Love Notes by Jari Love

8 Thigh Exercises Trainers Swear By

by Jari Love

Your thighs, no matter their size, are beautiful. But keeping them strong and toned is vital for everything from walking around every day to maintaining a healthy weight without killing yourself over every damn calorie.

“The more you work large muscle groups like the legs, the more calories you burn and the more you get your metabolism going,” explains licensed master sports nutritionist and function fitness trainer Natalie Jill, creator of Natalie Jill Fitness. “Plus, strong thighs and quads are a foundation of strength for the body. Working your legs is a win-win situation.”

These trainer favorites will ignite your metabolism and build lean, compact muscle.

How to do it: Aim to do at least four of these moves a minimum of twice a week for best results.

1. Plyo Lunge Jump

Why: The plyo lunge jump is extremely effective, as it works not only your quads but also your hamstrings and calves simultaneously, explains celebrity trainer Autumn Calabrese, creator of the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme programs.

How: Start with feet in a hip-width parallel position, arms extended in front of your chest. Step straight back with one foot, bending both knees to 90 degrees, and then push off the floor, straightening both legs in the air. Keep the chest lifted and the core engaged. Land safely with both knees bent and repeat. To modify, assume the same position but either slowly lunge and don’t jump or don’t jump as high. Both modifications work the same muscles. Do 2 sets of 10 reps with each leg.

2. Plié Squat Pulse

Why: Isometric holds—holding a position for several seconds—are super-effective in working the all-important thigh muscles. They require just your body weight to make your thigh muscles burn, says Jill.

How: Stand with feet past hip width, toes and knees pointed out. Lower into a low plié squat position, and hold for 20 seconds. Then, add tiny little pulses—moving your butt up and down—for 20 seconds. That’s 1 set. Do 3 sets total.

3. Double Cloth Lunges

Why: Lunges are one of the most effective exercises for targeting your entire thigh, front and back. But to really engage the muscles, consider using exercise sliders, a towel, or even paper plates on a smooth surface to perform this exercise by celebrity trainer Reggie Chambers.

How: On a smooth surface, stand with feet in a hip-width position with one foot on a cloth. Slowly slide the foot with the towel forward and slowly lower into a front lunge. Hold for 5 seconds. Slowly slide the foot back up to a standing position. Slowly slide the foot with the towel backwards and slowly lower into a back lunge. Hold for 5 seconds. Return to standing position. One rep includes a front and a back lunge. Do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps on each leg.

4. Wall Squat With Ball Squeeze

Why: This simple move can be made even more effective by incorporating a small yoga or exercise ball. The idea is that by squeezing the ball between your legs while performing a wall squat, you will further engage the thigh muscles resulting in stronger quadriceps—and more calories burned, explains Scott Weiss, a board certified athletic trainer and a registered exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning specialist, and advanced personal trainer. 

How: Stand with your back and shoulders against a smooth surface. Place ball between knees. Slowly lower into a wall squat where knees are in a 90-degree angle. Continue squeezing the ball. Slowly return to standing. To modify, try quarter squats by starting with 45- to 90-degree squats. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

5. Curtsy Lunge

Why: There’s a reason ballet dancers have some of the strongest legs in all of sports. The moves they perform on a consistent basis not only hit multiple muscles at once, but they also target muscles on varying planes of motion, which is exactly why the curtsy lunge is so effective, says Weiss.

How: Stand with hands on your waist, feet shoulder-width apart. In one move, step back and across so your legs are crossed, and then sit into a lunge position. Come up and step back to the starting position with feet shoulder width apart. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

6. Squat Jump

Why: You know that the plyo lunge is great at strengthening your thigh muscles. Well, this move is just as effective in that it hits the whole legs while also incorporating some cardio via the jumping so you get more bang for your exercise buck, says Calabrese.

How: Begin with feet in a hip-width parallel position, bend your knees, lowering the glutes back and down until your hamstrings are parallel to the ground. Keep your chest and eyes up, your knees behind your toes, and your weight in your heels. Next, extend your legs and explode off of the ground, raising your arms overhead and then land safely with bent knees. Repeat. To modify, start with a regular squat and bend knees between 45 and 90 degrees. Slowly progress to a small jump. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

7. Reclined Heel Bend

Why: Some of the best exercises for your thighs are often the most simple. This move from Shannon Fable, certified professional trainer and director of exercise programming at Anytime Fitness, is just that. It hits your outer thigh while also forcing you to engage your core.

How: Lie on your back and extend legs straight up to the ceiling, directly in line with hips. Begin with feet parallel and flex the toes back towards you. With heels together, open the toes out to the side (externally rotate the thighs from the hips, like 1st position from ballet). Keep the heels together and bend the knees to make a diamond shape. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds, then push the heels towards the ceiling and straighten the knees. Be sure to keep the core engaged and back flat on the floor. Use hands for support. Do 2 or 3 sets of 15 reps.

8. Leg Curl

Why: Like our back muscles, sometimes our hamstrings inadvertently get ignored because they’re less visible than our quad muscles. But keeping your hamstring strong is important in preventing knee injuries. (When your quadriceps are stronger than your hamstrings, your body tends to overcompensate leading to injury.) This move targets the hamstrings directly, and helps give great shape to the leg, says Nick Clayton, personal training program manager for the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

How: Lie flat on your back with your calves on the top of an exercise ball. Squeeze your abs and glutes and lift your body off the floor, keeping your head and feet in a straight line. Slowly bend your knees, pressing your feet into the ball and pull the ball towards your body. Raise your hips as you pull the ball toward your body. Hold for 5 seconds and slowly extend your legs back out to starting position. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

via prevention.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

4-Minute HIIT Workout

by Jari Love

This fast, no-equipment workout from Self Magazine is perfect for the busy days of Summer!

Summer is in full swing, so we totally get that you'd rather be enjoying drinks on a rooftop while watching the sunset with your pals instead of heading to the gym after work. Our solution: a fast and furious, no-equipment-required high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. When your schedule is packed, HIIT workouts are ideal because training at a higher intensity leads to the afterburn effect (where your body keeps burning calories even after you stopped exercising). "Ask yourself, 'When do I have the most amount of energy?' and try to schedule your workout around that time," suggests Ashley Borden, celebrity trainer and spokeswoman of Motrin's Make It Happen Weekends campaign.

To get started, warm-up for a couple minutes with jumping jacks and high knees. Then, perform each exercise below for 40 seconds, aiming to complete as many reps as possible. Rest for 20 seconds then move on to the next exercise. The circuit only takes four minutes, but for the best results, repeat the entire set a total of five times.

1. Reverse Lunges

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands resting behind head, keeping elbows wide. Step right leg back two to three feet and bend both knees, lowering so left thigh is parallel to floor. Push through left heel to stand and return right leg to start. Reverse the movement, stepping back with left foot. Continue alternating sides.

2. Squat Thrusts

Begin in a standing position. Place hands on floor in front of you and jump legs back into a plank position. Hop feet forward, landing just outside hands. Jump up, reaching arms towards ceiling and immediately lower into the next rep.

3. Speed Skaters

Stand on right foot with right knee slightly bent and left leg lifted off floor. Take a wide jump to left, landing on left foot and swinging right leg behind left. Reverse the movement, landing on right foot. Continue alternating sides.

4. Bicycle Crunches

Lie faceup and place hands behind head. Raise legs to tabletop position. Lift head and shoulders off floor and twist torso to right, bringing left elbow to meet right knee, and extend left leg out at a 45-degree angle. Return through center and repeat on the opposite leg. Continue alternating sides.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Tips for Sticking to Your Health Plan

by Jari Love

Tips for Sticking to Your Health Plan 

When you are just starting a new diet and exchanging old habits for healthy eating patterns sticking to your health plan can be challenging. However, with a few tips you can make those changes last without succumbing to temptation.

1. Set Realistic Expectations

If you’ve been struggling with healthy eating for a while and decide to change too many things at once you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. For example, if you decide to cut out sugar from your diet, slash your calorie intake in half and drink nothing but kale juice all at once you’ll find yourself back in your old patterns fast. Similarly, if you expect to lose 30 pounds in a week the first time you decide to make a healthy change in your diet you are likely to be disappointed. Instead set realistic goals and expectations for yourself. Start by making one healthy change at a time, make it a habit, and then move on to your next goal. By setting achievable goals for yourself you set yourself up for success and making healthy choices will become easier and easier as you go along.

2. Don’t Starve Yourself

Healthy choices means knowing that you still need to eat—just make healthy choices. If you cut your calories too drastically or completely cut out an entire food group like carbs overnight your body will feel deprived and you are more likely to backslide. Avoid eating more than your body needs to fuel itself during the day and stick with healthy options.

3. Stay Committed and Don’t Make Exceptions

You can always find a reason to make poor eating choices: I need something fast, it’s the weekend, everyone else is having dessert etc. If you are going to stick to your plan you can’t make exceptions. Focus on your goals, and make healthy options easy for yourself. Always come home from work starving? Pre-prep cut veggies and fruit so you have something healthy on hand to grab when you get home to satisfy you until dinner. Find yourself making poor choices on the weekend? Don’t buy food you don’t want to eat—if it’s not in the house then chances are you’ll think twice about indulging yourself. Everyone else having dessert? Opt for fresh fruit—which brings us to the next point . . .

4. Avoid Cynics

Sometimes not everybody supports, or understands, your new health plan. Avoid those who compromise your health choices and surround yourself with people who will encourage you in your goals. Once your health plan starts to pay off and everyone sees how great you look and feel chances are they will hop on your band wagon. Who knows you may even inspire someone else to make healthier choices in their life.

5. Avoid Triggers

Pay attention to your body and your emotions and understand which circumstances trigger your desire to make poor health choices. Does your best friend always bake cookies when you visit? Invite her round to your place instead, or meet somewhere neutral. Do you crave sweets when you are tired or have had a bad day? Have a green tea, water with lemon, a piece of fruit or play with your dog, go for some light exercise to pick yourself up instead. Being self-aware of your triggers will help you recognize why you crave unhealthy foods and help you make better choices.

6. Stay Focused

The first few days of your health plan will probably be easy. However, after a few days it can be more difficult to remember why you made the decision to change your lifestyle. Help yourself stay focused on your decisions and goals. Write yourself notes and motivational sayings, stick pictures of where you want to end up or of apples and broccoli next to your fridge or pantry. Give yourself concrete reminders of why you are doing this and soon making healthy choices will become habit.

7. Get Over Mistakes

The goal is to eat healthfully and make good lifestyle choices every day. However, know that if you eat a brownie one day it’s not the end of your health plan. Forgive yourself and move on. Don’t give up because you made a mistake Get back to your routine and keep making healthy choices. Each time you decide to make a healthy choice the next one is easier. Start making the healthy choices you deserve.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Exercises to Get Rid of Foot Pain

by Jari Love

Whether from running, non-stop errands, uncomfortable footwear, or some other culprit, we’ve all experienced foot pain at one point or another. With the holiday season coming up the pain is likely to reach a high, which is why we’ve opted to go on the offensive and enlisted the creator of the MELT Method, a self-treatment technique that helps people treat chronic pain, Sue Hitzmann, MS, CST, NMT, and asked her to show us some exercises that we can do to strengthen our feet.

1. Mini soft ball treatment

Assess

Stand with your feet side by side, hip-width apart. Close your eyes and notice your feet. Scan up your legs and notice your joints and muscles and whether there’s any tension in the body.

• Position point pressing: Step onto a large soft ball (part of the MELT Hand and Foot Treatment Kit) in the middle of the underside of your foot. With your feet side by side, hip-width apart, gently shift your weight on and off the ball 2-3 times to find tolerable pressure. Apply tolerable pressure to that point as you take a focused breath. Then place the ball just in front of your heel. Apply tolerable pressure as you take a focused breath.
• Glide: Keeping your toes on the floor, slowly move the ball from side to side in front of the heel. Glide from side to side as you work your way to the back of the heel and then back to where you started.
• Direct: Shear With the ball just in front of your heel, wiggle your foot left to right with a slightly heavier compression. The ball should barely move. Hold the compression and take 2 focused breaths.
• Rinse: Place the ball directly under the big toe knuckle. Apply tolerable compression to that point, then press the ball toward your heel in a continuous motion with consistent pressure. Lift your foot to move to the next knuckle. Repeat from each one.
• Friction: Finally, rub your foot and toes over the ball lightly in a quick, scribble-like motion for about 10-15 seconds.

Reassess

Close your eyes and notice whether you sense any changes in your leg. Repeat all of the techniques on the other foot.

2. Take a friction break: If you have less than a minute, use the large soft ball and rub your foot and toes over the ball lightly in a quick, scribble-like motion for 20 seconds, then switch feet. This wakes up the feet and stimulates the sensory nerves, the lymphatic system, and the superficial connective tissue.

3. Build your foot strength: Place your large soft ball on the floor and try to grab it with your big toe and second toe. Then move the ball under your second and third toes – then third and four toes, and fourth and fifth toes – and repeat the move.

4. Strengthen your arches: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart and in line with your sits bones. Keeping the soles of your feet on the floor, slowly open your knees as wide as you can without lifting the heels or the balls of the feet. Pause and take a focused breath, then slowly bring your knees back together. Do 5 repetitions.

For images, visit cheatsheet.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Stay Motivated to Lose Weight

by Jari Love

Losing weight is tough. Pounds don’t just fall off without reason. You must have a strict plan in place that includes a well-rounded, low calorie diet and an exercise regimen that helps you to burn calories. Sometimes, you may have trouble staying motivated to lose weight, especially if you don’t see the results in yourself. If you have recently embarked on a plan to lose weight and find yourself lacking motivation, keep these ideas in mind.

Have Fun with Your Workouts

It takes hard work to lose weight. However, that does not mean the activities you incorporate into your fitness plan can’t be fun. If you dread going to the gym every day, mix in some other activities you enjoy that will allow you keep moving, burn calories and give you a change of scenery. You can take a hike, walk your dog or go swimming to take your routine outdoors.

Additionally, by incorporating some level of competition to your workout, you are more likely to stick with it. Play basketball or tennis with friends, or challenge a workout buddy to a race on the treadmill or exercise bike. You can even compete with yourself by recording your workouts.

Make a New Goal 

I am not telling you to rethink the whole process. Instead, give yourself a new, intermediary goal that you can obtain somewhat quickly. Reaching a goal is a huge motivating factor, and you should make sure to include a few along the way to your overall goal. A few examples may be going to the gym for five consecutive days, staying under your calorie count all weekend or avoiding the scale altogether for three days. It should be something pretty simple.

Once you meet your new goal, reward yourself. Treat yourself to a movie, a massage, a new book, or something else that you have wanted to do for a while. Just make sure your reward is in line with your overall goal. Meaning, it probably should not be a trip to the all-you-can-eat dessert bar.

Seek Words of Wisdom

When trying to stay motivated to lose weight, one of the simplest ways to do so is to find a quote that means a lot to you. It may be related to weight loss or not, but it should be something that speaks to you and makes you want to be the best you can be. Post it by the mirror, the scale, the refrigerator or your desk at work – anywhere you may need a little motivation. A picture of a loved one may also do the trick.

Weight Is Just a Number

Do you go to the bathroom scale every morning and are just not happy with the number that you see? Keep in mind your weight is just a number. It is not the “be-all and end-all” to the way you look to others or the way you should feel about yourself. Sometimes, your body can make a nice transformation in the right direction and you may see little to no change in your weight. In fact, you could actually even gain weight if you are using a strength training program, since muscle weighs more than fat. The most important thing is to feel good about the work you are doing every day, to keep working hard and moving forward, and know that eventually the numbers will fall in line.

Sometimes we hit a wall in our workout routine or nutrition plan. There are many ways to get over the hump, but what is most important is to find what works for you when you must stay motivated to lose weight.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Vegetables That Will Help You Lose Weight Now

by Jari Love

When you want to lose weight, there is no one thing that will do the trick. You must make healthy choices, exercise and eat well. Any healthy eating plan should include a wide range of vegetables and it is best to include many offerings. Or as some say, eat a rainbow of vegetables. Those looking to keep fit and trim have long coveted green leafy vegetables, but there are healthy vegetable options that are red, yellow and other colors as well. The following is a selection of vegetables that will help you lose weight now.

Broccoli

Broccoli has a great reputation for health, and at about 30 calories per serving is a great option for people that want to lose weight. There is no fat, but a healthy amount of carbohydrates that promote energy. Broccoli is packed with vitamins and nutrients, including more calcium than any other vegetable. Better yet, it has been known to help avoid cancer.

Cucumber 

Many people refer to cucumbers as a “negative calorie” food, meaning you actually burn more calories eating it than it offers. By that definition, a cucumber is certainly a vegetable that will help you lose weight now. Cucumbers are mostly water, which makes them very refreshing. Furthermore, there are many ways to incorporate cucumbers into meals. You can prepare them fresh, grilled or in many other ways, meaning you should always find a good way to enjoy them.

Carrots

There are many benefits to carrots, most notably the fiber and beta-carotene found within. You can lose weight eating carrots raw or cooked, but like most vegetables, raw is best to keep the maximum amount of nutrients. Also, carrot juice is among the best juices you can drink. Fruit juice, even if it is freshly squeezed, is packed with sugar, but carrot juice is sweet and delicious with much fewer calories.

Celery

Also consisting of primarily water, celery is also considered a vegetable that will help you lose weight as you eat it. Celery contains protein and fiber, a great combination for weight loss and can be enjoyed in many ways. Be careful though. You may be tempted to use celery with dips and other fatty spreads, which can actually do more harm than good.

Peppers

Going back to the note about eating a rainbow of vegetables, peppers offer many options in a wide variety of colors. Yellow peppers in particular are a great source of vitamin C as well as energy. Peppers are also sweet and can be great when your sweet tooth kicks in.

Onions

Onions fly under the radar a bit when it comes to vegetables that will help you lose weight. Of course, there are plenty of ways to make them less healthy, such as frying, but raw and cooked onions are both low calorie options that can be a nice addition to a salad or other dish. Red onions are best when it comes to weight loss.

Leafy Green Vegetables 

As previously stated, green leafy vegetables have a great reputation for helping people lose weight. Kale, spinach, watercress, Swiss chard, lettuce, and other greens are all terrific sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals with very few calories. Specifically, kale is currently one of the most popular vegetables that will help you lose weight and has moved up the list of healthiest foods on the planet.

One of the biggest points for losing weight with this list of vegetables is that they are all very flexible. It can be tough to get excited about eating the same old thing everyday, so look for fresh new recipes that feature these vegetables in a new way.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

7 Health Foods You Should Stop Throwing Away

by Jari Love

You have no problem spending $20 every week on fresh fruits and vegetables. But when you pick off the “weird” parts of the produce and discard them before cooking, you aren’t just tossing a few bucks in the trash—you’re also throwing away some serious nutritional benefits. Also, just because a fruit or vegetable doesn’t look “perfect” doesn’t mean it’s not full of nutrition. It can save you lots of money in some grocery stores that offer “off” fruits and veggies.

These forgotten spare parts come jam-packed with vitamins and heart-saving amino acids, says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Add them to your kitchen arsenal and reap the surprising rewards.

1. Cantaloupe Seeds – Their Hidden Powers: These seeds are usually the first to go when you crack open a melon, but they’re high in protein, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium, says Bonci.

 How to Eat Them: Roast them in the oven and toss with olive oil for a nutrient-packed snack.

2. Onion Skins – Their Hidden Powers: These flaky exteriors are high in quercetin, a compound that can help lower your blood pressure and support a healthy immune system, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Add them to a stew or broth for extra flavor, then pick them out before serving.

3. Watermelon Rinds – Their Hidden Powers: These rinds contain the amino acid citrulline, which can help improve your blood flow, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Throw them in a quality blender with watermelon flesh (the red part you normally eat), strawberries, and a dash of orange juice for a refreshing smoothie.

4. Broccoli Leaves – Their Hidden Powers: These leafy greens are a triple threat with high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Cut them up and throw them into a stir-fry along with the rest of the broccoli. This is one simple way to make your diet better.

5. Celery Tops – Their Hidden Powers: They’re super flavorful and full of muscle-building magnesium, bone-strengthening calcium, and vitamin C, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Use them like an herb and add to a vegetable or chicken soup.

6. Orange Peels – Their Hidden Powers: You already knew they smell fantastic, but they’re also rich in digestive system-soothing fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Use a cheese grater to sprinkle some on top of fish or chicken.

7. Swiss Chard Stalks – Their Hidden Powers: Their vibrant, reddish-purple color signals that they’re high in carotenoids, which act as disease-fighting antioxidants. They’re also full of Vitamin K, an important nutrient for boosting bone health, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Sauté them with mushrooms and onions for a tasty side dish. Via yahoo.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Get Stronger Triceps

by Jari Love

5 Exercises for Stronger Triceps

To get seriously cut arms, you need to devote a fair amount of attention to the biggest muscle in the area, and it’s not what you think. Biceps get a lot of attention because they’re located on the front of our arms, the part we see when we look in the mirror. While keeping them strong is important for everyday activities and overall strength, your triceps actually make up a larger portion of your arm. Neglecting these muscles can lead to imbalance, injury, and even hinder your ability to get stronger as they assist in pushing motions.

Let’s do a brief anatomy lesson to understand your triceps a little better. Tri, meaning three, accurately describes the backsides of your arms. This muscle group comprises the long, lateral, and medial heads. They each connect to the scapula and humerus, then travel down the backside of the arm where they connect at the ulna on your forearm. Together, they work to enable extension at the elbow.

Though many guys target their triceps with weights, often heavy ones, this isn’t necessary. Going for a load that’s too heavy can also compromise your form and, ultimately, lead to an ineffective workout. With nothing more than a resistance band, you can get an effective tricep workout with these five moves. Your arms will thank you.

1. Close-Grip Pushup

Basic pushups do a decent job of targeting the triceps, though much of the work is also done by the chest and shoulder muscles. One of the benefits of this bodyweight exercise is the ability to change the target muscles by altering your position. To increase the load on your triceps, the close-grip, or diamond pushup, is one of the most effective moves; all you have to do is bring your hands closer together.

To perform this pushup variation, start in the standard position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your legs fully extended. Before you start moving, bring your hands close to each other and touch your thumbs and index fingers together. From this position, slowly lower yourself until your chest is just a few inches above the ground, making sure to keep your core tight during the move, then press yourself straight back up.

Even if you can crank out regular pushups at an astounding rate, you’ll likely need to reduce your number of repetitions for this challenging exercise. Men’s Fitness recommends four sets of as many repetitions as possible.

2. Crab Walk

Most strength training exercises move in one plane of motion. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it means you have to rely on a lot more exercises in order to reach all the muscles you want to target. Muscle & Fitness likes crab walks because they target your shoulders and triceps while forcing you to build stability. This means all three muscles in your triceps will be engaged as you work to maintain balance.

Get into position with your chest facing up, hands and feet flat on the floor. Your fingers should be pointed behind you and your knees should be bent. Next, crawl by simultaneously stepping your left leg and right hand forward, then you right leg and left hand forward. Try to keep yourself as stable as possible while you move.

For more of a challenge, you can also move to the side. Perhaps the best part about this exercise is it requires no equipment, which means you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Let’s be honest, it looks a little strange.

3. Plank-to-Triceps Extension

Plank-to-triceps extensions should be your replacement from tricep kickbacks, a move that involves extending your arm backwards with a dumbbell as you lean forward on a bench. In reality, this exercise just isn’t very effective.

Muscle For Life explains that kickbacks are far too easy and you often don’t feel any burn until you’re nearly finished. Additionally, it’s easy to get away with cheating since you can switch to a swinging motion. With the plank-to-triceps extension, you don’t have an opportunity to shortchange the move.

Start in a plank position with your weight resting on your forearms, your palms resting on the floor, and your legs extended as usual. Press your palms firmly into the ground and contract your triceps to raise your elbows off the ground until you’re in the pushup position, keeping your core tight the whole time. Men’s Health recommends aiming for 15 to 20 repetitions.

4. Bodyweight Dips

Everyone likes to load this exercise with tons of weight — without giving much thought to the correct form. It doesn’t matter that you’re holding 60 extra pounds of weight if you barely bend your elbows. For most guys, performing dips without adding any additional load will be sufficient when they cover a full range of motion.

For this move, you need two parallel bars that are spaced a few feet apart. The gym is full of equipment for this specific move, but you can find suitable choices in a lot of places, such a local park. Grasp a bar with each hand and begin with your arms fully extended and your feet raised off the ground. Lower yourself down until your elbows reach 90-degree angles, then push yourself up until your arms are fully extended again. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your body as you move up and down rather than allowing them to wing out to the side. ACE Fitness demonstrates the proper form and offers a more detailed outline if you need some guidance.

Though this move is great for strengthening triceps, it can be hard on shoulders, so you don’t want to dip past the point when your elbows are at 90-degree angles. If you’ve had shoulder injuries in the past, you may want to skip this one.

5. Band Skull Crushers

Of all the weighted exercises that target triceps, skull crushers might be the best. Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT, and creator of BuiltLean, even says that it’s his favorite exercise to target the area because it activates all three muscles. Unfortunately, you really shouldn’t perform this move without a spotter. If you swap the heavy barbell for a substantial resistance band, though, it’s much safer to do on your own.

There are a couple ways to set this move up, though the easiest is probably on the floor. Use something pretty heavy to weigh down the middle portion of a resistance band then get yourself into position lying on your back with the band fully extended and your arms pointed straight up at the ceiling. Slowly lower your hands towards your head, keeping your elbows steady, until they’re just a few inches above your forehead. Then, press your arms to extend the band until you’re back in the starting position.

via cheatsheet.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Types of Foods to Avoid Late at Night

by Jari Love

There’s no need to deny yourself a late-night snack if you’re feeling hungry, but you still have to think smart when it comes to eating late. Eating the wrong foods will disrupt your sleep while also adding a lot of unneeded calories to your day. Instead of just diving into the nearest, tastiest-looking item in your fridge, here are five types of foods to avoid at night and why.

1. Greasy or fat-filled foods: Greasy, heavy, fatty foods not only make you feel sluggish the next morning, but they also make your stomach work overdrive to digest all that food. Stay away from things like fast food, nuts, ice cream, or super cheesy foods right before bed.

2. High-carb or sugary foods: A little bit of something sweet before bed may be just what you need to rest happy, but if you gobble a huge slice of chocolate cake, the spike in your blood-sugar levels could cause your energy levels to spike and plummet, disrupting your sleep in the process. Avoid cake, cookies, or other desserts as well as carby snacks like crackers or white bread and munch on an apple instead.

3. Red meat and other proteins: Like fatty foods, eating red meats late at night will sit in your stomach and make it hard for you to fall asleep while you’re digesting (red meat may affect you the worst, but eating a large portion of chicken or pork would have the same effect as well). You don’t have to avoid protein altogether, just make sure you go for lean and small portions, like deli-sliced turkey breast or a cup of yogurt.

4. Spicy foods: Spices may be a natural cure-all for a range of ailments, but when you’re craving something to eat late at night, step away from the hot sauce. Spicy, peppery foods may upset your stomach, and the chemicals in spicy food can also stimulate your senses, making it hard to fall asleep.

5. Big portions: Late-night snacking shouldn’t turn into a late-night meal. Keep the total amount of calories under 200 so you won’t have any problems going and staying asleep. You’ll also feel good knowing that you didn’t undo all your healthy eating habits of the day right before bedtime.

So what should you eat instead? Small, light portions that will also calm cravings and help you sleep. Try incorporating these sleep-inducing foods or these low-calorie late-night snacks that hit all your sweet or salty cravings. And remember to limit how much alcohol you drink as well, since too many drinks can keep you up at night.

via popsugar.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Tweaks to Better Work Your Glutes

by Jari Love

Buns of steel, right this way...

Your butt is the biggest and most important muscle you have, but your glutes can get a case of the lazies, forgetting to “activate” or “turn on” sufficiently during everyday tasks or workouts, says certified strength and conditioning specialist Bret Contreras, coauthor of Strong Curves: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body. There’s a textbook term for this phenomenon—gluteal amnesia—and it could be dragging you (and your fitness goals) down. After all, your rear assists in every type of motion: running, jumping, lifting, you name it.

Making a few simple adjustments to your strength-training routine can score you a better backside burn, ASAP.

Focus, Focus
During a hip extension (lifting and lengthening your leg), consciously squeezing your glutes can increase their activation by about an extra 12 percent, suggests research in the Journal of Athletic Training.

Drop It Low
Deep squats—where your hips dip below your knees—can almost double your glutes’ contribution as you return to a standing position, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Lean In
“If you tilt your torso forward to a 30- to 45-degree angle during a lunge, you’ll feel a hotter burn in your glutes,” says Contreras. The angle throws more stress onto your booty.

Get a Leg Up
Compared with double-leg exercises (like deadlifts), single-limb versions (like one-leg squats) can activate your gluteus medius and gluteus maximus by an extra 33 percent and 21 percent, respectively, according to a study in Physical Therapy in Sport.

via womenshealthmag.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.