Changing up your workout every few weeks is important not only for your sanity but for your muscles. This week’s flat stomach exercise of the week adds a bit of a twist to a familiar exercise and while helping you see continued results.
This week’s flat stomach exercise of the week is the Incline Dumbbell Chest Press.
The chest press is one of my favorite exercises – it makes me feel strong – especially when I can lift more than the guys next to me in the gym – hehe. The chest press is one exercise most women stay away from as they fear that it will only bring them big muscles and small boobs. However, its quite the contrary.
Secondly – the incline chest press is a great exercise to help you get tight and toned arms. And really – who wants flabby arms?
Add this in place of your push-ups or flat bench chest press and you’ll notice some greater definition in your arms as well as some greater strength – which I always think is exciting!
How many reps? How many sets? Try 3 sets of 10-12 reps to start with.
You are absolutely 100% amazing! Your interaction on my site and these last few posts has me SO excited – not only because I can offer you more information to help you – but there are SO many ideas racing through my mind to make this site even better and your comments and feedback help me do that – THANK YOU! Read the full story
Beach season is FINALLY here! WOOhoO!! Beach season also means a a COMPLETE wardrobe change. No more bulky sweaters – its shorts, tank tops and cute summer dresses. Are you beach body ready?
For some women the changing of the season means is a miserable time as the shorts from last summer are too tight or your arms no seem to be a bit more ‘jiggly’ than they were in your favorite tank top last year. Its a time for a quick scramble to the gym to try and shed those few pounds to avoid buying a whole new wardrobe.
Need some suggestions to get beach body ready? I’ve created a quick series of three videos with some of my favorite flat stomach workout moves to help you get beach body ready – with a flat stomach – in time to feel confident and sexy in whatever you wear and wherever you go this summer.
Today’s video has three of my favorite exercises to help you get a flat and sexy stomach. Add these moves to your current routine or do them quickly at home and you will be on your way to a flat stomach in NO TIME!
Get a tight toned butt in time for shorts season. Add this move to your workout and you’ll be feeling a burn in all the right places – making sure that your glutes, hamstrings, and quads look sleek and sexy no matter what you are wearing.
To make this move more challenging add weight – hold dumbbells in either hand – challenging your muscles to work a bit harder and therefore burning just a bit more fat. This will in turn increase your weight loss results.
Slouching is cool – if you’re looking at a pair of boots, trying to get your jeans to fit right, or you’ve found the ‘perfect’ purse. However, if its you’re posture that’s slouching, its time to make a change to help your health now and in the future.
I’ll never forget my mother telling me to ‘Sit Up Straight! You’re going to look like the hunchback of Notre Dame!’, every night at the dinner table. I would always groan and roll my eyes as I would sit up straighter. However, now I know my mother was only trying to help me – look my best when I was older and prevent serious back issues in the future.
Rounding your shoulders or slouching in your chair will not only make you look like ‘the hunchback of Notre Dame’ – and yes he got his golden opportunity – but he had to hide in shame for years before that happened. You won’t have to hide in shame, if you have a rounded back, but you will never give you the hot body you want – even if you spend hours in the gym. On top of that you are opening up the door for a flood of back and joint pains in the future – including reduced flexibility and use of your muscles – hindering your ability to have an effective flat stomach workout.
However – hope is not out the window yet!
Take a picture of yourself – from head to toe. Look at the picture and assess what you see. Below are some common problems and their quick fixes to help you make sure that the only thing slouching around you are your boots.
If you can see your shoulder blades….your back is too rounded. Why? This is caused by weak muscles in your back – specifically your traps.
Quick Fix – Make sure to include movements for your back and shoulder muscles in your workouts. Some great examples include: Single Arm Dumbbell Row, Seated Cable Row, or an Incline Dumbbell row.
If your hips are tilted forward…you have an anterior pelvic tilt. This means that you have tight hip flexors.
Quick Fix - Follow a stretching routine after every workout – especially when you do cardio or a leg workout. A great stretch for your hip flexors is the warrior stretch. This stretch will help losen your hip flexors and help you make sure that your shoulders and hips aren’t in danger of being rounded.
Making sure to sit up straight whenever you are sitting down is also a great way to ensure that your shoulders will not get rounded. Keep your core tight and your back will say thank you years down the line.
Keep these things in mind daily, as well as consciously being aware of your posture to make sure that the only thing slouching this season is your purse or your boots, not your back and shoulders.
If you’ve been keeping up with me on Twitter you know that Saturday mornings are one of my favorite workouts of the week. I’m not 100% sure why especially considering my gym has been getting busier and busier these last few Saturday mornings, but there is just something about training on Saturdays that gets me excited.
Well, there are a few reasons that I love my Saturday morning workouts:
I’m up early but not TOO early
I have more time to be in the gym than any other day of the week (even though my workout will probably be the same time frame)
I don’t have to ‘do’ anything (like go to work) right after so I push myself EVEN harder
There is just a great energy
Saturday morning workouts get me PUMPED for the rest of my day and the rest of my weekend. I want to start your weekend off the same way – so I thought I’d share one of my favorite Saturday sweat sessions with you. So that you too can start your weekend off the right way! Read the full story
Need a new exercise for your workout this week? Still trying to get rid of those flabby arms? Well, then I have the exercise for you!
This week’s flat stomach exercise of the week is the barbell close grip chest press. Its a bit of a mouthful, but its a GREAT exercise for your upper body. The barbell close grip chest press will help to change up your workout just a bit – give your muscles a new movement that will have them guessing and continually progressing.
The barbell close grip chest press targets both your triceps and your chest muscles. Women NEED to lift weights in order to see continual weight loss improvements. Many women also tend to stay away from the chest press because Read the full story
Sitting on the couch…vegging in front of T.V…the perfect way to end the day.
Gym today was tough.
It was leg day – LOVE training legs – except for today. For some unexplainable reason I had a POUNDING headache. It started probably 20 minutes before I got to the gym and by the time I started the first set of my workout – I wanted to scream. Read the full story
Its a New Year and you’ve promised yourself a New You. You’re trying to change what you eat and get to the gym; however sometimes time is not on your side and before you know it the day is over without a workout. Its time to solve the time crunch problem and make sure that you fulfill the promise you’ve made to yourself.
If finding time to do your flat stomach workout, is an extreme issue some days, try one of these four ways to ensure that you get your heart rate elevated at some point and burn fat everyday.
#1 Walk the Dog
Walking the dog is a great way to get your heart rate elevated. Not only that, they make a pretty good workout companion and will keep you going everyday, even when you may not want too. Don’t have a dog? No problem – head out for a 15 minute walk, whether it be during the day at work, before or after work.
#2 Wake Up Earlier
If you know you aren’t going to have time to get to the gym after work – try getting there before. Wake up 30 minutes earlier and either do a quick bodyweight circuit at home, go for a walk outside, or head to the gym. Studies have shown that people who workout in the morning are more likely to stick with their fitness routines, therefore seeing better results.
#3 Lunchtime
If its a busy day and you won’t be able to get to the gym after work, try heading to the gym at lunch. Not enough time? Instead of going out to lunch with the co-workers why don’t you all go for a walk? Heading out for some fresh air and heart rate elevation will get you feeling refreshed and ready to work again after lunch. Not to mention it’ll help you squeeze in some type of workout – which is better than no workout at all!
#4 Keep the Appointment
You’ve set the goals for yourself and the only way you’re going to get there is if you keep your appointment at the gym. You can’t cancel your doctors appointments without 24 hours notice – you shouldn’t be canceling your gym time either. If working out and losing weight is important to you, canceling your sessions should not be an option.
No more excuses. The time is now. Next time time seems to be slipping away and a workout doesn’t seem likely – try one of these four tips to ensure you are burning fat no matter what.
The chest press is one exercise most women stay away from as they fear that it will only bring them big muscles and small boobs. However, its quite the contrary.
