If you get in the habit of having small-portioned meals and snacks at a consistent time each day (along with regular exercise), your body will get accustomed to that schedule and will burn calories more efficiently. This habit can help you lose weight or stay in shape. A little bit of planning will ensure that you have yummy snacks available throughout the day when you need them. Here are some ideas to help inspire your creativity and taste buds.
Fruits and veggies
Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and provide instant energy that you'll burn off quickly. Make it a habit to pack a container of sliced fruit and veggies for your travels.
Roast it
Roasted vegetables are simple to prepare and are great hot or cold. Slice up some of your favorites. Asparagus, broccoli, squash, zucchini, portabella mushrooms, bell peppers, carrot sticks, sweet potatoes cut into sticks, cauliflower and onion all work great. Line a pan with foil, coat it with olive oil and spread out the vegetables on the foil so they come in contact with the oil (you might want to brush them lightly with oil). Put them in a very-hot oven, at about 450 degrees, and roast until they turn golden. Dip them in hummus or just eat them plain -- they're delicious either way.
Hummus
Hummus is a delicious, nutritious dip for veggies and can also be used as a cracker spread. Make it at home or get it at the grocery store, then pack it up along with a baggie full of sliced veggies for dipping. A basic hummus recipe: toss a can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice and one or two cloves of crushed garlic into a food processor. You can add things like diced red peppers, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes or even some honey if you want to sweeten it.
Dress up cheese and crackers
Put a thin slice of summer sausage or salami on a cracker and top with diced onions and a little bit of grated cheddar cheese. Then pop in a toaster oven or microwave just long enough so the cheese starts to melt. Or try diced sun-dried tomatoes on the cracker and top with a slice of low-fat Swiss cheese.
Satisfy your sweet tooth
If you have an afternoon sweet tooth, try dried fruit instead of a candy bar from the vending machine.
Almond is the new peanut
For an interesting lighter flavor, top old standby celery with almond butter instead of peanut butter. Or spread it on some apple slices.
Roll-ups
Spread a thin layer of hummus, mustard or low-fat cream cheese on a slice of turkey or ham. Then add a slice of low-fat Swiss or cheddar cheese and a spear of red bell pepper, cucumber or asparagus and roll it up. Or try wrapping a slice of turkey and cheese around slivers of sliced apple.
Personal Trainer Overview
A personal trainer is someone who has already gained the discipline it takes to get into a good workout routine, has learned the knowledge necessary to maximize workout efficiency, and knows what goes into a good workout routine. After the trainer has learned these basic skills, he or she then learns how to apply that to teaching others. Personal trainers are usually certified by various fitness organizations, and often work either freelance or for a Delaware gym or health club after earning their personal trainer certificate.
Personal trainers in Delaware serve a number of functions to different people. Some people work with their personal trainers for months in order to reach the level of fitness they seek. In cases like this, the personal trainer will recommend a specific exercise routine and make lifestyle suggestions (such as nutritious diets or other healthy habits) and continually check up on the trainee to monitor the progress of the plan.
Other people visit a personal trainer for only one or two sessions, in order to see how effective their current fitness plans are and how best to improve those plans. A good personal trainer can look over a fitness plan and see where it is effective and where it isn’t, and make suggestions as to how best make the plan better.
What a personal trainer is not is a drill sergeant, as many seem to think. Personal trainers work for you, not the other way around – they’re there to help you improve your exercise routine, not work you into the ground. Their knowledge about exercise and diet routines is invaluable in developing a strong and healthy lifestyle.
Personal Trainers and Health Clubs in Delaware
The first place to look in your search for a personal trainer is your local gym in Delaware. If you already have a gym membership, check with the management. Many personal trainers work for or through gyms, and you can get a list of trainers who frequent your gym of choice simply by asking for it. From there you can schedule a preliminary meeting to see if you want to continue a program over a length of time. When first meeting the personal trainer, don’t hesitate to ask them if they have earned their personal trainer certificate: it is important that you know the qualifications of the individual you will be working with.
If you’re not already involved with a Delaware gym, you may want to consider getting a membership. It’s hard to beat the exercise environment of a good, well-equipped gym, especially if it includes such features as racquetball courts or a swimming pool. For thirty to fifty dollars a month, the exercise benefits you will reap are more than worth the cost. Check out the gyms in your area, and when you’re being given the tour, ask about personal trainers. One gym may have special bargains such as signup bonuses or reduced rates on personal trainer fees – it’s worth asking about.
Finding Independent Local Personal Trainers in Delaware
Some personal trainers, especially in larger towns and cities, run their own studios. These sorts of trainers can be found a number of ways. One of the simplest is to merely click on the email Bill link here at the site and it will give you all the information you need on Bill and Golds Gym training.
Independent personal trainers usually tailor their practices to specific people. If you are, for instance, just looking to lose weight, you’ll be able to pick from a number of specific weight loss clinics in Delaware. These clinics, though small, are tailored to losing weight and will help you do so effectively.
The downside is when you want to go beyond that. The advantage of a large gym is that they’ll have far more equipment, including weight machines, resistance pulley devices, and often even swimming pools and game courts, than almost any independent personal trainer clinic will. That means that when you get beyond the narrow goal an independent clinic will help you reach, you’ll have to go somewhere else, where a personal trainer working for a gym can help you through the entire process of becoming fit by using the vast resources of a well equipped health club in Delaware.
Read what some of Bills clients have to say and then email or call Bill at Golds Gym for current specials.
" I'm amazed by his expertise in physiology, nutrition and fitness"
" Always fun and challenging, his workouts take me one step further"
" He stress the importance of my diet"
" I have never felt healthier or more fit"
See for yourself what Bill can do for you! Give him a call today at Golds Gym in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. "The Nations Summer Capital"
FITNESS TIPS FOR 2010!!!
· Eat 5-6 small meals a day. You have to eat often to lose weight.
· Eat breakfast, it kick-starts your metabolism for the day.
· If you skip a meal, the body thinks you are starving it, so it will store body fat.
· Have a protein drink immediately after your workout to replenish the muscles and replace lost glycogen (stored energy).
· Drink lots of water.
· Change your workouts often. The body adapts to adversity very quickly. The same goes for your cardio.
· Exercising for more than one-hour puts the body under high stress and it will produce the hormone cortisol, which is everyone’s worst training nightmare. Cortisol helps accumulate body fat in the waist area.
· Concentrate on the muscle you are working, because there is a mind muscle connection when working out.
· Kick up your intensity!!! Keep the time between sets short and try to squeeze an extra rep or two on the end of a set.
· Have some carbs in your system before working out. Examples maybe oatmeal, high fiber cereal, or whole-wheat toast.
· Try not to eat anything after 7:00 PM. If you have to eat something, try some cottage cheese, yogurt, half a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat, or some nuts.
· Although fruit is good for you, be aware of the sugar content. It is one of those double edge swords.
· Try to make some subtle changes in your daily eating patterns. Such as, eating breakfast, only whole wheat, brown rice, lean meats, smaller portions, use olive oil and vinegar on your salad, and no dessert, fries or chips, and drink water instead of soda.
· The more muscle you build, the more fat you will burn. When you finish doing cardio your metabolism will go back to normal within 2 hours. When you finish lifting weights your metabolism will go back to normal in 24-36 hours. In other words, you will continue to burn calories long after your weight training session has ended.
· Make sure your protein drink is made from quality protein such as whey, casein, or egg whites. Soy is a good protein source for females, because it promotes production of estrogen in their system.
· Switch to natural peanut butter.
· Avoid trans fats. Look out for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils in products that you purchase. They are bad news.
· Don’t wait to start making you the best you can be in 2010. Start working out now, do cardio now, add protein to your diet now, cut the junk out of your diet now, and go to the gym now.
· We get one and only one chance at this, so let’s make 2010 the best year ever!!!
BODY BY BILL
"Most lean men who can't gain muscle weight are simply eating and exercising the wrong way."
Here's your fix: Follow these 10 principles to pack on as much as a pound of muscle each week.
Maximize muscle building.
The more protein your body stores—in a process called protein synthesis—the
larger your muscles grow. But your body is constantly draining its protein reserves for other uses—making
hormones, for instance. The result is less protein available for muscle building. To counteract that, you need
to "build and store new proteins faster than your body breaks down old proteins," says Michael Houston,
Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech University.
Eat meat
Shoot for about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, which is roughly the maximum
amount your body can use in a day, according to a landmark study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. (For
example, a 160-pound man should consume 160 grams of protein a day—the amount he'd get from an 8 -
ounce chicken breast, 1 cup of cottage cheese, a roast-beef sandwich, two eggs, a glass of milk, and 2
ounces of peanuts.) Split the rest of your daily calories equally between carbohydrates and fats.
Eat more.
In addition to adequate protein, you need more calories. Use the following formula to calculate
the number you need to take in daily to gain 1 pound a week. (Give yourself 2 weeks for results to show up
on the bathroom scale. If you haven't gained by then, increase your calories by 500 a day.)
A. Your weight in pounds:
B. Multiply A by 12 to get your basic calorie needs:
C. Multiply B by 1.6 to estimate your resting metabolic rate (calorie burn without factoring in exercise):
D. Strength training: Multiply the number of minutes you lift weights per week by 5:
E. Aerobic training: Multiply the number of minutes per week that you run, cycle, and play sports by 8:
F. Add D and E, and divide by 7:
G. Add C and F to get your daily calorie needs:
H. Add 500 to G: . This is your estimated daily calorie needs to gain 1 pound a week.
But first, have a stiff drink. A 2001 study at the University of Texas found that lifters who drank a shake
containing amino acids and carbohydrates before working out increased their protein synthesis more than
lifters who drank the same shake after exercising. The shake contained 6 grams of essential amino acids-
the building blocks of protein—and 35 grams of carbohydrates. "Since exercise increases bloodflow to your
working tissues, drinking a carbohydrate -protein mixture before your workout may lead to greater uptake of
the amino acids in your muscles," says Kevin Tipton, Ph.D., an exercise and nutrition researcher at the
University of Texas in Galveston. For vo>- shake, you'll need about 10 to 20 grams of protein—usually about
one scoop of a whey-protein powder. Can't stomach protein drinks?
You can get the same nutrients from a sandwich made with 4 ounces of deli turkey and a slice of American cheese on whole wheat bread. But a drink is better. "Liquid meals are absorbed faster," says Kalman. So tough it out. Drink one 30 to 60 minutes before your workout.
Lift every other day
Do a full-body workout followed by a day of rest. Studies show that a challenging weight workout increases protein synthesis for up to 48 hours immediately after your exercise session. "Your muscles grow when you're resting, not when you're working out," says Michael Mejia, C.S.C.S., Men's Health exercise advisor and a former skinny guy who packed on 40 pounds of muscle using this very program.
Down the carbs after your workout. Research shows that you'll rebuild muscle faster on your rest days if you feed your body carbohydrates. "Post-workout meals with carbs increase your insulin levels," which, in turn, slows the rate of protein breakdown, says Kalman. Have a banana, a sports drink, a peanut -butter sandwich.
Eat something every 3 hours
"If you don't eat often enough, you can limit the rate at which your body builds new proteins," says Houston. Take the number of calories you need in a day and divide by six. That's roughly the number you should eat at each meal. Make sure you consume some protein-around 20 grams--every 3 hours.
Make one snack ice cream.
Have a bowl of ice cream (any kind) 2 hours after your workout. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this snack triggers a surge of insulin better than most foods do. And that'll put a damper on post-workout protein breakdown.
BILL’S NUTRITION TIPS #1
1. Eat a moderate breakfast. Eat 400-500 calories for breakfast, including complex carbs such as oatmeal and whole-grain breads to help fuel your body for the day’s activities. Make sure to include 20-40 grams of protein.
2. Eat more frequently. By eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day you will avoid binging later in the day. You will also manage your energy levels much more effectively.
3. Eat high-quality protein. Your body does not store protein like it can store carbs and fat. So it’s crucial you eat protein throughout the day. Eating protein builds muscle. More muscle means more calories burned.
4. Control your carbs. Eat carbs for energy. For fat loss, have three meals with low-glycemic carbs and lots of vegetables.
5. Eat more healthful fats. Fat is not the enemy. Eating "good" fats like flax, olive or canola oil will keep you healthy.
6. Drink 10 glasses of water every day. Drink at least one glass of water with each of your six meals, and four more throughout the day.
7. Choose "appropriate" portion sizes. Portion size is important to weight management. Employ a common sense approach, such as using the palm of your hand for gauging the portion sizes of food.
8. Use high-quality supplements. Before taking any supplement, it’s a good idea to seek the advice of your physician if you’re taking other medication.
9. Go nuts. A handful of nuts every day can lower your risk of heart disease and help you slim down. An ounce of almonds provides half the vitamin E you need daily, 8 percent of the calcium, and 19 percent of the magnesium. These nutrients lower your risk of heart attack and improve your bone strength.
10. Refuel. Within an hour of either pumping or doing cardio, you need to replenish the fuel you just burned. Post-workout doses of protein and carbs are necessary for muscle growth and energy.
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BILL’S NUTRITION TIPS #2
"Size Does Matter"
Know what a "portion" looks like. Eating huge amounts of anything may eventually end up around your waist.
Here’s how to eyeball what reasonable portions look like:
A half-cup of cooked pasta is the size of a tennis ball.
An ounce of hard cheese is the size of a golf ball.
A 4-ounce hamburger patty fits inside the lid of a quart-size jar of mayo.
3 ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter is the size of a large, unshelled walnut.
1 cup of breakfast cereal is the size of a baseball.
A cup of H20 is 8oz. – not 6 oz. and not just a sip.
"BE SIZE WISE "- Split restaurant meals in half. Share with your dining partner or take home for another meal.
"DOWNSIZE YOUR DRINK" - Instead of a supersize drink, switch to a smaller beverage. You can save 100 calories for each 8-ounces of regular soft drinks, fruit drinks and juices. Better yet, drink water.
PIE IS GOOD FOR YOU! Yes, it’s true – that is, if you think of your plate as a "pie chart". Your pie-plate should consist of seventy-five percent of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The other 25 percent should include lean meat, fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy products.
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Nutrition Tip # 3
CUT THE FAT
Skim the fat when eating dairy products, stay away from full-fat cheeses and milks; good replacements are skim milk, nonfat yogurt, and low or nonfat cheese.
Use fewer egg yolks by substituting egg whites for 1 or more of the yolks. Unlike the yolks, egg whites are fat and cholesterol-free.
Cook with nonstick pans. It will reduce the amount of oil needed for cooking by half. Using a nonstick cooking spray in place of oil and butter provides further fat savings.
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NUTRITION FACTS*
69% of the American public is overweight!
The average American now eats about 200 more calories per day, than in the 70’s!
96% of men don’t eat the suggested 9 fruits and vegetables each day!
One-fifth of cancer deaths among women result from overweight and obesity!
78% of people polled believe that the kind of food they eat is more important for weight loss than the amount they eat!
"The Fat You Eat is the Fat You Wear" – What are you waiting for?
*Sources Shape, Men’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, Readers Digest, and others.
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Starting On The Right Foot
You keep telling yourself that you will start a workout program soon. You'll start right after "this" or as soon as "that" is done. A helpful hint in getting started is to know what to do and how to start. Following are some common guidelines to follow when beginning an exercise program.
Choose an activity you enjoy. Don't do something because you think it's a popular activity. You are more likely to stay with an activity if it's something you enjoy. If having people exercise with you is important then join a class, club or form your own group. When working out with a partner be sure to choose someone with a similar fitness level. As a beginner, you may work too hard if you exercise with an experienced partner.
When beginning, ease into a program and have fun. Remember, you should not trying to make up for all the years you have not exercised in the first few workouts. Because your body is unaccustomed to exercise, realize that you may be stiff or sore after the first day. This soreness will pass as you continue to work the muscles. If you overdo it the first day, you may be so sore that it turns you off from exercising later.
Choose to participate in more than one activity. Anything can become boring or monotonous day after day. If you like cycling and swimming then alternate these activities. Don't try to learn a new skill as a way to exercise unless it is very simple. A novice tennis player will burn far less energy than a proficient player. Remember to choose activities that can still be done during inclement weather. You want to exercise year round, not just in the spring or summer. A good program incorporates aerobic, strength, and flexibility components. Try for all-around conditioning, not just one aspect.
When choosing your activity be sure to consider the availability of facilities and the cost. Some people feel they will attend more regularly if they joined a club or hired a personal trainer. Others choose to buy equipment and workout at home. Besides the equipment needed to exercise, you must wear appropriate attire. Footwear is very important. Check with an athletic shoe store so they may fit you with the proper footwear for your activity.
When possible, exercise at the same time each day. This helps to form a schedule. Once you have a routine it becomes a natural part of your week.
If you are male and older than 35 or female and over 40 or have any preexisting health concerns please see your doctor to receive medical clearance to participate in exercise. There may be a valid reason why you should limit your participation or not exercise at all.
Everyday activities such as walking the dog, gardening, taking the stairs, and mowing the lawn are good ways of adding to your overall activity. Most important is to enjoy the activities you do. This makes the benefits even more worthwhile. You are improving your health and you're having fun too!
Bill Miller is a Certified Sports Nutritionist and Personal Trainer at Gold’s Gym Rehoboth Beach, DE.
TRAINING MISTAKES
- Do not use workouts that are too long or too intense
- Cycle durations and intensities
- Change workouts periodically
- Recognize individual differences in fitness levels and genetics
- Train with proper intensity, durations, and frequency specific to training goal(s)
- Understand the law of specificity
- Periodize training goals
- Plan and record training schedule designed to achieve specific fitness objectives in stages at various times throughout the year
- Utilize test(s) that accurately assess performance or fitness component(s)
- Test training objectives periodically and modify program accordingly
- Allow adequate time for improvements
- Change must be greater than measurement error
- Do not wait too long between assessments
- only to discover little progress was achieved
- Allow adequate time for improvements
- Reduce training intensity and volume several days prior to an event
- Tapering increases performance by providing recovery time
- Muscles resynthesize glycogen to maximal levels
- Muscles and joints to recuperate from training induced damage
Easy, Flavorful Snacks to Pack
Guilt-Free All Day
What you eat is clearly a key factor in maintaining or losing weight and keeping your energy up. But when you eat matters, too. Both your body and your mind want specific types of foods at specific times of day. Eating the wrong thing at the wrong time can affect your mood, energy level and overall health.
Start off right
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. You must put some fuel in the tank if you want the motor to start, right? But you have to choose the right fuel. You don't need that sugary doughnut. What you need are proteins and complex carbohydrates, not fats and sugars that rapidly lift your blood sugar levels before sending them crashing down just as fast shortly after.
You also need carbohydrates if you plan to work out during the day. You should always eat something -- an apple or some yogurt, for instance -- just before working out, and some carbs and protein shortly after to help your body recover. Keep your carb intake to a minimum for the rest of the day.
Light at lunch
The quickest way to kill your productivity is to eat a big, starchy lunch that will have you nodding off shortly after you've eaten. Instead, stick to a lighter lunch that keeps carbs to a minimum and focuses more on protein and fiber. Think salads and sandwiches made with whole-grain breads, lean cuts of meat, low-fat cheeses and fat-free condiments. Limit your portions to avoid a post-lunch food coma.
Yes, snacking is OK!
It's not only OK to snack -- it's recommended. Three hours after lunch, your blood sugar is dropping along with your energy level. So, preempt your hunger with some nuts or low-fat cheese with crackers. If you want something that tastes more sinful, go for a sugar-free sweet treat like pudding.
Dinnertime
Again, keep your carbohydrates to a minimum and focus on protein. Think fish or a chicken breast, some brown rice and plenty of vegetables. You'll have more energy through the evening and will avoid the urge for a late-night snack.
Late night
The short answer: Don't eat late at night. It will affect your weight and how well you sleep. But if you do eat in the evening, keep the typical starches to a minimum and aim for a fiber-protein combination like whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese or some crunchy vegetables
Start off right
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. You must put some fuel in the tank if you want the motor to start, right? But you have to choose the right fuel. You don't need that sugary doughnut. What you need are proteins and complex carbohydrates, not fats and sugars that rapidly lift your blood sugar levels before sending them crashing down just as fast shortly after.
You also need carbohydrates if you plan to work out during the day. You should always eat something -- an apple or some yogurt, for instance -- just before working out, and some carbs and protein shortly after to help your body recover. Keep your carb intake to a minimum for the rest of the day.
Light at lunch
The quickest way to kill your productivity is to eat a big, starchy lunch that will have you nodding off shortly after you've eaten. Instead, stick to a lighter lunch that keeps carbs to a minimum and focuses more on protein and fiber. Think salads and sandwiches made with whole-grain breads, lean cuts of meat, low-fat cheeses and fat-free condiments. Limit your portions to avoid a post-lunch food coma.
Yes, snacking is OK!
It's not only OK to snack -- it's recommended. Three hours after lunch, your blood sugar is dropping along with your energy level. So, preempt your hunger with some nuts or low-fat cheese with crackers. If you want something that tastes more sinful, go for a sugar-free sweet treat like pudding.
Dinnertime
Again, keep your carbohydrates to a minimum and focus on protein. Think fish or a chicken breast, some brown rice and plenty of vegetables. You'll have more energy through the evening and will avoid the urge for a late-night snack.
Late night
The short answer: Don't eat late at night. It will affect your weight and how well you sleep. But if you do eat in the evening, keep the typical starches to a minimum and aim for a fiber-protein combination like whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese or some crunchy vegetables
Squat Variations
There's more than one way to squat. Find out how to really get down and build muscle while you do.
By Jeff Bayer, Fitness Specialist
Page 1: Squat Variations
Squat variations to add to your workout
When it comes to building leg muscles, the squat is the king of movements. Not only is a squat going to target the quad muscles, but it is also going to hit the hamstrings and the glutes. Some squat variations will even work the lower back. And no matter what squat variation you decide to try, they will all give your abs a workout.
Basically, if there is one exercise that you must be absolutely sure to include in your workout program, the squat is it.
This doesn't mean, however, that you should only stick to a plain, old, regular-style squat. There are a vast number of squat variations that you can perform, all of which will stimulate the muscle fibers in a slightly different way and, therefore, help you to continually see results.
Problems may occur with your muscle-building progress when you stick with any given program for too long because the body will just adapt to it and will not change because it feels no need to. By regularly changing up the version of squats that you do, you can prevent this from happening.
Here are a number of squat variation exercises you should try, along with a brief description of how the movements are performed.
Avoid doubling up on squat variations during the same workout. As long as you choose one and perform three to four sets, lifting heavy, that should be enough of a stimulus on your legs (in combination with whatever other leg movements you do) to get a good workout in.
Back squat
The back squat really stimulates the quads and should be performed with the barbell held just across your upper back. Be sure that when you're doing this you adjust your back position slightly more forward so the weight doesn't throw you off-balance (so you don't fall backward).
Hack squat
The hack squat is a slightly more advanced type of squat variation and will have you holding the barbell just behind your legs. Again, with this squat variation, as you move down into the squat movement, your upper body will tend to lean forward slightly, toward the knees, to compensate for the barbell. While you need to move forward slightly in order to move closer to the back of your heel area, you also want to be sure that when you're doing this squat variation to keep your chin up, facing forward in order to effectively remain balanced.
Sissy squat
The next squat variation that you should try is the sissy squat -- this will really test your balance. And because of the position this squat variation calls for, it will also call the abdominal muscles into play, thus giving you a great core workout at the same time.
In order to do this specific squat variation, start by holding a dumbbell behind your legs or holding a weighted plate in front of your chest. Once you’ve found your balance you are to begin the squat motion, leaning backward with the body while simultaneously raising your heels off the ground.
Note that you will perform this exercise with a great deal less weight than you would for a normal squat because of the bending-backward positioning. You must also be very careful to pay full attention to how your back feels while you execute this squat variation, being sure to stop if you feel pain. Trying to keep your back in a good, straight alignment (although tilted diagonally) will also help to keep you pain free.
After you’ve reached the bottom of the squat (going as far down as you feel comfortable), return to the upright position once again before completing another rep.
If you're having trouble maintaining your balance throughout the sissy squat, which is a very common issue, use one arm to hold onto a chair or a beam for support until you get used to the movement.
These squat variations will keep your workout regime fresh...
Page 2: Different Squat Exercises
Sumo squat
If you’re looking to really hit those inner thighs, the sumo squat should be your movement of choice. You’ll execute this lift by taking a stance that is slightly wider than usual, which then correspondingly places more weight on the inner portion of your leg muscles.
When doing so, think of also turning your feet out slightly, but only as much as is comfortable for you since this will further enhance the effects of the lift.
You can still perform this squat with a barbell across the back as usual or, if you prefer, you can hold a dumbbell vertically between your legs as you squat down. Many individuals prefer the dumbbell method since this causes the weight force to be concentrated right between your legs, allowing you to feel it even more in your inner thighs and glutes, as you press up to complete the rep.
Jump squat
For those who wish to work on explosive power and fast-twitch muscles, the jump squat is a terrific choice.
To perform this squat, crouch down in the squatting position, with your fingertips placed on the ground just in front of you, then you’ll rebound off the ground, straightening up, while jumping as high into the air as possible.
Upon landing, move right back into the full squat position with fingers in front of you to complete the rep.
Note that most people doing this exercise will tend to keep their knees pointing forward and fairly close together when they are in the squat position on the ground.
Bulgarian split squat
Finally, the last squat variation to include in your squat repertoire is the Bulgarian split squat.
This movement is performed by placing one leg up on a bench behind you with either a barbell rested across your back or with you holding dumbbells down by your sides in front of you.
Once you've found your balance, lower yourself into the squatting position with your weight focused solely on the supporting leg that’s underneath you.
Note that the further away from the bench you are, the greater this movement will work the hamstrings and glutes, while the closer you are the more it will work the quads.
Just watch that you don't place the standing foot too close to the bench, because this could cause pain in your knee.
get low to get fit
So, the next time you’re looking for something to give your workouts a good change, consider altering your squat exercises. Remember to always reduce your weight initially to allow your body a chance to get familiar with the movement and to prevent any injuries from occurring.
Resources:
>www.efit-today.com
