Damien Kelly shows how to master the exercise basics and get your fitness on track for the year ahead.
Not sure what you need to do to take your fitness to the next level in 2012? Here are the most important things to work on.
1. Train for a fun run
When it comes to body-shape change, strength training and high-intensity cardio are the indisputable winners. However, for some people, hitting the pavement burns the fat like nothing else. We all know how hard it is to maintain a long-term running program without a specific goal in mind, so look at what fun runs you can enter in your local area. Give yourself at least eight weeks to train and stick to a strict and consistent program. Once you've completed it, why not set your sights on a half-marathon?
2. Learn to dead lift
To get big results you need big exercises such as the dead lift. It targets the hamstrings, glutes, lower back and core. Bending forward gets harder as we get older and back injuries are often due to a lack of skill in this movement. But with a bit of practise, most women can dead lift their own body weight. There's a challenge for 2012. Just remember, it won't happen overnight. Build up the weight slowly once your technique is correct.
3. Go to your full range of motion
It's a lot easier to do a push-up that goes halfway to the ground than a push-up that goes all the way to the ground. The weakest part of a push-up is at the bottom and this is therefore the part that needs the most training. This is the case with all exercises: the deeper you go into them, without feeling pain in your joints, the better your gains will be. Keep reminding yourself it's not an exercise unless you have taken it through the full range of motion. You'll really feel it the next day!
4. Do weighted squats
It may not sound very feminine, but weight training needs to be high up on your list of training focuses for this year. Strength training burns serious amounts of fat and tones your whole body. Squats are the first exercise you should do. Learn to do them perfectly without weight, then add weights as you get stronger. And I'll let you in on a little secret. The vast majority of the amazing-looking real women who grace these workout pages are taking this advice. It really does the job.
5. Do twists
Old-school weight machines only move your body in one line. Unless you are completing a rehabilitation program, ditch the machines, use free weights or your body weight and train the way you use your body in real life, by adding twists. A controlled twist is dynamite for your core and obliques. Just make sure you do it with control and you don't experience any back pain. Bring on that 2012 toned tummy!
6. Show your body some love
In between all this training, book yourself in for some pampering sessions. Having a regular massage is a great way to reward your body for its hard work. A deep-tissue massage also encourages any muscles that are tight or sore from training to relax and release. This is important to prevent injury in the long term. Have a massage once a month.
7. Work your core
Most people want a tighter tummy but don't know what training is required. Sit-ups and crunches only tone the six-pack muscles; they won't tighten your tummy or reduce girth. For that you need core posture work. Almost every exercise, from squats to push-ups, has a core component. Focus on maintaining your posture during all your exercises and you'll work your core. Add core-specific moves, such as planks and core climbers,and you'll see results.
8. Balance your workouts
Make sure you don't just work certain parts of your body and neglect others. Here are the tips to getting your workout balance right.
If you do a pushing movement such as a push-up, match it with a pulling movement such as a chin-up or row.
Do a mix of high-intensity cardio and strength training. Add in some core and flexibility work. A good workout can include all this in less than an hour.
Don't favour the upper or lower body. Work both areas hard every workout.
9. Make your abs burn
The sayings "feel the burn" and "no pain no gain" may seem old school, but if you're trying to get a six-pack and you don't feel a serious burn when you work your abs, your chances of success are slim. The abs are inactive, yet sensitive muscles. They are happy for the muscles around them to do the work and they complain when they are called upon. So when you're using them correctly, you'll know all about it. Refine your technique until they burn every time.
10. Train with kettlebells
Vodka and Maria Sharapova aren't the only great things to have come out of Russia. Kettlebell training has infiltrated the fitness industry in a big way. It's another option for strengthening and toning your body with whole-body moves that are actually kind of fun. Make sure you get some direction first to refine your technique and you'll have gained another great tool for your fitness arsenal.
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