Athlete Secrets – Best butt toning exercises

By Samantha Clayton, October 23, 2012

Body parts fade in and out of fashion.  Sometimes it feels like everyone is searching for the secrets for a curvy butt, Madonna-like arms or 6-pack abs. This week, I’ll share my secrets for looking great from behind in no time!
 
I can still remember the time in the late ‘90s when women’s magazines announced that having a big butt was a good thing. I was in my teens and had never even thought about how my body looked because to me, as an athlete, my body was my vehicle. I had muscles upon muscles and my posterior chain was rock solid but, thanks to Jennifer Lopez, I suddenly felt that I didn’t just look like a boyish athlete! I had a quality that was associated with being feminine, sexy and, to my mind, awesome.  Through a summer media craze based on one woman’s derriere, I suddenly received a huge confidence boost.

It’s amazing how the media continues to play a huge role in the way we think about our bodies.  As a runner, a strong physique came with the job description, not to mention my genetic predisposition from my parents. I sure hope it’s a fashion statement that will last because my children are already showing signs of having sprinter-shaped bodies.

I’m not saying that a big butt makes anyone more or less attractive overall but I do think that it’s important to have strong set of muscles behind you.  Add in the confidence boosting benefits of a firm butt and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make sure a saggy bottom is never part of your life.

What’s the best way to tone up your butt? 

As a trainer I’m often asked: “How do I get a good butt?” and my answer is generally the same every time. I have to be honest and say that genetics play a huge role, however body builders are the living proof that quality exercise and nutrition can enhance any muscle group. A strong ‘gluteus maximus’ and ‘gluteus minimus’ – the training terms for your rear end – can be achieved through a combination of strength training and a good sprint program.

Butt toning tip 1 – Run your way to a great booty

Not surprisingly, I recommend running – it will help burn off excess flab while also building up your muscles.
Sprinting is essentially the weight lifting of running especially when you throw hill running into the mix because your posterior chain muscles – including your calves, hamstrings and glutes – generate a lot of the power that is required when sprinting.
Try adding one or two 30-minute sprinting sessions into your workout week. Sprinting for 20 seconds then resting for 60 seconds is my personal favorite. Remember to build up to it though. You must walk before you can run, so only up your speed as and whenyour body feels ready.

Butt toning tip 2 – Make squats work for you

Squats, squats, squats – you can never do too many squats.
Squats will work your butt muscles and putting the effort into a repetitive squat routine will get your booty in shape in no time.  I recommend variety, so try a combination of squats.  Options include a basic squat with no weights, then try adding weights, a jump, or speed variations.  You could even work your way up to split squats and one-legged squats.
There are many variations to this amazing exercise so, no matter if you are new to exercising or a seasoned professional, find the types of squat that are most comfortable for your body and add them into your fitness routine three days a week.

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A great butt is not the be all and end all

By adding these exercises into your weekly routine you’ll be working your glutes and building a firm butt, but don’t forget that burning calories and being active are a great reward too.
When it comes to your body, health and wellness, we have to put jokes, vanity and the media aside. Remember that the visible benefits that come from working out are just an added bonus – it is the internal change and the improvement of your overall wellness that is of ultimate importance.
True beauty always comes from the inside.
This article was sourced from;
http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/?p=2351

The Fasting Diet – Fact or Fantasy

You may or may not have heard of the fasting diet but essentially what it is is when you do alternate days of fasting and the others just eating normally.

It’s been on the news recently as a chap by the name of Michael Mosley has used the method to lose a stone in five weeks for a Horizon documentary. That in itself is a massive achievement. Losing a stone would be enough to notice a difference and would be a great motivator to keep going to reach your target weight.

A strong word of warning, to anyone reading this, particularly those that are pregnant or diabetic, please seek medical advice before trying the fasting diet. Michael was monitored by a medical team while he was doing this. Proper tests have yet to provide proof that a fasting diet is beneficial in any way. 

Anyway, what Michael did was a 5:2 fasting diet whereby you eat normally for five days out of seven and fast for the other two i.e. normal eating for 3 days then fast for one, then normal eating for 2 days and fast for one, or vice versa. Now by fasting it doesn’t mean don’t eat at all. It means eating enough of the right stuff to get you through the days you are fasting. In essence keeping the amount of calories you consume to around 500 for a female and to 600 for a male.

Eating the right stuff is a difficult one to quantify as this is all unproven. Personally I need some carbs otherwise I feel a bit weak and wobbly (as my mom would describe it). So I found a balance of a small bread roll, eggs, meats such as ham, poultry and fish and plenty of salad and veggies kept me going nicely. I coupled that with drinking plenty of water.

What I found was that on the fasting days even though I’d eaten less I felt more energized and mentally alert and after a short while, much to my surprise, I actually looked forward to those days.

Let’s do the math

On the basis of a 5:2 fasting diet cycle you will effectively reduce your calorie intake by around 3000 to 5000 per week depending on whether you are a male or female. The diet is supposedly effective on a primitive level as it replicates the ‘cave man’ famine and feast for want of a better description. By which I refer to when as cave men we would have hunted and captured our prey and eaten well for a few days then survived on a lesser volume of food until the next hunt. It kind of makes sense when you think about it.

It could be argued that if we reduce our calorie intake by 3000 to 5000 per week we will lose weight anyway which I have no doubt we would. That would mean cutting down all week though which is when the denial is a daily chore and so hard to maintain. The great thing about the fasting diet is that for the best part of the week we can eat normally and that the pains of denial are only for two days which we can all cope with.

I have tried the fasting diet myself and found that it did work and that I steadily lost over half a stone in a month. Not fantastic for those that want miraculous results as quickly as possible but none the less easy and achievable weight loss for very little effort or pain. What I will do in future is reduce it to a 6:1 fasting diet so that I eat normally for six days and fast for one.

My only initial concern was that it may induce the yo-yo effect with my weight in that my body would learn to grab hold of fat on the days when I wasn’t fasting otherwise known as starvation mode. I was delighted to note this wasn’t the case and the weight has stayed off. 

Needless to say some form of regular excersize will also help the weight loss. And when I say excersize I don’t mean going to the gym every other day because personally I find that as interesting as watching paint dry. What I mean is a half hour brisk walk twice a week by walking to the shop for bits and pieces or getting off the bus one stop sooner on my way to work.

If you do try this you can leave a comment on my blog where you’ll also find other tips and links relating to weight loss.

It goes without saying that before you embark on any major changes to your diet or lifestyle you should seek medical advice.

Banish Your Man Boobs

by Lara Rosenbaum
You probably love a great set of breasts—as long as you’re not the one sporting them. Turns out, more and more men are lining up to get rid of their man boobs or “moobs.” Male breast reduction surgeries increased by 6 percent in 2011, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But you might not need to go under the knife if you’ve got a sagging top.

There are two reasons why a guy might have man boobs. The first is a medical condition. Clinical gynecomastia—male breast enlargement—can result from a hormonal imbalance or elevated levels of estrogen and lowered levels of testosterone. It’s usually not a serious problem and may go away on its own. However, if you think you have gynecomastia and it continues to persist, you should visit a doctor to find out if medication or surgery will help.

The second reason is excess fat stored in the chest. Sure, you can run out and buy yourself a manssiere, but there might be a better way to get rid of your moobs. BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., a Men’s Health fitness advisor and CEO of StreamFit.com says you can nip your poofed pecs in the bud with a fat-loss, muscle-building workout. “When it comes to weight loss, you shouldn’t focus just on cardio,” he says. “You need to build muscle through strength training. It ignites your metabolism, which burns calories and accelerates fat loss.”

More from MensHealth.com: Ignite Your Metabolism
Firm up your chest and shed weight with these supersets—two exercises done back-to-back. “These exercises not only blast your chest, but also target your back muscles and glutes—body zones that contain the most muscle mass,” says Gaddour. Elevating your metabolism is all about how much muscle you activate at once. By doing big-muscle exercises, you’ll boost your metabolism and testosterone levels more than you would just working your pecs, he says. (Now that you don’t have to buy yourself a bra, here’s what to buy her for Valentine’s day.)

DO THIS Use a pair of 15 or 20-pound dumbbells and do each pair of exercises as a superset. Beginning with exercise 1 A, do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Then rest for 30 seconds. Next, do exercise 1 B, completing as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, and then rest for 30 seconds. That’s 1 round. Complete 4 rounds of superset 1, then rest 2 minutes before moving on to superset 2 for 4 rounds. Add these supersets to your workout routine 2 or 3 times a week.
SUPERSET 1
1 A. Lying Supported Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Row
Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie chest-down on a 45-degree incline bench. Let your arms hang straight down, palms facing each other. Row the dumbbells to the side of your chest by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades. Pause and lower the weights.
1 B. Dumbbell Goblet Box Squat
Stand 4 to 6 inches forward of a knee-high bench or box. Cup the end of a dumbbell with both hands and hold it vertically in front of your chest, your elbows pointing down. Keeping your back naturally arched, push your hips back, bend your knees, and squat. Sit on the bench for a moment. Keeping your heels pressed into the ground, stand back up. (Watch a video here.)
More from MensHealth.com: Forge an Iron Chest
SUPERSET 2

2 A. Dumbbell 1 1/2 Pushup
Grasp the handle of a dumbbell in each hand and assume a pushup position with your arms straight. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart, and your body should form a straight line from head to ankles. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, and then push yourself halfway back up. Pause again, then lower your body back to the floor. Push yourself all the way back up to the starting position, and repeat. (Like this twist on the standard pushup? Continue to build a powerful facade with these 14 smart pushup improvements.)
2 B. Dumbbell Skier Swings
Holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length next to your sides, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Without rounding your lower back, bend at your hips as you simultaneously swing your arms backward. Now explosively thrust your hips forward and raise your torso until you’re standing upright, while allowing your momentum to swing the weights up to chest level. (Don’t actively lift the weight.) Swing back and forth for the duration of your set. (Watch a video here.)
For hundreds of more exercises to blast every inch of your body, check out the Men’s Health Workout Center.
http://news.menshealth.com/banish-your-man-boobs/2012/02/06/ 

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