Home Gym Workout Secrets by Trainer to the Stars

Home Gym Workout Secrets by Trainer to the Stars

Home Gym Workout Secrets:

• Add Interval Training to your Workouts Researchers at The University of NSW, Sydney Australia conducted tests using interval training and found people lost three times more weight than other women who exercised at a continuous regular pace for 40 minutes.

Include interval training 1-2 times per week in addition to your normal cardio training. Interval efforts can range anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes in length. Aim for an interval to rest ratio of 1:2 and a total workout time of approx 30 minutes e.g., 30 seconds effort with 1 minute easy and repeat or 5 min effort with 10 min easy and repeat.

• If you are stuck for time split your workout into am + pm workouts - e.g. 10 min in the morning and 10 min in evening We all lead busy lives and sometimes trying to squeeze in our daily schedule can mean skimping out on our exercise time too! Think of exercise time as "ME!" Here are few simple tips to help you.

• Minimalistic muscle tone ups! After making your bed in the morning try some triceps dips off the edge, while waiting for the elevators or blow drying your hair in the morning clench and release your glutes, while at your desk do leg raises or squats while watching television - just try and do what you can when you can;

• Try preparing everything that you need the night beforehand that way you can have time for that valuable me time. Better still set your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier!

• Use the household chores as a workout, vacuum or dusting to music energetically, making the beds etc can all be a form of work out especially when you keep your abs switched on!

• Go for a quick walk in the morning for 10 minutes and again in the afternoon, at least then its still 20 minutes of cardio! Every little bit counts!

• Walk - it's cheap, convenient and a great way to burn fat. Walking is fun and can be done alone or with a group and is suitable for all ages. It's a cheap way of getting fit and you don't need any expensive gym equipment. Before you begin though, it's important to remember comfortable walking shoes with good arch support are the best choice for your feet. And most important of all - hydration; always take a small water bottle and take a sip every 15 minutes. Try interval walking, 5 minute warm up, 1 minute very fast then 2 minutes active recover, and repeat for 20 minutes, then 5 minutes gentle walking to cool down, don't forget to stretch afterwards - and voila, you're done!!! Or why not try a power walking class for something a little different. For your heart and general wellbeing, walking for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week, you will benefit by trimming down, toning up and looking and feeling at your best! So pick up that pace and get moving!

• Keep Moving - always take the stairs, park a block away, walk to work etc. Everyday we are told to be more active in our daily lives. Here are some simple easy cheap ways of getting that extra little bit of what the fitness professionals call 'incidental exercise' into your day:

• Instead of using the lifts or the escalators while at work or out shopping why not use the stairs instead, this is a great calorie burner and will help you tone from the waste down!!

• If you find yourself getting bored or upset and angry try going for a brisk walk around the block or walk from one office to another, this is a great way to get calm down and clear the mind.

• Do some simple exercises while watching your favourite TV program i.e. abs crunches during the breaks or calf raises on a step, or triceps dips off your lounge or if you have one a quick whirl on the exercise bike

• Instead of phoning/emailing your friends at work get up from your desk and visit them.

• Post your letters at post box away from work.

• Run errands for your colleagues or do some work as a volunteer for your community - i.e. tree planting days or letter box drops, you get to be outdoors.

• Take the dog for a walk.

• It's all about Variety - mix up your exercise to prevent boredom. Ever been bored with your exercise program so that it feels more like a regimented and restricted routine, - very ho hum to say the least and yes it can lead to that dreaded plateau! Well think again, it's just a simple case of being creative and trying different things.

Try a new class, if you haven't tried Pilates or yoga now is the time, or why not give the pump or boxing classes a go. Get outside and try outdoor circuit training, roller-balding, tennis, or simply have a game of football with some friends, you could even do some hiking. Remember variety is the spice of life - and by doing that your body too will not get used to the routine of your exercise program and you will start to see big results.

• Include exercises with light weights in your home gym to build lean muscle If you think that lifting weights is only for body builders then think again. By incorporating weight training into your fitness program you can gain a lot of benefits including: increased bone mineral density, helps with anxiety, depression and general mental health, lowers sports injury risks, helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, healthier heart and may help ward off diabetes. It also helps build muscular endurance for those heavy grocery days by increasing our ability to perform our daily tasks so that means more shopping - yay!!

To control body weight particularly for women, strength training plays a key role. For some women weight gain can be a very frustrating time. However by using light weights with exercises such as bicep curls and double arm triceps kick backs or squats and lunges with hand weights, just twice a week were able to avoid the slow onset of that.5 to 1kg gain in weight when reaching the age of 40 and over. This seemingly small amount of weight can add up over a number of years.

You might be asking how weight training helps keep you lean - well while muscle is being built, the cells that make up the muscle actually burn more calories than what fat does and you continue burning calories even while you are sleeping - awesome huh?

• Find a fitness buddy to keep you company, a dog or iPod. Having a fitness friend will help you stay on track, will be there to help you, motivate and inspire you to achieve your fitness goals. With the support of a like minded peer it will make your fitness experience a lot more fun. You are more likely to stick with it, keep each other on track and help each other when things become difficult. Listening to your favourite piece of music can uplift you and make you want to workout harder, and before you know it, the time will have just flown by. Having a dog that needs to be walked regularly can also help to keep you motivated. Fitness can be heaps of fun!

• Have a realistic goal in mind, such as running in a fun run and then follow a training plan. Have you ever heard of the saying - "failing to plan is planning to fail" well it's true! By having your goals written down, so that it's there in black and white makes you accountable! By using the FITT principle to plan your program for your workouts and have that goal in mind, you will be more likely to keep to it. Lets have a quick look at the FITT principle - frequency which is the how many times per week you are going to train, intensity how hard you intend to train, time for how long with each work out and also when you are going to workout and lastly and the type of training, i.e. swimming, running. By having a set plan written out you can track your progress and mark off the days as it draws nearer to the goal day. By setting a date on a particular goal you can modify your training to suit, check for improvements but also be realistic and sensible with your approach.

• Hire a personal trainer so you learn new ways to exercise. Let's face it - we all need to be motivated at some point in our lives. When we have a particular goal it is especially important. That's why a personal trainer is good. It's their professional passion to be time conscious and making you workout hard to get the results you want. They are there to provide support, inspire and encourage you, be hard on you when you need it, be a good listener, counselor and most importantly a friend. It makes exercise easier, more interesting and fun.

Another role of the personal trainer is to set up safe exercise environments so that you make the most of the equipment in your home gym and to make sure that you do the exercises correctly. A personal trainer can design/customize a fitness program just for you to help you achieve your goals sooner. Sometimes, particular exercise programs might have worked for some, but may not work for you - and to make the most of your time more effectively wouldn't it be wise to consult with the professionals instead of wasting time and energy with something the does not work?

• Try dance classes or a team sport. This will take the edge off boredom and dance your way to a new level of fitness. There are so many different types of dancing and they range from belly dancing, which is great for the mid section to Latin American, ballroom dancing or try a team sport like soccer or football, or perhaps join a swim team.