Can You Be Too Old To Exercise?

Someday I will be this granny. You watch.

I couldn't believe my eyes and yet there she was staring right back at me from a full-page glossy photo spread accompanying an article on fitness. She even had the audacity to accessorize her gray hair and wrinkles with a gigantic smile! Excuse me, but who said old people are allowed to exercise? Certainly not fitness magazines. When's the last time you saw someone who looked a day over 25 in Fitness, Shape, Self or even Women's Health? Even if their cover models are a 40-and-fabulous Faith Hill, they still make her look 25. Which is funny since every piece of fitness advice I've ever read says that exercise should be a life-long pursuit.

And not only did this magazine have not one but several cheeky oldsters gracing their pages doing something besides power walking, but there was more than the token minority! And there were children! And all the people had different body types! And they were all shown being active, healthy and happy. Which really was the kicker for me. After all, in traditional lady mags you can only be non-model-sized and happy if it is you "before" picture. You certainly can't have an overweight woman smiling. Next thing you know women might stop hating themselves just a bit. And then what? Self-esteem from something that goes beyond your body? Does nobody think of the children?? Who will indoctrinate the next generation in the fine art of body checking and body snarking if their mothers are no longer doing it?

Lest you think I don't actually read (I love reading!), once I got over my initial shock at an entire magazine without a single greased-up spray-tanned beauty doing long-legged jumping jacks on a beach, I became completely enamored with the articles said pictures were illustrating. They covered a wide range of topics from canning to goal setting to indoor triathlons (an article written, I might add, by our very own Mama Sweat a.k.a. Kara Thom) and all were interesting, educated and informative. There were no pull-out cards with 10 things to do with a swiss ball on the front and ads for Atro-phex on the back. But there was an article about gaining muscle mass by our beloved queen-o-the-biceps MizFit.

What is this amazing magazine, you ask? Well, now I have to 'fess up: you guys told me about it. Kara, Getting Healthy, and Deprogram all suggested Experience Life to me after my rant about my love-hate relationship with the newsstand health and fitness fare. I was even so fortunate to have Jen Sinkler, an editor at Experience Life, leave me a comment with an article describing the mission of the magazine called "Six Packs & Sex Lives." I'll be darned if I didn't read that and end up screaming to the heavens, "Where have you been all my life?!?" It's that good.

Thursday's Great Fitness Experiment Giveaway: A Subscription to Experience Life Magazine
And I wanted to share the feel-good fitness love with all of you as well. Be warned though, this magazine is not for the faint of heart. You will actually learn stuff. And some of the stuff I had to read several times and then mull it over for a couple of days. There's research involved. Numbers. Homework, even. But you guys have already proven many times how smart you are and so I have no doubt you will love it every bit as much as I do!

To enter this contest, let me know one thing you think is missing from mainstream health & fitness magazines. Do you miss seeing dimpled thighs? Indian women? An article about men that doesn't make them look like idiots? Or tell me what one of your favorite features are. Do you love the underdog stories? The workout plans? All the recipes? Unload one of your gripes or one of your loves and you could win your own subscription to Experience Life.

Dance Cardio is the Fitness Trend of 2009

Yep, that's a wee me being leap-frogged by one of my hyperactive dance partners from the Lindy Hop team. Good times.

Attention all nether rock dwellers: You might not have heard but we're in a recession. And the long arm of the recession has been particularly tough on the fitness industry. Gym memberships are down, fitness clothing purchases are declining and personal trainers are finding their business getting a lot tighter. Mainly this seems to be because people view fitness as an expendable luxury. This seems a bit disingenuous to me. In my mind, fitness itself is a necessity for good health and a sound mind but fitness can be achieved without spending a dime - it's called the outdoors, you've heard of it, right? So one way that savvy consumers are cutting back on their fitness luxuries without cutting out fitness altogether is to consolidate. Hence, the fitness trend for 2009 has been crowned: Group Fitness.

For those of you older than 20, group fit refers to what us oldsters use to call aerobics or cardio class. You basically have one teacher leading a room full of sweaty folks. Group fit has moved way beyond Jane Fonda and The Firm though and now you have options ranging from kickboxing to bootcamp to spin.

Whenever I mention group fit and my deep love for sweating with strangers - or just strange friends (hellooooo TurboKick!) - inevitably someone says, "Oh, I could never do that!" And hey, if you are happy running in the beautiful outdoors 365 days a year, I'm not interested in changing your mind. But many people avoid group fit because of one basic reason: self-consciousness. They say they aren't coordinated (read: I'll fall off the step or drop my weight on my foot or kick my neighbor) or they prefer working out alone (read: I don't like other people's bodily fluids flying at me) or even that they think they wouldn't fit in (read: I don't have matchy-matchy workout clothes, toned abs or I'm not 21.)

I'm not going to tell you that your concerns aren't valid (Well, except for the matchy-matchy clothes one. As long as it covers your naughty bits and gives you adequate support then wear whatever you want! You're just going to sweat all over it anyhow.) but if you can overcome your self-consciousness you will discover there are a ton of benefits to group fit. Not only do you have an instructor to tell you what to do - hard to think what comes next when your heart rate is in the red zone - but you also get music and, best of all, friends. It makes a huge difference to be able to laugh with someone else when you turf it. Plus it saves on money since the whole class is essentially paying the instructor's salary.

A great way to get involved in group fit is one of my all-time loves: dancing. Eight million viewers of Dancing With the Stars can't be wrong! For all of you who have sat on your couch and watched a parade of c-level stars shake their money makers, I am here to tell you that you can do it too! "But I'm not coordinated enough, blah, blah, blah...." Who cares? It's so fun that you'll forget all about the fact that your feet are more George Foreman than Mario Lopez. Plus there are tons of options in cardio dance. Latin classes like Zumba are exploding right now. Urban classes like Hip Hop Hustle are found in the farthest reaches of suburbia (not to be confused with Rihanna's Disturbia, although I can see how you make that mistake). Ballet, tap, swing, ballroom, and even "aerial dancing" where you spin suspended from strips of fabric are found in gyms near you.

Back in college I was on a Lindy Hop (a form of swing dancing) team. It was truly one of the highlights of my college experience. While we weren't doing it specifically for exercise, I definitely found that all the dancing made my butt tighter, my stomach flatter and my legs looked smokin' in those little red hot pants (see above). While swing dancing was my first love, I also got to do a lot of ballroom dancing and discovered Latin dancing. Which came in handy after I got married and my husband refused to swing dance with me saying I was too bossy and I back-lead. Both of which are true. (I'm a control freak, remember?) So the husband and I took up Salsa dancing together and our marriage has been muy caliente ever since!

Wednesday's Great Fitness Experiment Giveaway: Core Rhythms DVD Set
Would you like a chance to add some Flamenco to your flan (a bland Spanish dessert with the texture of cooked boogers)? One of my pet peeves about other dance cardio videos I have tried is that they take an aerobics instructor and teach her a few dance moves. This is exactly the opposite. In this 4-disk DVD set, international dance champions Jaana Kuntz (she of the hot pink hair) and Julia Powers (she of the big hair) teach you actual Latin moves from the Salsa, Samba and Merengue. I have to say that for an at-home workout, this is truly one of the more delightful ones I have tried. It's campy - the shiny costumes! the spray tans! the omnipresent ginormous set of abs pulsing behind them! and it's a decent workout - anyone who has ever watched "latin hips" in action knows those great abs don't happen by accident! Basically it's Strictly Ballroom meets Fit TV. It's aerobics for drag queens.

And it's so much fun you'll forget you are even working out. Plus you'll learn moves you can actually take with you to the club or your cousin's 3rd wedding.

One last super cool thing about these DVDs is that you always have the option to change the view at any time. So rather than staring face-on at the teachers, you can switch to a back or side view to really see what they are doing. It also comes with an introductory DVD that explains slowly and simply how to do the basic moves so you aren't left scrambling to catch up.



To enter to win your own Core Rhythms starter pack, leave me a comment below telling me how you feel about group fitness. Do you love a packed room of sweaty masses? Or do you prefer to work out that hip action in the privacy of your own home and then wow everyone at the next family reunion luau? Anyone want to go dancing with me?

Your best body ever in "2009", lean for life.

Boxers train to create a body that's a perfect balance of strength, stamina and speed.

Would you like to increase your lean muscle mass and the overall tone of your muscles, to Build a washboard stomach, defined legs & strong shoulders?

A boxing workout will allow you to sculpt and tone your body like no other workout. Experience total body conditioning.

Your first step is right here at ABFITT. Good luck & Happy New Year!


Richard-

How To Think Like A Thin Person

See this person? They are not normal either. Inside I am Hello Kitty Storm Trooper too.

Tell me truthfully: Do you think that thin people actually think differently than heavier folks? (Avoiding for a moment the very real point that thinness does not necessarily bring happiness as evidenced by this Special K survey where the top 4 happiest - both with their looks and their lives - groups of women were sizes 10, 8, 6 and 12 respectively.)

I like to watch people eat. I stare. I'll admit it gets awkward occasionally. But, contrary to what they often think, I'm not mentally tallying the calorie count of their food or passing judgment about what put on their plate. What I'm doing is studying them. I'm trying to figure out how normal people act around food so that perhaps if I act like them, I'll eventually be normal too. So do thin people think differently? For myself, I don't know. What I do know is that for whatever reason many people of all sizes have a much happier relationship with food than I do. And I'm guessing that it might have to do with how they think.

Dr. Judith Beck agrees with me. Her father, the late great Dr. Aaron Beck, pioneered the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Any of you who have e-mailed me for advice about your own issues with food and/or compulsive exercise (despite the fact that I am not qualified to give anyone advice about anything, bless your hearts) probably got to hear a lot more than you wanted to know about CBT. I love it. I credit Dr. Beck the elder with helping me pull out of a serious depressive episode my freshman year of college. And now his daughter has adapted CBT principles to weight loss.

The basic premise of CBT is that to change your actions, you need to change your cognitions, or thoughts. You know the old saw about if you are unhappy then smile until you feel happy? It's sort of the same. You practice thinking and writing (there's lots and lots of writing involved in CBT) the thoughts you want to have and replacing your old destructive thoughts with the new ones. I'm not going to lie to you, it's a little labor intensive at first but it does get better until at last the new thoughts are habitual. I know it all sounds a little hokey but there is a substantial body of research to support it.

A few years ago Dr. Judith Beck came out with a neon pink - 'cause women love pink, get it? - little hardcover by the name of "The Beck Diet Solution." I was immediately skeptical as I am of anything using the four-letter D word but hey, I was in Barnes and Noble and you all already know about my dirty little secret about that store. So I read it. And then... I bought it. I think the Barnes and Noble sales person actually fainted when he rung me up. I loved it. It turns out that Dr. Beck was promoting a way to never diet again. At least in terms of highly restrictive food plans that cut severe calories or restrict whole food groups. In fact, it wasn't about dieting at all but rather about how to change your thought patterns to "think like a thin person."

She immediately dispelled the favorite myth of dieters everywhere that nobody has to watch what they eat except the poor sap on a diet. She contends that thin people are actually very careful with what they eat; they just don't think about it in terms of deprivation. Like I said earlier, I don't actually know how non-disordered eaters think. So I'll have to take Dr. Beck's word for it. But I would like to find out!

Dr. Beck has since come out with a sequel to her Diet Solution called The Complete Beck Diet for Life. This incorporates all the same skills as in the first book but adds a little more direction. The new book includes actual recipes and tips for maintaining your weight. All in all it is one of the most sane "diet" books I have ever read. And the best part is that you don't need any equipment fancier than a pencil and paper to do it!

That and you have to really decide that you want to do it. Trust me: at first you will think "I don't need to do all this writing nonsense; let's get to the good stuff!" This doesn't work. The whole point of CBT is that you have to ingrain it your brain through repetition. So skipping the repetition is like wearing Lindsay Lohan's "presidential" leggings and thinking that automatically entitles you to a Washington D.C. internship.

Tuesday's Great Fitness Experiment Giveway
What do you think? Do thin people think about food differently than not-thin people? Have any of you switched from one mindset to the other? Anyone stuck in a particular mindset? Leave me a comment on your take and you will be entered to win your very own copy of Dr. Beck's new book!

PS> For an awesome interview with Dr. Beck about her book, head over to Cranky Fitness!

5 (Free!) Ways To Start Your New Year Off Healthy

No, Protein Enhanced (look closely!!) Salad is not on my list.

A few days ago I was lounging around in my pajamas (a pair of Target special flannel PJ bottoms and a free YMCA sweatshirt so big I could belt it and call it a dress - remember this, it will be important later) and eating a wheel of brie while paging through one of my love-to-hate fitness magazines when I came across one of the ubiquitous New Year lists. This one was "Five Healthy Must-Have Products for the New Year" - the "new you" is implied for those of you who failed Marketing 101.

Item 1 on their list was loungewear, specifically a Donna Karan "lounge dress" in gray jersey with spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline and lots of floaty layers. In addition to being chilly - seriously DK, no woman "lounges" in lingerie even if it is made out of cotton - it was a cool $200. For that kind of cash I'd expect that dress to double for a black-tie formal, my next stint as a bridesmaid and the princess ballgown that the mice and birds are going to stitch for me after they finish cleaning my kitchen.

Just like their idea of loungewear was a far cry from what real women actually lounge in, the other four items on the list were similarly extravagant, idiotic and vaguely Victoria's Secret. But the real issue for me is that I couldn't figure out what any of them had to do with being or getting healthy. (Point about lots of nookie being healthy duly noted, men.)

Sure a Paris Hilton nightgown makes for good reality television but how will it lower your blood pressure? Lip butter is a bonus for dry skin but unless you have psoriasis of the mouth I hardly think it qualifies as a health product. This got me thinking: there are tons of great products out there that actually do more than just lift and separate. So it is with much love I present to you Charlotte's 5 Products For a Healthy New Year. And the best part of all of these is that they are freefreefree if you win them on my site! Not mention that you won't have to worry about a single one of them clashing with your fuzzy knee socks.

A Giveaway A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!
Each day this week I will be featuring one of my favorite health products - each of these is something that I personally use, love and endorse. (And you all know I've tried some rather dubious things in the past so you can relax, these are all good ones!) I'll announce a new product and giveaway each day and each contest will run through Friday, Jan 1st at midnight. Winners will be announced on Saturday. All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment about whatever topic I give you.

Monday's Giveaway: The VitaMix 5200!
No this is not the crazy robot from The Black Hole, '80's space movie extraordinaire (Can you believe that thing was a Disney movie?), this is actually the coolest blender in creation. This blender could go head to head with that scary blender-handed hell robot and win, is what I'm saying. So ice is obviously no problem for it. It also mulches nuts, grinds grains, and makes sorbet, in addition to the 52 other healthy ways you can use it. It makes healthy cooking with whole foods much much easier. It is also the most reliable blender on the market . Singing birds and talking mice that clean up afterwards weren't mentioned in the brochure but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they pop out of the box too.

To enter to win this sweet little kitchen machine of love, go to the VitaMix site and then leave me a comment here telling me which of the 52 ways you would use to make something healthy. It won't get you an extra entry but if any movies involving blenders come to mind, you know I want to hear about it! And be sure to check in every day this week for other cool giveaways.

PS> Speaking of '80's movies, for the longest time I thought Goonies was a horror flick because of that scene where they threaten to put one of the little kids in a blender. It wasn't until I was an adult that I figured out it was supposed to be funny. The VitaMix 5200 would never ever puree a child.

Boxing is an explosive sport, ballistic training methods are especially effective during weight training for boxing. Improve your strength

There are several general concepts, which helped to shape the specific program. First, the work profile of boxing is repeated 3-minute rounds of activity, often with very high intensity bursts within a round. The rounds are separated by one-minute rest intervals. Thus, the relative contribution of anaerobic energy release pathways is considered extremely important, with aerobic capacity playing an important role in terms of facilitating rapid recovery. Extreme conditioning is required to fight effectively for ten intense, 3-minute rounds and anaerobic endurance is a key aspect that cannot be overlooked.

Short of an early round knockout, boxers cannot afford to win only the early rounds of a fight. They must maintain an intense, but measured pace throughout a long and competitive bout. So conditioning counts almost as much as skill for boxing success. Optimal physical conditioning provides the platform from which the skills can be used. The best way to simulate the demands of boxing is to use conditioning methods, which mimic the work/rest ratio and integrated bursts of power that typify boxing.

Because boxing is an explosive sport, ballistic training methods are especially effective during weight training for boxing. Learn how to improve your strength and agility for boxing!



There are several general concepts, which helped to shape the specific program. First, the work profile of boxing is repeated 3-minute rounds of activity, often with very high intensity bursts within a round. The rounds are separated by one-minute rest intervals. Thus, the relative contribution of anaerobic energy release pathways is considered extremely important, with aerobic capacity playing an important role in terms of facilitating rapid recovery. Extreme conditioning is required to fight effectively for ten intense, 3-minute rounds and anaerobic endurance is a key aspect that cannot be overlooked.

Short of an early round knockout, boxers cannot afford to win only the early rounds of a fight. They must maintain an intense, but measured pace throughout a long and competitive bout. So conditioning counts almost as much as skill for boxing success. Optimal physical conditioning provides the platform from which the skills can be used. The best way to simulate the demands of boxing is to use conditioning methods, which mimic the work/rest ratio and integrated bursts of power that typify boxing.


Boxing is a highly individual sport. Fighters possess unique styles that create specific physical demands. Some rely on explosive strength ("power"), for others it's starting strength ("speed"), and for most a combination of the two ("speed-strength"). True champions change their style in a way that will make them more able to attack the weaknesses of any given opponent. Improvements in specific capacities can be made, but they are only helpful if integrated into the fighter's style. For example, extensive footwork exercises may not benefit the power puncher who fights stationary and looks to deliver a blow that starts with the legs and drives right through the opponent, and wins that way. Similarly, a fighter who relies on punching speed and fast footwork should not put all his training hours into heavy bag work and muscle mass development. So, the program designed must not only be specific to boxing, but also specific to the boxer.

Ideally, the boxing punch consists of synchronization between arm, leg, and trunk actions. The punching movement of a boxer consists of leg extension, trunk rotation, and arm extension, in succession. The more effective the coordination between arms, legs and trunk movements are the greatest and the impact force of a punch. The leg muscles play a vital role in the power developed in this sequence. Increasing leg force development and coordinating it with trunk and arm action is probably the most effective way to increase punching power.

Because boxing is an explosive sport, ballistic training methods are especially effective during weight training for boxing. This kind of training method requires the athlete to perform each repetition explosively, with maximal intended velocity. Finally, in my view, the best way to weight train for competitive boxing is via a cycled training schedule. This type of training schedule integrates workouts and exercises that will meet all the basic performance demands of boxing, strength, power, speed, agility, and strength endurance.

Happy Holiday-ing!

You know you want one of these bad boys this season!

I'm taking the week off blogging to wrap presents, sit around in my pajamas and eat brie. Aw, who am I kidding - I totally blog in my pajamas. Same with the brie. But the wrapping presents, well now, that takes two hands! I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and I'll see you back next Monday! And do come back because I have several really great giveaways lined up as well as the results from my karate experiment - complete with first-ever Great Fitness Experiment video! Now you can see the Gym Buddies and I in action. And yes, I am every bit as dorky as I sound.

Don't forget: new Experiment coming right at you in January!

In the meantime, here's a question for you: Would you find it helpful if I came up with a posting schedule? For example, Mondays are Experiments, Tuesdays are confessionals (I mean personal essays), Wednesdays are gym adventures, Thursdays are reader mail and Fridays are pop culture. Or are you happy with whatever randomness feels like coming out of my fingers? And, just so you don't have to do any extra work during this festive season, I've made it easy for you to answer. Here's a poll!

poll by twiigs.com

Hollywood, models & actor types get fit here. Because its real.

Shadowboxing allows you to rack up high reps without the resistance of a bag to slow your punches. You'll tone your shoulders, back, and core, which will help you throw faster punches.

Hit on beat: Play five songs that have strong rhythms and last three to four minutes each. On every fourth beat (count out loud to keep yourself on track), unleash one of the punch combinations below, and then bring your hands back to your starting stance before the next beat. The shifting tempo of some tracks may require you to punch continuously until the song slows.

Combos for each song:

1. Left jab, left jab, right cross

2. Right cross, left jab, right uppercut

3. Left body punch, right body punch, left uppercut

4. Right uppercut, right cross, left hook

5. Right cross, left hook, right hook

Warm Up Like a Champ

Three-time welterweight champ Antonio "the Tijuana Tornado" Margarito shows you how to prime your muscles. Complete each motion 12 to 15 times for enhanced mobility.

Upper body

Arm circles: Draw large circles with your arms, first in a forward motion, then backward.
Crossovers: Swing both arms out to your sides and then cross them in front of your chest.
Core

Shoulder slumps: Tuck your chin toward your chest, drop your shoulders, and bring your chest slightly forward. Next, pull your shoulders back, raise your chin, and lift your chest while arching your back slightly.
Lower body

Hip circles: With your hands on your hips, spread your feet beyond shoulder-width apart. Move your hips clockwise in a circle, then counterclockwise. Repeat with your arms extended out to your sides.

Here's Your Chance To Do Some Good

Back when the husband and I were first married, I was fulfilling my new-bride task of writing thank you notes for all the generous gifts we had been given. (Random funny story: Someone gave us an electric teakettle which we promptly returned because we're LDS and don't drink tea - and also we lived in a 500 sq ft studio apartment and counter space consisted of our two-person table. The store gave me a whopping 75$ for it which thrilled me to no end. Who knew they were so pricey? But then two weeks later we got a call saying that what was in the box was not an electric teakettle but rather a cut-glass Easter basket. We had to go back to the store and give them $75 to buy back our tchotchke. But hey, that's what every newlywed couple needs - a 10-lb glass bowl that you can either use to gather Fabrege eggs OR slit your wrists!) Anyhow, every manners book said it wasn't enough to just write "Dear Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, Thank you for the set of towels." No, you are supposed to tell them how beautiful they are and what you are using them for. Well, a lot of people gave us money and so in the spirit of erring on the side of too much honesty I wrote on all those thank-you cards "Thanks for your generous gift. We are saving up to buy a bed so we don't have to sleep on the floor anymore. Love, Charlotte."

About a month later we found a money order from Grand Junction Colorado, a place where we know nary a soul, in our mailbox. It was for $250 with a post-it note that said "Buy a bed."

I was floored. The husband was floored. Never in our lives had we been the recipients of such charity. And there wasn't even a return address to send a thank-you card to! After admiring the large sum of money for a while we decided to follow our anonymous benefactors instructions and buy a bed. It's the same queen bed we sleep on to this day, 10 years later. Every time I make it I am reminded of what a gift we received. Every night before I crawl into it I say a prayer asking God to help me find a way to pay it forward (and also, if He's not too busy, to help my children learn to vomit during the daytime instead of the middle of the night. And in the toilet. Thank you). I've been blessed to find ways both small and large to anonymously help a sister (or brother!) out and today we all get another chance to do something small to help out another.

This is one of those miracles though that starts out small but if we all do it, it will be huge! What do you have to do? Just leave a comment on MizFit's site any time between now and midnight on the 23rd and she and her husband will donate (out of their not-fantastically-wealthy-but-oh-so-good-hearted pockets) a set amount per comment to an Austin area homeless shelter. And all you have to do is head over to her site and leave a comment!

So, while you're here, leave me a comment and tell me about an act of service that someone did for you that was particularly meaningful and then head over there and help her help the homeless! (Or if you are on a comment budget today, just forego the commenting here and go directly to her site.)

One more piece of information that I know will greatly excite some of you: Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple is thisclose to premiering his book The Primal Blueprint. Go check out the chapter descriptions and the table of contents for a sneak peak at what the Guru of all things Primal has to say!

Have a great weekend!

Understand Why You're Doing Ab Work

Many people love performing a lot of high rep ab work because the burn they get in their abs makes them feel nice and tight. There's something about performing endless sets of high repetition ab exercises that makes people feel good. The stomach "feels" slimmer and tighter, even though it's only temporary.

Even people aware of the spot reduction myth still enjoy performing lots of ab work for this reason. However, your main goal should be to make those ab muscles bigger so they "pop out." Thenyou get the waist lean and tight through diet and overall exercise so those new muscles can shine through.

Think of it this way... Let's say you wanted to get more muscular biceps. So you go and pick up a 5-pound dumbbell and knock out 100 reps of curls. Your biceps feel nice, firm and pumped up right? But how much muscle are you going to build compared to picking up a 20-pound dumbbell and knocking out a set of 10 heavy curls? If you connect the dots back to the abs, you should be able to see the big picture.


Treat The Abs Like Any Other Muscle Group

It's still a big myth that the abs need a ton of repetitions. It's not uncommon to see people do 100 reps per set, performing exercises for minutes on end. However, the abdominals respond to resistance just like any other muscle group.

Since the range of motion on many ab exercises is shorter than something like a squat or bench press, a higher rep range can be used. But if you can perform any exercise for longer than a minute straight, you're not recruiting the type of muscle fiber that will lead to great ab stimulation.

Prioritize Basic Movements in the Gym

Many lifters and other athletes like boxers & gymnasts develop excellent core musculature without ever performing any ab exercises at all. If you perform big money movements like standing presses, deadlifts and squats, you can't help but activate your core.

Almost all single-legged movements, like lunges, are excellent for core activation. So are exercises like isometric planks, side planks, running sprints, and push-up variations.


Stimulate, Don't Annihilate

Remember, the goal with ab training is to get the abdominal muscles a little bigger so they pop out. Even when developed to the max, these muscles aren't very big because their potential for growth is limited. It doesn't take a ton of volume to stimulate them.

A total of 12 solid sets per week of direct ab work should be more than enough for anyone. Most people can actually get excellent results performing two or three sets twice per week. I prefer to pick two exercises, two or three days each week, and perform three to four sets of each movement.

weighted rope crunch
cable wood chop at med, high and low cable settings
dumbbell side bend superset
wheel.......bottom line get creative not crazy.

LEAN, DEFINED & MUSCULAR...THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS!!!!

Fit guys and girls with lean, defined midsections stand out more than a Sumo wrestler in public. Not only is a granite set of abs sexy, but a solid core acts as a muscular belt that helps to stabilize the trunk and reduce the risk of back injury. Read on for a surefire recipe to turn a flabby belly into a six-pack.

Take a stroll through any crowded public place and, if you're like me, you'll probably find it hard not to make a mental "ewwww" note as you notice all the women walking around sporting flabby muffin tops.

In case you're not familiar with the terminology, muffin top is a slang term used for a female whose flabby midsection spills over the waistline of her pants so that it resembles the top of a figure-killing, calorie-dense muffin.

I'm not sure if the problem is that there are so many more flabby females these days or so many more ladies exposing their abdomens regardless of their shape, but the muffin top epidemic has become so bad that manufacturers have gotten involved and re-introduced mid-rise jeans, which come up higher on the waist to eliminate or hide the muffin top.

I know that the women who read this site might be in less-than-rock hard condition and would never deliberately expose their flabby tummies and back-fat like this, but the point is, with so much flab in today's world, there's something special and uncommon about a tight waistline and rock hard set of abs.

Get Your Diet Right!!!!

If your abs are covered in a blanket of bodyfat, you can train them until you're blue in the face... it's not going to make them look more impressive. You can't significantly increase fat loss by doing ab work. The way to shed the fat is by following a properdiet and training program.

One of the best exercises for developing a great set of abs is called a "push-away." Simply push yourself away from the dinner table when you start to feel full! Here are some quick general tips for getting your diet right:


#1: Protein Comes First

Whether you follow a low carb, moderate carb, or high carb diet, they can all work equally well providing you get your protein in. Shoot for at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and make sure you eat protein at each meal. Craving junk food? You can have it from time to time, but not until you eat your protein!

#2: Try To Avoid The 7 C's

Sedentary people who have been eating "normal" food come to me all the time and say they've made up their mind. They want to get in shape and want me to do a complete overhaul on their diet overnight. I am usually reluctant to do this.

The problem is that going from a standard diet (which is usually full of junk) to a hardcore bodybuilding diet overnight is sure to drive anyone totally crazy and only set them up for failure. It's not uncommon for people to literally get sick when they go from eating junk to eating nothing but egg whites and chicken breasts.

The reality is that it doesn't take many adjustments for most people to make dramatic dietary improvements. All it reallytakes is avoiding the real "diet killers" and eating more protein. I call these diet killers the 7 C's. They are Colas, Candy, Cakes, Cookies, Crackers, ice Cream, and Cereal. Limit those and you instantly improve your diet.


#3: If It Can Be Shot or Grown, Eat It!

So what qualifies for a healthy food choice? If in doubt, ask yourself whether you can shoot it or grow it. If so, you can eat it. This will automatically get you eating more whole, unprocessed foods.

You can grow oatmeal, potatoes, and rice. You can't grow Frosted Flakes or ice cream. You can shoot steak, chicken breast, and fish. You can't shoot Pop Tarts. You can grow corn on the cob. You can't grow corn chips.

There is one exception - dairy products. They don't really fit the description but they are okay, except for ice cream.

#4: Snack Smart

When it comes to snacks, it's hard to beat beef jerky, raw fruit, or protein smoothies. Mixed nuts are okay in moderation. Many of the low-sugar puddings and Jell-O's aren't really healthy, but are also okay as an occasional snack.

What you want to avoid are calorie-dense, sugar-laden foods like the 7 C's. The problem with these foods is that they are so full of calories, sugar, and bad fats that it's just too easy to eat a half-day's worth of maintenance calories without realizing it.


Exercise: Focus on Activity, Not Crunches

The harder you train, the more calories you burn. The more calories you burn, the more fat you shed. The more fat you shed, the leaner you get and the better your midsection will look.What burns more calories... a set of squats or a set of crunches? A leisurely stroll on the treadmill or a 15-minute gut-busting session of high intensity cardio? Those are no-brainers. Hard exercises and workouts where you really break a sweat will keep your metabolism elevated for hours after you leave the gym.

A 30-minute session of moderate cardio and a 10-set weight training workout consisting of squats, bench presses, and rows will both burn the same amount of calories during exercise — about 300 to 350 calories. However, by doing the intense weight training, your metabolism will stay elevated for an entire day afterwards, burning an additional 700 or so calories.

So, if you want to burn a lot of fat, make sure to prioritize weight training and higher intensity cardio. If you need additional activity, you can add low intensity cardio once you have a solid, more intense plan already in place.

When Spandex Attacks: The Top 5 Worst Wardrobe Malfunctions in the Gym

It's the part they never show you in the glossy magazine pictures and peppy fitness videos: what happens when gym clothes attack. From small things like wedgies, camel toe, and muffin top, to big things like split pants, nip slips, and moonings to weird things like sweat stains in places people like to pretend they don't sweat, I've seen it all. So heat up a nice mug of schadenfreude because today I'm giving you a rundown of the top 5 worst wardrobe malfunctions in the gym. And you know most of them involve me. Sigh.

[Edited to add: One early commenter on this post was concerned that I and/or my commenters were making fun of individual people for their fashion sense or body type. I hope that that is not the case! In this post I try to keep the emphasis on what bad clothes do to good people. It doesn't matter what shape you are in or how long you've been working out, wardrobe malfunctions happen to the best of us and sometimes the only thing you can do is laugh at yourself:) I hope everyone feels safe here. Feel free to call me out if you think I'm bodysnarking!]

Five: Aerobics Instructor Splits Her Pants... And Keeps on Teaching
A classic example of good gym clothes gone bad, I had an aerobics teacher attacked by her spandex capris. There she was, teaching a great class and singing along to the tunes when she jumped into a deep squat. We couldn't hear the tear over the music but it became immediately apparent courtesy of the mirrors that line every flat surface in cardio rooms. What was also apparent was that she wasn't wearing undies. That was bad enough but the real hijinks ensued when we realized that she didn't seem to realize what had happened. At first I thought perhaps she was just going to finish out the track and then discreetly cross her legs for the rest of the class. But the next song started and she just kept on going, in spite of all the looks and muted giggles from the (thankfully all female) class. I mouthed to Gym Buddy Allison, "Should we tell her?" Allison shook her head as this teacher was not known for appreciating comments from the peanut gallery but changed her mind after the next song when it seemed the tear was widening. Before we got an impromptu class in Stripperobics, we approached her together. I politely pointed out the problem and Allison offered her sweatshirt to tie around her waist.

She waved us away with an impatient, "You girls worry about the silliest things!" And she finished teaching the class.

Four: Turbo Jennie Loses Her Top
I've shared this moment before - with her permission - but it was just so classic that it had to make my top 5. Jennie is known for her impeccable taste in workout attire. She always looks cute and put together but not in that I-spent-$700-to-buy-a-perfectly-coordinated-Lululemon-set way but rather I just rolled out of bed and happen to always look this darling. And on this particular day she was wearing a grey halter top that fastened behind her neck with a hook. A hook apparently made by Fredricks of Hollywood. It chose the moment when she was instructing the leg track in BodyPump, complete with weighted bar across her shoulders to disengage. Upon feeling the draft, quick thinking Jennie, turned around - bar and all - so her back was to the class. Which would have helped had she not been flanked by mirrors. Thankfully she was rescued by another instructor and in true fit teacher form didn't even drop her weights. Strangely attendance in her classes increased 10-fold after the incident;)

Three: Woman Aerobicizes in See Through Pants
There's a reason those super tight cotton leggings went out in the '80s. And it's not just because of the color blocking down the sides or a waistband you can tuck into your armpits. See, the thing is - they're thin. You wouldn't think that would be terribly worrisome as long as the wearer kept up on their personal grooming. But then you weren't staring them down while laying on your back doing abs. The combination of the thin cotton stretched too tightly, bright lighting and no underwear caused the Gym Buddies and I to come face to face with - well, there's just no polite way to say it - some distinct female anatomy. It was so shocking that I actually did a double take. It was Lindsay Lohan does group fit, minus any cutely placed smiley faces. Nobody needs to see that.

Two: Men in Split Shorts
So far all the victims have been women but men do not escape the wrath of Lycra scorned. Those of you who run in Serious Races (as opposed to the rest of us who "run" in "races") are well accustomed to seeing men running in side-split shorts. For those of you not so acquainted with this fashion delight, they're basically running shorts but much shorter and with a slit up each side that goes to the waistband to allow for greater leg movement (see above). For some reason I cannot comprehend they usually don't come with built-in undies and some men decline to wear any at all. Split shorts are fine and dandy for Serious Racing. They are not appropriate gym attire as demonstrated by not one but several charming older fellows at my gym. Evidence One: riding a stationary bike. Every time his leg went up, so did his shorts, causing Gym Buddy Allison to christen them the Cleavage Shorts. Evidence Two: the lifted quad stretch. This gentleman proceeded to lift his leg behind him in an elegant quad stretch. Sadly, I was right behind him and got to see what is normally the territory of nursing home or hospital staff. My mother, who is a nurse, says that if you've seen one set of twig-n-berries you've seen them all. I disagree. Ahem.

One: My Photoshoot for First
Last month I did an interview with First Magazine on how to get comfortable enough with your body to feel good working out in a gym (look for me on newsstands in January!) and part of the interview was a photoshoot. My previous experience as a fitness model was super fun and so I was all psyched to do this shoot. I had my own stylist! And makeup artist! And camera man (who giggled like a Teletubby)! And lighting assistant!

They all descended on the Y to transform me into a workout nymph and then photograph me in my natural setting. My first clue that things might not go as I envisoned should have been when they turned me into Sarah Palin in yoga pants. "Hmmm.... Does anyone ever tell you you like Sarah P..." the makeup artist started to ask as she covered up the burn marks on my neck that look like hickies despite being over 6 months old. "Tina Fey?" I interrupted hopefully. "Um, yeah, Tina Fey. You definitely look like Tina Fey." Because I'm sure Tina Fey works out in Tammy Faye worthy makeup and a bouffant.

My first top was cute: a little blue Danskin number with a built-in bra that actually made me look like I have something on top other than what belongs in a Kleenex box. I held 10-lb weights and preened and curtseyed and looked pensive and otherwise really ticked off all the people on the weight floor who had to walk around my circus to get to the weight rack. (Note: I started out curling 20-pounders as is my usual but then I realized that we weren't stopping at 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Nope, I ended up bicep curling for a solid half hour straight. While smiling. Which is how I ended up with wussy 10 pound weights. I have new respect for fitness models and their tiny baby weights. I was sore for days.)

The second outfit was where it all went wrong. We were well into hour two by this point and when I went into the bathroom to change, I discovered the second top - a super cute Champion dip dye tank - had no built in bra. I had no bra. The stylist had no bra. (For me. I'm sure she was wearing one. Not that I checked. Anyhow.) So I sucked it up and went commando, hoping it wouldn't be too obvious. It was terribly obvious. Especially when the flash went off. For the first time in my life I had empathy for Sharon Stone. I blushed and roundhoused with my arms clamped to my chest. The photographer tried to reassure me, "Don't worry, that's what Photoshop is for!"

And I might've been okay. There I was sitting in a full lotus bathed in golden light and trying my best to look ethereal and not constipated. I was relaxing, it was fun. But then the woman who was there to powder my scalp and smooth out the wrinkles in my shirt and pick the lint off the butt of my pants leaned down and whispered "Sweetie, could you lift those up? They seem to be, uh, falling." At first I thought she meant my feet. She did not.

I blushed from head to toe and then in true Charlotte fashion exlaimed, "I can't help it! I've had 4 children! AND I BREASTFEED!" The photographer burst out laughing. The assistant almost dropped her light reflector thingy. And the stylist looked as if I had just convinced her to never ever procreate. I couldn't stop myself. "You think these are bad? You should see my stretch marks!" Then I made them all turn around while I put the girls back where anatomy charts say they are supposed to reside. I'm sure they will remember me always.

So, think of that when you see me in First magazine next month. All I can say is I'd better be photoshopped.

Men Get Eating Disorders Too

Just like you can't go to a Melissa Etheridge concert without seeing an abundance of pit hair, these days you can't go to an indie rock concert without seeing... emaciated men? This season, anorexic is the new black for the skinny jeans and eyeliner-for-men set. In a profession where rock stars have typically looked drug-emaciated a la Steven Tyler and David Bowie, this new trend hasn't garnered a lot of attention. The difference now however is that rather than all the bony rib cages being a result of popping oxycontin like tic tacs, thinness is sought after as a goal in its own right. Blame American Apparel or Pete Wentz, but men in this particular hipster subculture are now being held up to the impossibly skinny standard - and realizing firsthand how difficult it is to reach and how painful it is to always come up short.

Recently Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon admitted that he struggles with anorexia. In an interview with Q magazine he says, "I always thought I wasn't good enough. I'd do anything to keep my hands and mouth busy without eating." Adds Priya Elan of The Guardian, "He lived on black coffee and would go running in hot weather wearing a heavy tracksuit to sweat off as many pounds as possible in order to stay skinny. It isn't a huge surprise that the singer of one of indie rock's biggest bands was anorexic. What is surprising is that he's admitted it."

Followill might be the most honest of the group but he certainly isn't the only indie boy in this band. Other indie stars known for their bony frames and body issues include Kurt Cobain, Pete Wentz, Kaiser Chief's Ricky Wilson and Amos Lee. Seeing as I love all of their music (yeah, I just admitted to digging Fall Out Boy. I'm 12, I know.), it would be a shame to see any of them go the Karen Carpenter route - barring Cobain as he's already playing his coffeehouse gig in the sky.

Kurt Cobain, still dead, now schills shoes for the living

Pete Wentz, belching the alphabet

Ricky Wilson gives new meaning to Hey, Mr. Tamborine Man

Amos Lee looks over his shoulder in an alley. Which I would be too if I were sitting on such a nice leather "free" chair.

Slowly but surely it's been percolating to the surface of our media-addled public consciousness that men struggle with body issues too, whether it be looking good in bike shorts at the gym or measuring up to David Beckham's, ahem, standard (is that what the kids are calling it these days?). I have even seen it filtering down to suburbia as evidenced by my literal tug of war with a pair of teenaged boys over a thrift-store pair of women's Chip and Pepper skinny cut jeans. (I won.) It may not be as prevalent or as pernicious as among women but give 'em twenty years to catch up; we had a head start.

Sexy and Cute gymnast Fabian Hambuechen

Fabian Hambuechen

John Cena & Homies

John Cena

Your Ideal Time of Day to Workout

Got Milk? Ahem.

It's one of the most hotly debated and simultaneously inane topics in fitness: What time of day is the best time to workout? For most people existing in the normal sphere, the answer aligns with Columbia University's ask-me-your-most-embarrassing-questions provocateur Go Ask Alice. In addition to having her to thank for filling in the gaps in my sex education (even grown-ups wonder about... things) , she is also good at spouting the party line by succinctly stating the current scientific consensus. Which in this case is - say it with me now - "The best time to exercise is the time that's right for you."

Good, now that we've got that out of the way we can agree that since a) I'm not normal and b) I schedule my day around my workout(s) rather than the other way around, there is some merit in discussing this further. Even if it is just to have you all comment, "I can't believe you schedule your day around your workouts! Get a life, you nut!!"

So what is the best time of day to workout?
It depends on what you are doing. According to research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, human beings are actually at their weakest first thing in the morning with muscular strength peaking in the late afternoon and early evening. Our muscles burn glycogen and glycogen stores are running low due to our overnight fasting. Also, apparently our muscles work better when our body temperature is higher which naturally peaks later in the day.

A disturbing little study cited in the same article studied male college students for 10 weeks. The group of 16 men did 45 minutes of weights followed by 45 minutes of cardio. Half the group did this workout at 10 am and the other half did it at 6 pm. What happened is either very disturbing or very indicative of the crazy lives of college males:

"The PM group had a 3.2% increase in lean mass, compared with a 0.6% gain in the AM group. Body fat dropped by 4% in the PM group, while it actually increased by nearly 5% in the AM group."

If I were in that study I'd be ticked. 5% is a lot of body fat to gain in 10 weeks. Of course this type of study often has many variables that cannot be controlled for. To truly analyze the results we'd need to do a follow-up study examining the correlation of late-night frat party keggers/A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila marathons with missed a.m. workouts. I'm just saying.

On the other end of the exercise spectrum however, it appears that if cardio is your goal then the morning might be your best time to workout. Not only do morning exercisers report having greater energy throughout the day, it may also help you burn more fat and continue to burn more fat throughout the day due to a super-charged metabolism.

Another perk of a.m. cardio is that you are more likely to stick with it. Apparently will power is a limited resource and as you spend it over the course of the day on things like not eating your office mate's face cake then you have less of it to motivate you to workout when you finally get out of said office.

Lark or Owl
One last factor to consider is that scientists have discovered something very exciting: People are different. And not just in which locker room they use. (Side note: the men's locker rooms at my gym are red. The women's are green. This has caused more than one massively embarrassing moment to many an inattentive gym goer, myself included. My theory is that maintenance has a wicked sense of humor.) Apparently there are two types of folks - larks, or naturally early risers, and owls, or naturally late sleepers. Despite all assertions to the contrary by your high school principal, your body gravitates towards one or the other. I'm an owl married to a lark. He's the Bella to my Edward. I even have the pale cold skin to prove it! But I definitely look better in a dress. Not that that's important to vampires. Although it is to my husband. Anyhow...

The other night I got to put my owl tendencies to the test when I joined Gym Buddies Allison, Paul, Vernie, Sarah, Sunshine and Turbo Jennie for Midnight Turbo - a concept that only the most insane fitness fanatics would be excited about. And excited we were! The night started with an hour-long drive in which Sunshine and I shared the fold-down backseat of Paul's Highlander. I haven't been that close to someone in the backseat of a car since a very awkward double date in college in which all parties have been paid to never mention again. We then did Turbo Kick and Hip Hop Hustle until the wee hours of the morning, ending with dinner/breakfast/nausea at the local 24-hour diner. Capping the whole night of fun was the drive home, spent in the back giggling insanely with Sunshine for no apparent reason.


You know what I discovered? Midnight workouts give me really strange dreams. And it was fun to change up my routine. Except for Mondays and some Thursdays, I workout in the morning because am workouts interfere the least with my children's schedules. I like my a.m. sweat fests. I find I have more energy and patience throughout the day. I worry less about what I eat. Overall I think this owl girl is pretty converted to her lark schedule. And yet the nighttime workout was a blast as well. So maybe I'm closer to Go Ask Alice then I thought.

So, raise of hands - who's a lark and who's an owl? When is your ideal time to workout? When do you actually work out?

What Time of Day Do You Exercise?

• Morning - I sing the Sound of Music as I run laps in my nun's habit
• Afternoon - I pump iron and watch Oprah. What?!
• Evening - Gotta sweat off that dirty feeling my job leaves me with
• All the time - I'm a compulsive exerciser
• Exercise? I just read this blog for the pictures

Created on Dec 15, 2008

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poll by twiigs.com

Tattooed Hunks

The Wrong Way to Encourage Someone to Get Fit

I made a mistake. At first I was going to write this post and pretend I got an e-mail from someone asking me this question but I quickly realized that would be a bad idea on two fronts: one, I'm a terrible liar and two, seeing as I'm the one with the problem, I can't very well be giving myself advice now can I?

Dear Readers,
You guys are awesome and smart and have the best ideas. I have good intentions that often go awry. Please help me!
Love,
Charlotte

Encouragement is powerful. To be perfectly honest, I'm a people pleaser and have been willing to do pretty much anything to get praise since the second I slid out of the womb. (Doctor: "Baby Girl Hilton, APGAR at one minute - 10" Me: *squeeee*) However, I first became acquainted with this fact in a gym setting about five years ago. My first foray into real adult fitness was right after the birth of my 3rd child and I was about as beginner as they come. I knew I liked yoga. I knew I didn't fit into my pants. And that was pretty much it.

Then Nasca took me under her wing. A yoga and kickboxing instructor, not to mention a veteran bodybuilder and fitness competitor, she had a personality part Earth Mama and part Warrior Woman. Contrary to how most bodybuilders operate, there was never any talk of fat or thin with Nasca. She simply thought everyone was gorgeous. Including me. But she did think I should be stronger. Not from a looks standpoint but rather a functional one. I remember going on a joint expedition to Costco - with Costco it's never just a shopping trip; even if you're just getting milk it feels like the modern equivalent of slaying a buffalo and tying it to the back of your pony - and watching her heft 50-pound pallets of flour.

"Come on, use those triceps!" she joked as I struggled to help her.

"What's a tricep?" I asked lamely. "I don't think I have one."

"Everyone has one," she giggled. "Two actually. It's this cool little cut on the back of your arm." She lifted her sleeve to show me a beautiful mark of muscular definition etched into her caramel skin. Then she lifted my sleeve. "See? Yours is right here."

"Where?" I could only see white mushiness.

"Hold your arm like this." She flexed. I imitated her. Still nothing. Concerned, she felt the back of my arm up and down as I tried flexing in several different directions. "Wow," she finally said. "You really don't have one!" And then with no judgement whatsoever she said, "We've got to start you lifting weights."

As anyone who has ever explained something they are very good at to someone who is very bad at it knows, educating newbies is not fun. But to watch Nasca teach me basic weight lifting skills you would have thought I was the most exciting thing to hit the gym floor since thong leotards. Nasca gave me a lot of good information over the next few months but the real thing that kept me coming back was her friendship. She was always encouraging, always positive and always cared about me. If I didn't show up to class one day, she missed me. It sounds like a small thing but it meant a lot to me.

Since then I've tried to be that person for others. I try to notice when there are new people in class or on the weight floor. I try to reach out to them - say hi, offer a friendly smile and a little encouragement. And most of the time I think it works. I've made some great friends that way and people usually at least smile back.

Here's where it all went wrong: During a class a while ago I noticed a girl in the very back. She was new and hugging the door like it was the last escape hatch on the Red October. Nothing came easy to her. The choreography threw her, the music jarred her and the workout winded her. I tried unsuccessfully to catch her eye in the mirror so I could smile at her. She was so obviously uncomfortable that I expected her to dart out the door after five minutes and never come back. But at the end of class she was still there. I made a beeline for her.

"Hey, are you new?" I panted, dripping sweat. "You did really great today! It's a tough class - that's awesome you stuck it out!"

In an instant her look changed from dazed and tired to bald Britney with an umbrella. "Look bitch, I don't need your pity. Fat girls can work out too."

Did I mention she was quite obese?

She was slamming the door behind her before I could recover myself enough to apologize. It occurred to me then that perhaps what I meant to be encouraging actually sounded patronizing. In a society as weight-charged as ours, it amazes me that this hasn't come into my consciousness before. So what is the right way to encourage someone? Is this the type of situation where I should just keep my mouth shut? Has anyone else stuck their foot in their mouth like me?