climbed walls lately? Today’s your day! Try this crazy fun workout to boost strength and stamina.
Try a Kettlebell Workout
Learn some kettlebell basics.
Grueling Get Ups
Try this awesomely intense Turkish Getup inspired workout and get your sweat on!
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CLICK HERE to see more motivational mantras!
Five Fanny Fixes
The “Bottom” Line
Bottoms come in all shapes and sizes. Some are fat, some are flat, some are big, some are wide in the side. Some sag low and some poke out. Some are lumpy and some are bumpy. But one thing they all have in common is they can all improve with a few fit tips.
I searched the web high and low for some popular bottom problems and found 5 backsides to trouble shoot. For each booty, I will address the individual problem and what I’d do to help them fix it.
BUTT WORKOUT: Be sure to try The Glute Killer workout by Steve Pfiester at DualFIT.com!
Five Fanny Fixes
#1: FAT Bottom: We want a PHAT bottom, not a fat bottom!
Problem: Too much body fat, untoned muscle. This person looks like the are completely sedentary and out of shape.
Solution: Decrease caloric intake and start a fitness routine with cardio to burn fat and weight training to tone muscle. I would also suggest a low-calorie protein supplement, like DesignerWhey, to help her increase protein while on her diet. The Total Lean Live Lean and Fit Pack would be a great multi-vitamin pack, which helps boost energy and promote weight loss, would be another great supplement for her to reach her goals. Since she has a lot to lose, she should shed fat pretty quickly if she sticks to a standard 1,200 calorie diet a day. My goal would be for her to lose 2-3lbs a week. I’d guess she has about 30lbs to lose, so it will take approximately 10-12 weeks for her to experience a total make-over.
#2: NO Bottom: Skinny is not always pretty.
Problem: No muscle or body fat. This person probably doesn’t eat a lot, or get enough protein – which happens as people age. People who are not active can lose up to 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade after age 30. I also see this type of muscle deterioration in long-distance runners who burn more than they consume, don’t eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass, or don’t do any resistance training to encourage muscle development.
Solution: Increase caloric intake rich in protein and healthy fats and start a muscle building weight training program. I might even recommend a weight gainer or muscle builder like GNC’s ReGrow to help her increase her calories and protein. Even seniors can gain muscle and totally reshape the body, so it’s never too late. If they are runners, I’d encourage them to cut back in their cardio, even if just a little, and add weight training to their running program.
#3: BIG Bottom: Got muscle AND fat.
Problem: Has good muscle mass, but just needs to lose body fat.
Solution: I’d have her decrease calories and increase her cardio while maintaining a weight training routine. You can tell she has good muscle under her body fat (see her line in her shoulders). Because she already has good muscle, she will look super fit super fast once we get her to shed that fat. Her skin will smooth out and her muscle will be come more and more defined as she loses weight.
#4: PEAR Bottom: Flat on top, full on bottom.
Problem: Besides the stretch marks, bumps and the creepy fact this is a man wearing a thong in public, this guy has decent muscle mass. What is missing to me is he is lacking the top shelf of the bottom that makes the butt more round and perky looking. He also has love handles and no definition in his lower back, so that tells me his diet is crappy or he is really just overall deconditioned.
Solution: If he isn’t doing squats, I’d make sure he adds that to his lower body workout routine. And, I’d recommend adding one-leg exercises like lunges, skaters, one-leg romanian deadlifts, one-leg leg press, or curtsies to work the gluteus medius (which is the top gluteal muscle that will change his pear bottom into an apple bottom). I’d also make sure he hits hamstrings hard. He looks like he may be quad dominant – meaning he might be neglecting his hamstrings and glutes, but doing enough activity to develop (or maintain) his thigh muscles. Lastly, I’d have him hit cardio to shed his love handles. He’ll be quick to respond because he doesn’t have a lot to lose and these small changes will show pretty quickly.
#5: SAGGY Bottom: Deflated and saggy bottom.
Problem: This girl has loose saggy skin, which happens when you lose a lot of weight fast (because you can easily lose muscle too), or if you are just really deconditioned and don’t really do any resistance training.
Solution: Since she doesn’t have a lot of body fat, I would concentrate on a weight program to add muscle mass and tone her up. More muscle will not only give her great curves, but it will fill out the deflated bottom and she’ll lose that sagging line she has under her butt cheeks. She’ll also need to increase her protein, so I’d definitely have her doing protein supplements, like DesignerWhey for her protein shake or Total Lean 25, which is a meal replacement. After 90 days of weight training and eating clean, she’ll be absolutely amazed how much smoother her skin will look, not to mention her overall body shape. Since she is pretty lean already, she will see improvements very quickly.
Visit NYPost for Celebrity’s Worst Butts and see if you can “name that butt”.
Killer Glute Workout
Here was yesterday’s glute workout if you missed it!
CLICK HERE to get the whole written workout. Here is the video to learn all the exercises, see pace, form and get tips to help you make the most of the workout!
The Glute Killer Butt Workout
You can never have too many butt workouts. Seriously, who doesn’t want a great toosh?! Plus, it’s bikini season, so it’s time to get that butt bikini ready! And men, don’t you think for one second you don’t need this workout. Just because you don’t wear a string bikini (I hope) doesn’t mean you need to neglect your backside! Flat flabby butts are never attractive – no matter who you are!
Try this new workout Steve wrote this workout for DualFit. Many of these exercises are the same exercises he uses to train his bikini and figure competitors to sculpt their perky bottoms.
Pictured above: Team Max Bikini Competitors Melissa Wolfe, Kathleen Morgan, Angel Howell, Cristina McDaniel, Nicole Toore, Leslie Hendricks & Ursula Kepferer.
The Glute Killer Workout
Couplet #1
Start on one leg and repeat the couplet on the other leg. No rest between the 2 exercises.
12 Weighted Step Back Lunge
12 Lunge Kick
(repeat on the other leg)
Couplet #2
Start on one leg and repeat the couplet on the other leg. No rest between the 2 exercises.
12 Weighted Curtsy
12 Stomp
(repeat on the other leg)
Couplet #3
12 Sumo Squat
12 Skater
Repeat Entire Workout 3 Times
Visit DualFit.com for more fitness tips and workouts!
The BIG Burpee Workout
Workouts do not have to be complicated. I think many people think they have to have a new set of moves or learn a whole new exercise in order to really get a good workout – but the truth is, you can take 1 single exercise and turn it into an entire workout if you get a little creative.
Let’s look the burpee for instance. What if you took just the first part (the squat), then the 2nd part (the thruster), the 3rd part (the plank or push up), then back to the thruster again, and finally the last part (the jump) and you did each movement separately. Suddenly, you have quite a challenging workout – all created and inspired by one simple exercise.
Check it out!
The Big Burpee Workout
Click on each exercise to watch the video demonstration.
- 10 Air Squats
- 10 Squat Thrust
- 10 Push Ups
- 10 Squat Thrust
- 10 Tuck Jumps (double plyo high knee)
Repeat entire workout doing 9 reps, then 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 each – and you’ll get your 1 BIG BURPEE experience! Time yourself and let me know how long it takes you to finish! Have FUN!
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blast the Backside: Glute & Ham Workout
Another Great Glute & Ham Workout this week! Here’s what I did. REMEMBER, I’m hitting glutes twice a week. My other Leg day is quads and glutes. 
4 Sets of 18-20 Each:
- Straight Leg Deadlifts
- Leg Curls (3 sets reg. 2 sets negative)*
- Seat Leg Curls
- Stomps (both heels hit the ground)*
- Curtsies*
Finish this workout with doing the stairs, step mill, treadmill on a steep incline or the elliptical on a high resistance setting.
TIPS*
LEG CURLS: Change things up and do single leg curls to hit your legs a little differently. Or, boost your training by doing a few sets of negatives using too heavy of weight to do alone. Have your partner help you push the weight to the fully contracted position. Then you control the weight back down on your own for a great negative exercise.
STOMPS: I always do one exercise (like lunges or stomps) to fire up the quads too, so expect them to be blazing hot! The key to stomps is making sure the heel of the moving foot comes all the way down and touches the ground – not just the toe touching. Then sit on it – meaning, your bottom should drop down low with each step in.
CURTSIES: Be sure to not put ANY weight on the back foot. Use it only for balance. Also, with each bend, you should come ALL the way back up to a stand. It’s the upward motion that works the glutes. So, all the way down, and all the way up. Add a dumbbell in the dropped hand for more resistance.
Have a great workout!!
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
