Change is a good thing!

April 22nd, 2013 1 Comment

Mary Rambin workout weights

Last week I wrote about my workout routines. Routines are comforting because we know what lies ahead and we can anticipate any discomfort. For our minds and bodies, that’s not necessarily a good thing when it comes to our workout. You need to challenge yourself to make them stronger. Keep your body on its toes!

This week, I encourage you to take your workouts to the next level simply by changing one little thing. Add on weight, resistance, an incline, just something so you FEEL a difference in your muscles when you do a movement.

For example, here’s what I do to turn up the intensity:

Add 2 pounds when using light weights (so go from 3 to 5 lbs)
Add 5 pounds when using heavy weights
Start my treadmill workout at a 3.o incline instead of 0
Jog and run 0.5 faster
Add 2 pushups in my chaturangas
Put an extra turn/gear on my resistance while spinning
Do 30 crunches instead of 20

You get the idea.

Just make sure you aren’t compromising your form to carry the extra intensity. If that’s the case, back off. Form is truly the key to being successful, no mater what your goal. You can also decrease your reps by 2-5. Just see how you feel.

Tweet this!

Time to get your butt in bikini shape

April 1st, 2013 3 Comments

If you haven’t already been sunbathing over spring break :)

In this video I show you 4 exercises other than your basic squats and lunges that you can do to tone up your glutes. Reader Anne wrote in and said that squats and lunges cause pain in her knees, and she would love to know glute exercises that didn’t. Between my trainers and a physical therapist, we came up with these 4 that are great at isolating your glutes.

You can do them with or without weights. As I am trying to build up a little muscle back there, I use heavier weights: 10-20 lbs. I also have to be mindful of my lower back which inhibits me from going heavier, but you can!

Also check out this squat-row combo and this video for more ways to tone up your glutes.

Finally, I have to apologize for the production value of this video. The girl who helped me was so sweet to shoot it, but it didn’t come out the way I had hoped. As the years pass somehow it’s getting harder to find people to help me shoot these things…..

(Video head to toe: bead head hair, Nike top, Lululemon pants, Reebok shoes)

Tweet this!

Stretching is kinda like eating vegetables….

February 11th, 2013 No Comments

You know you should do it often; you know it feels good when you do it. But you make excuses not to do it.

Are we really in too big of a hurry to stretch? Come on…be honest!

By my calculations, we only need 7 minutes to stretch.

According to Rich at BLAST900 and Fitness Magazine (yep, I went and double checked!), unless you hold a stretch for 30 seconds, you aren’t getting the full benefit of it.

So, for a bare minimum, you can do 30 seconds each side for a total of 1 minute per stretch to knock out:

Quads
Hamstrings
Hip Flexor (shown above)
Glutes
Chest
Triceps
Back twist

The time we spend stretching will pay dividends in the long run. Tony Horton (the face of P90x) says, “if your flexibility is bad now, it’s only going to get worse as time passes.” That’s his pitch for EVERYONE to do yoga, and you can’t really argue with it. The least we can do is stretch, right?!

Tweet this!

A new total body circuit to change up your workout.

October 1st, 2012 No Comments

First of all, please excuse the full frontal naked face in this video….

Back to the purpose of this post: new exercises! Group fitness classes are great because you can learn new moves to incorporate into your own workouts. Monique at BLAST900 tortured us with this Bosu circuit yesterday that has my glutes SORE today. Yay! I need all the help I can get with that flap jack :)

If you’re pressed for time, this is a great circuit to get a solid workout in about 10 minutes. Just getting your heart rate up keeps your body and metabolism strong.

In the gym, I would combine this circuit with a back or tricep workout (click the links to see each broken down for you). These muscles groups are tertiary in the circuit, meaning they aren’t are main or secondary target, so you should be able to hit them hard. Here’s how I would combine the circuit and the back workout.

1. One full circuit as you see in the video.

2. Set of 30 assisted pull-ups (changing grips every 1o reps).

3. One full circuit.

4. Set of 20 rows – seated or standing with a twist.

5. One full circuit.

6. Set of 30 rear delt flies.

7. Lower Back Extensions

Exercises to strengthen your lower back from Mary Rambin on Vimeo.

Tweet this!

Squats you can do at the office

May 7th, 2012 No Comments

Readers have written me countless emails asking for exercises they can do at their office so I’ve been keeping that top of mind during my workouts these days. The key to this must be minimal and efficient movement without sweating!

Squats seem like an obvious choice, but if you don’t have an intensity when you squat repeatedly, you’ll fail to strengthen or tone your leg before you break a sweat. This “negative” squat is a killer. Rich makes it look easy! I struggled with the advanced version during class.

By using a chair or bench, you force yourself to squat lower than usual. Therefore your movement will be slower, your core will stay engaged, and you won’t be able to do as many. The result:

Your heart rate gets up fast.
You strengthen and tone your leg.
You won’t break a sweat!

If you’re in Atlanta or Birmingham, absolutely try a Blast900 class. It’s the most intense total body workout I’ve had in a long time (my review here). Cardio on crack basically :) I’m training them how to blog now, so they’ll be a great fitness resource for you come fall!

Tweet this!

Angles and Reps: Toning Your Inner Thighs Edition

March 12th, 2012 6 Comments

This round of exercises from Cederick my trainer proved to tighten my inner thighs in 2 weeks! Remember, I also spin, do yoga, and lift regularly, as well as eat with a healthy conscious so that all helps too :)

You’ll notice most of the movements are the same as what you would do to work your glues. The difference is the positioning of your feet and your focus. The challenge here is to NOT use your glutes as much as your inner thighs to control the movement.

Remember the principle: lighter weight + lots of reps + multiple angles that target same muscle group. For each exercise, you’re going to do a set of 20. I’ll complete one round on a day when I’m lifting chest or back. See those angle and rep exercises here.

Wide Leg LOW Incline Squats

Put the same amount of weight on the machine as you would with a normal squat. Place your feet low on the platform with your feet turned out wide as I have above. Lower your legs down farther than feels comfortable and then push up through your heels.

Side Lunges with Weights

*Click for a bigger picture*

Let me break this one down for you:

Stand tall with the weights in hand (Grab moderately heavy weights. I have 8 lbs here. Due to my sensitive lower back, I keep it light in this exercise.)
Lunge far out to one side, allowing your lower body to come down to your knee and the weights to go on either side of your foot.
Pressing on the inside of your foot and squeezing your inner thigh, push back up to standing tall.
Repeat for the other side.

Adductor Squeezes

Yeah, I hate this one. I dislike it first because it’s just tedious and mechanical. Then of course, it sucks to spread your legs wide open for the gym to see. But, whatever, it’s necessary.

I do 80 lbs, squeezing for 1 minute.

Sumo Squats

I’m sure you’ve done these before. Instead of pushing with your glutes, squeeze with your inner thighs to push you up. Also focus on keeping your shoulder blades pulled together and chest high. I use a 20 lb weight.

Leg Raises

Your thighs should be engaged and getting tired at this point. This simple leg lift will help you tone and rest. Lay down as I have above and raise your leg with your inner thigh trying not to use your glutes. Do 20 reps then turn your toe out and do 20 more. Repeat for the other leg.

Side Leg Raises with Weights

The positioning on this one is awkward so just find something that feels comfortable. Move your bottom leg forward and steady a light weight with your hand. Honestly, you might not even need the weight. Straighten your leg, relax your foot, and use your heel to lead your leg up. Do as many as you can, 20 being the minimum.

Tweet this!

Toning Up with Angles and Reps: Glutes Edition

January 23rd, 2012 8 Comments

Cederick – my new trainer and owner of Next Level Fitness in Houston – has a unique approach to toning: “Angles and Reps.”

As women, we know in order to stay slim and not bulk up, we should use light weights and do more repetitions. Cederick intensifies this philosophy by also changing the angle at which you perform the exercise so you target the muscle in a different way.

Over the next few months, I’ll post pictures of how you can utilize this strategy with machines and free weights. Thus far I’m loving it!

Today, I’m talking about glutes because that has been the most notable change for me.

Seriously, my saddle bags are GONE on the sides of my legs and my butt is much firmer…even a little bigger. TMI, I know, but you need to know what you’re after, right?!

Here are three different exercises that target your gluts using angles and reps.

Incline Leg Press

You can do this on the incline leg press as I am above and add plates (I use 2 45 lb plates) or on the horizontal machine (90-100 lbs on the stack). Or you can do both because laying flat and being at an incline CHANGES THE ANGLE of the exercise!

The angles I will focus on here involve your feet. Hopefully yours aren’t as gigantic as mine :)

In the first position your feet are at 90 degrees and hips’ distance apart. The second, you take your heels to the edge of the platform and turn your feet out. The last position, you bring your feet together at the bottom of the platform.

In each position do 20 reps WITH MINIMAL REST.

Dead Lifts

If you do not have a board to change the angle of your feet use two plates next to each other. I borrowed “Bunny’s Board” for this pic – I’m guessing since the exercise was successful in toning her butt they commemorated her with a personalized board!

To preform a dead lift:

Grab 15-40 lbs of weight total. I use light weight because I have a bad back.
Pull your core in, stand tall.
With a flat back, pulling your shoulders down from your ears and back towards the wall, hinge forward to drop the weight down to mid-calf.
Make sure your legs are straight. My left one is a little bent in the picture.
Pushing through your heels, keeping your core engaged, and squeezing your glutes, push yourself up to standing with a flat back.

Do 20 reps at each angle.

Abductor Machine

You’ve all been on this machine I’m sure, but I’ll bet you never thought to bend over while you’re seated. I hadn’t, but I’m glad to know about this angle. I believe this has been one of the key movements in toning my gluts.

In this exercise I use 80 lbs (although not in this pic because I could barely move my legs!).

The first set of 20, I put my feet on the lowest step and sit up tall (not against the cushion) with my core tight. Immediately following that set, I bend over, move my feet up to the top step, and push out 20 more reps.

Finally, I wanted to add one more exercise you can incorporate during this circuit that doesn’t involve weights. It’s like a dead lift and warrior 3 position from yoga combined to tone your gluts and improve your balance.

The slower you go, the harder it is and the more progress you’ll see.

Do 20 in a row on each side as dynamic rest in between your lifting sets. If you want to intensify this movement add weights or bring your arms out straight in front of you as you lower yourself parallel to the ground.

For a complete glutes workout:

20 minutes of cardio (StairMaster or the elliptical on 12-14 incline are best for your butt)
30 walking lunges with 10 pounds in each hand
Complete all 3 exercises at each angle.
“T Dead lifts” (video above)
Repeat all 3 exercises. Decrease weight if necessary.
30 walking lunges with 10 pounds in each hand.
Hamstring curls on the machine with 40-50 pounds, 20 reps.
“T Dead Lifts”
Stretch!

Tweet this!

It’s all about my backside this year.

January 16th, 2012 3 Comments

I’ve always had dreams of a bigger, firm butt and better posture. Along with toned arms and a flat tummy and….the list goes on. But don’t we all have that list?!

Until I met my new trainer Cederick, I never thought an ass, let alone a tight one, was possible. Thankfully I was wrong! My gluts are getting stronger and tighter by the day.

This exercise – a row combined with a squat – is just one of the many that go into his back and butt regimen. It’s one I believe you will enjoy because it works EVERYTHING with an emphasis on the gluts and rear delts. Below is a breakdown of how to do it. It’s easy to execute once you get to the machine.

** If you click on the photo above it will enlarge in a new window for you.***

PICTURE 1

Lower the pulley on the weighted column to the ground (you can see the machine in the top picture). Attach the rope handle you would normally use for tricep pulls. Start with light weight (about 2 plates) so you can test out the movement first, then go back and add more if you need it.
Step back away from the column.
Spread your feet a little farther than hips distance apart. Take a deep breath and exhale with your core. Stand tall maintaining that firm core.
Let the weight pull your arms and shoulders forward then rotate your shoulders back.

PICTURE 2

Keeping your abs engaged and the weight in your heels, squat down to a 90 degree angle. (I could have gotten lower.)

PICTURE 3

Using your rear delts, begin to pull the ropes back keeping your elbows high. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Release your arms forward ALL THE WAY so they are fully extended.
Pushing through your heels, stand up tall. Now you’ve completed one rep.
**Advanced move: Pull back and push through your heels to stand up AT THE SAME TIME.

DO 20 REPS.

More from Cederick in the upcoming weeks. It’s hard to get him on video because his schedule is so packed!
You’ll appreciate his philosophy on toning. Like most, he uses light weight and many reps, but then adds in multiple angles that have proven to be very effective.

Tweet this!