Body for Life Day #12 Training: Lower Body

On day #10 we discussed muscle soreness and why it happens. On day #11 we discussed the sort of recovery cocktail we should be drinking after every workout. Today, we’ll discuss five ways to minimize the inevitable muscle soreness that comes with improvement and growth. Five Ways to Minimize Muscle Soreness 1. Warm Up: If you are doing the Body-for-Life 20-Minute Aerobic Solution properly, your warm up is included in the workout. The best way to warm up before a weight training workout is to find a treadmill, track or sidewalk and walk briskly for about five minutes. This will … Continue reading →

Body for Life Day #11 Training: Aerobic

On Day #10 I discussed how muscles recover and grow. Now it is time to discuss the fuel that they need to do all of that. One thing that many of us forget about food is that it is first and foremost fuel. In fact, if we all remembered every minute of the day that food is only fuel then we wouldn’t have weight issues. But alas, we forget. I wish I could say I’m not guilty of this forgetfulness, but I am. Fueling our bodies specifically for recovery should happen within one hour of completing our workouts. Whether it … Continue reading →

Body for Life Day #10 Training: Upper Body

You’re in the second week of the Body for Life Challenge and you’ve done a bit of weight training already. Chances are, you’ve also felt a bit of soreness. Before you get concerned, that is a good thing. Generally the day after you do weight bearing exercises (weight training, lifting), you’ll feel some soreness in the muscles that you used the previous day. This soreness is an indication that you have challenged your muscles to grow and they are meeting the challenge. Now, if you wake up completely unable to move then you used entirely too much weight and deserve … Continue reading →

Body for Life Day #9 Training: Aerobic

By now you should be used to the Body-for-Life 20-minute aerobic solution. For three days every week you get to put in a great aerobic workout in less than half an hour. This takes up very little of your day and you can have your workout completed, along with a shower and change, in no time at all. Last week we tried walking, running in place, and stair climbing. These are all workouts we can do indoors and at home. The best part about taking the Body-for-Life Challenge is the fact that you can do every workout in the comfort … Continue reading →

Body for Life Day #8 Training: Lower Body

Day eight begins the second week of the Body-for-Life Challenge. That is one week down and only eleven more to go! Now that you’ve completed your first week of weight training, you may get a bit over enthusiastic and prematurely try to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting. At this point, it is important that we address the issue of form. Too many people place entirely too much importance on how much weight they are lifting rather than how they are lifting the weight. I remember when I first started weight training, my cousin’s first question to me was … Continue reading →

Body for Life Day #6 Training: Aerobic

Today’s training is another 20-minute aerobic workout. Remember that when doing these workouts you really need to use the intensity scale. Doing 20 minutes of lackadaisical exercise without putting your mind, or body, to it will not pay off. Isn’t it worth 20 minutes, three times a week for the fit and healthy body you’ve always wanted? Too many people who are trying to lose weight depend solely upon aerobic exercise. We see them at the gym every day. They work like crazy and sweat like an air conditioner in Florida in the middle of July. But they never manage … Continue reading →

Body-for-Life Day #5 Training: Upper Body

Although the exercises are the same as the workout from Day #1, this workout should be just a little different. You’ll find that the exercises are a little bit easier every time you do them. You’ll also find that you are capable of using more weight. Perhaps not today but eventually you’ll start gaining muscle and find that the weights you began with just aren’t as challenging any more. Most women are hesitant to start weight training. If you are one of them, there are some very important things that you should be aware of: 1. Muscle burns fat. This … Continue reading →

Body-for-Life Workout, Day #4

Taking the Stairs Most of us have a set of stairs somewhere in or near our home. Generally, we look at them as a minor inconvenience but now it is time for us to look at them as a great new opportunity! Climbing stairs is a great exercise for the calves, thighs, hips and glutes. Calves, thighs, hips and glutes just happen to be the biggest muscle group that most women need to shape up. Yes, forget about the abs for now, let’s shape up those hideous hips and bulky booty that we all avoid looking at and try to … Continue reading →

Body for Life Workout Day #3

I used to think that a good leg workout necessitated heavy duty equipment like a squat sled and a calf press machine. Then I discovered that a great leg workout can be had at home, or anywhere for that matter, without any specialized equipment at all. Day #3 on Body-for-Life calls for weight training for the lower body (abdominals and legs) and can be easily done at home. I’ve included the Progress Report with this blog for your convenience. Following are the exercises I suggest you try on day #3 and how you can use common household items to add … Continue reading →

Body-for-Life Workout: Day #2

Aerobics, Walking/Running in Place I’ll bet you never thought that a 20 minute aerobic workout could be effective in helping you to lose weight. News Flash! You can lose weight, and lots of it, by only doing three twenty-minute aerobic workouts a week and three 46-minute weight training workouts a week. It has already been proven by millions of successful Body-for-Lifers! Why not become one of them? If you’ve started the Body-for-Life program along with me then this will be your aerobic workout for tomorrow (Tuesday). All you need is 20 minutes and either a stopwatch or a digital clock. … Continue reading →