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Strength Training
What Size Dumbbells to Use When
Dumbbells are an active girl's best friend because they're fairly inexpensive, compact, easy to use, and allow you to tone every part of your body. Using them can be a little confusing since they come in so many sizes, and many people may not realize that one size doesn't fit all exercises. For example, since biceps tend to be stronger than their neighbor muscles, the triceps, you'd want to use a heavier weight when doing bicep curls.
You Asked: Why Do I Shake During Hard Exercises?
Dear Fit,
I tried out a new strength training class at my gym, and it was awesome. It uses dumbbells, resistance bands, gym balls, and mat exercises to tone your whole body. There were definitely a lot of new moves I'd never done before, and during one of the exercises, where you're balancing on your bum in a V-position, and lowering your torso and legs toward the floor, I was shaking uncontrollably.
What Do You Work More, Your Arms or Your Legs?
When I work out on my own, I am all about lunges and squats — anything to work my legs. I might throw in a few biceps curls or some push-ups, too. When working with Hannah, my trainer at Equinox, we do a lot of upper body work — I feel like she has taught me every kind of push-up variation imaginable.
Get Suspended While You Travel Like Mary J. Blige
When you're on the road you can't always get to a gym, but that doesn't mean you should throw in the towel when it comes to exercising. Do what Mary J. Blige does while traveling, and bring along a TRX suspension Home Training Kit ($170).
Fitness 101: Smith Machine
When it comes to strength training, I am usually a free weight kind of gal. Then I learned to love the cable pulley machine. I was still looking to branch out a little more, so my trainer Hannah introduced me to the Smith machine.
Lifting Tip: Start at the Bottom and Work Your Way Up
When strength training, there are so many exercises, and so many muscles to work, how do you know where to begin? Start from the bottom of your body and work your way up.
Since your legs are your largest muscle group, these moves require more work than exercises that target your upper body.
Get Lifted: Water Pump
Just because Summer is over, doesn't mean you can neglect sculpting your shoulders. Here's a strength training move that will tone your deltoid, triceps, and biceps.
So grab a pair of dumbbells and read more
Lifting Tip: Relax the Muscles That Aren't Working
When I see people strength training at the gym, and working hard to lift a heavy weight or do those last few strenuous reps, it's hard not to notice their face scrunching up. If this sounds like you, the next time you lift, remember to relax the muscles that aren't involved in the exercise. It's the muscles in the face, neck, and shoulders that are most often engaged when they don't need to be.
Lifting Tip: Keep Your Head Straight
Correct form and posture are essential when it comes to strength training. It not only helps prevent injury, but it's also necessary to ensure that you're working your muscles effectively. What you want to avoid doing is cranking your head to take a peek at the muscles being worked, because you can end up straining your neck or upper back.
Lifting Tip: Don't Be Married to Your Dumbbells
Hopefully you've been adding strength training into your cardio and stretching routines. While dumbbells are great tools to use to target your muscle groups, they're not the only tools. Try to explore other options such as weight-lifting machines at the gym, medicine balls or kettlebells, inexpensive resistance bands, different sized exercise balls, and you can also do exercises that require no equipment at all.
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