I was going to post a review of 4-Hour Body this week. Unfortunately, I’m still reading it. And may very well be reading it for the rest of the summer. In the interim, as I work through the epic fitness bible (and count toting it around town as my daily workout), here are some hiking tips.

Obviously, you know that hiking is a workout — but do you know just how much?

I didn’t. Yet, after four hikes in three days, I now know convinced: Hiking is going to be an ingenious way to cross paths with my swimsuit in July. Following are some fitness benefits of hiking which I gleaned from trial (and mostly error) during a weekend in Moab, Utah.

Want to get bikini ready? Gyms be damned — hiking is where the workout’s at.

Reason #1 to Hike: It works all your muscles.

Leaping over streams, traversing sand, climbing rocks, breaking awkward falls, trekking downhill, uphill (and downhill and uphill again). Hiking terrain will force your body to work muscle groups large and small. Stray from paved or flat trails and you’ll get a serious interval workout too.

And to make the most of this total-body activity, you’ll want to dress appropriately. I slid down enough mountains to officially recommend comfortable, flexible clothing and shoes with decent traction. Truth be told, I find Vibram Five Fingers dorky (at best), but I coveted many a pair over the weekend for their grip and nimbleness as compared with my trainers.

Reason #2 to Hike: You’re more likely to leave your comfort zone.

Must. Get. To. Waterfall.

Hiking is a great way to force yourself to go a little further than planned. Sure you might be tired at the 5-mile mark, but you’ve come this far. Can you really turn back before you reach the trail destination? And once there, well, now you have no choice but to go all the way back.

To sidestep plateaus and progress in your regimen, you need to stop being a wuss. And be honest: how often does it happen at the gym, where you can jump ship at first sign of dewy forehead?

There’s also something about being in nature that seems to channel a primitive survival instinct. It seems to trigger an ability to handle rough n’ tumble activities we might not do, say, in an air conditioned room with iPod and coffee-flavored protein smoothie at arm’s length.

Reason #3 to Hike: The scenery serves as a distraction.

Sure, you need to face the pain and conquer it… or whatever. But according to marathon psychologist Jeff Brown, there’s nothing wrong with wielding distraction to get through a tough workout. (He says athletes do it.)

Well, what better distraction than nature, full of new and ever-changing stimuli, to get through a grueling workout?

So stop watching Judge Judy — and the clock. Hit the trails!

Got hiking tips? I need them.

Related posts:

• 5 Fun Ways to Stay in Shape
• 10 Signs You’re Exercising Too Much
• The 7 Deadly Sins of Race Training

In honor of National Bike Month, I spent the weekend making a list of the things I’ve learned about cycling over the past year. Namely, the things I’ve learned not to ride without. After surviving Little Red Riding Hood last June despite a savage lack of preparation, I decided that cycling might be the sport for me, so I made a few upgrades to my regimen. I quickly realized they were long overdue. If you’re just getting started with cycling or are stuck in the budget-DIY-version, here are four investments you should make now. Don’t worry, some are free.

1. Throw down for gear and a bike fitting.

This I learned the hard way—literally. Riding without proper cycling gear really hurts! If you’re pretty sure that you’ll stick to cycling, even just on the weekends, it’s worth splurging on some clothing and equipment.

You like being uncomfortable just to save a few bucks? Fine. But those bicycling backaches, wrist aches, knee aches and “other ailments” (you know what I’m talking about) can stick around long after your rides. So get the padded shorts, ventilated jersey, gloves and shoes. To be able to ride longer and have correct posture is well worth it, and ergonomic accessories can help prevent overuse injuries. (By the way, I’ve spent eons shopping for the right pair of bike shorts. The verdict? Sugoi shorts rock. They don’t bunch up in the you-know-where.)

As for the bike, yours should fit you proportionately with your seat at the right height. Gender-specific matters. And side handle add-ons or drop handlebars are great for giving your wrists a little variety.

2. You needn’t head for the hills.

Repeat after me: Gear-mashing is not the only way to get fit on your bike. Yes, you want to build muscle in order to get stronger and burn more fat, and you’ve been told that steady-state cycling won’t do much for you. But according to Bicycling Magazine’s Selene Yeager, “fast feet stave off fatigue.”

So rather than hammer your way uphill on the high gears—especially if you’re going for a long-distance ride rather than a quick strength-training workout—she recommends pedaling faster on a lower gear for better results. That’s called spinning, by the way, and let the sweat puddles in spin class be testimony to its effectiveness.

3. Get more than a leg workout.

Hey gladiator quads. Cycling can tap more muscle groups than you think. A pedaling technique I used last year while riding for 5 straight hours? Switch the muscles you’re using to power yourself. Give your quads and calves a rest by channeling your glutes, pulling instead of pushing as you pedal. It disengages your legs and draws energy from your butt through your hamstrings. Give it a try. You might not be able to walk the next day, but hey, it’s a glute workout.

You can also get an energy boost by engaging your core. In fact, holding yourself upright and strong on your bike is a serious core workout and means less work for your other muscles. I actually prefer to power with my glutes instead of my legs because it uses less energy. I also have a more even, elegant pedal stroke and can better hold my line.

4. Events are awesome.

Like Ryan says, there’s no reason to fear your first race. Events and competitions should not be intimidating. As for support, the people are friendly and the water, food and SAG wagons abound. Not only that, but the camaraderie and the goal are shockingly effective ways to jumpstart a sleepy cycling routine. [See 7 Easy Ways to Rekindle Your Workout Routine and 5 Cheap Alternatives to Hiring a Personal Trainer.]

Need more proof that all of this works? How ‘bout this: Little Red Riding Hood, which raises money and awareness for cancer research, caps at 3,000 riders. Each year, it sells out literally within days of registration opening. People flock from all over and camp out to do this ride.

Cycling events make awesome mini getaways and are a chance to meet new people and see new places. Sounds better than a weekend in Vegas, if you ask me (unless you’re there for Viva Bike Vegas).

A final word of warning

You will probably spend more on your cycling hobby than you intended. This is where upgrades blur into blatant splurges, and you might just choose to roll with it. For example, yesterday I stopped in at a bike shop for a $30 bike light. 30 minutes, 60 dollars and one baby-blue-eyed freckled salesperson later, I was the proud owner of two flashing-blinking-chargeable-by-iPhone bike lights. And I’ll probably still get run over.

But hey, sometimes the toys make the sport.

What are your tips for improving the cycling experience?

Related articles:

• 7 Deadly Sins of Race Training
• 6 Fitness Splurges Worth the Money
• Are You Being an Exercise Wuss?

Q: I’m an 18-year-old male. I have a little bit of belly fat. I can see my top two abs when I tense. My question is, how can I get a six pack by spring break? What do I need to do? – Will

A: A six pack by spring break? Doable! Get ready to shed excess fat and build muscle—the two keys to a “fast track” six pack.

P.S. You probably already have a six pack underneath that “little bit of belly fat.” Especially if you can see definition in the top abs. Ready to bring it forth?

Attack the Flab Around Your Midsection

1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Interval cardio will burn more fat than steady state cardio (like running or cycling at a steady pace). And, you’ll build more muscle. Interval cardio consists of short bursts of high intensity exertion, followed by brief periods of “active” rest. This keeps the body off balance so it can’t adjust and hoard calories, and it also works multiple muscle groups. Best of all, not only will you burn more fat during a HIIT workout,  you’ll get EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. What does that mean? More calorie burn post-workout! Get the full scoop in our metabolic circuit post.

2. Eat Healthier. Skip the refined sugar (what’s that?), the fries and other junk food, and focus on maintaining a healthy, well-rounded diet. It’s important to incorporate lots of variety into your meals to make sure you get ample nutrients. We recommend eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day, instead of 2-3. This will enhance your metabolism, reduce unhealthy cravings, and deliver plenty of energy for your workouts. You’ll want to steer clear of carbonation, as well—soda and beer are the enemies of a washboard stomach!

3. Drink Green Tea. It’s a metabolism-booster and antioxidant with proven stomach fat-blasting benefits. Don’t like the taste? You can take Green Tea in extract form, on its own or as a compound supplement (get it at any grocery store). Read more about the benefits of green tea.

While you’re losing that little bit of excess fat, you can jump right into your ab muscle workouts! Lean muscle mass burns more calories, so your strength training will fuel your fat burn.

4 Moves for a Rock-Solid Stomach

1. Keep Your Abs Engaged. Your core region (lower back, abs and glutes) make up your “stabilizer” muscle group. This powerhouse is constantly at work when you’re doing ANY kind of workout, so take advantage of this! When you’re lifting weights, or doing anything that uses your stabilizer muscles, consciously tap into that strength—keep your abs tight and posture solid, and you’ll see big results.

2. Use Compound Movements.  When targeting your abs, compound exercises are better than isolated ones. Why not work multiple muscle groups at once? Some compound movements that work the whole ab region include Planks and the Bicycle Maneuver:

• For Planks, lie face down, forearms and toes pressed into the floor, and lift your hips up off the floor. Engage your abs, straighten your back and hold this position for as long as you can. Trust us, you’ll feel your entire ab region engaged! When you progress, you can also try a plank variation using an exercise ball.
  

• For Bicycle Maneuver, lie with your back on the floor, hands behind your head and elbows spread wide. Keeping your lower back pressed into the floor and abs contracted, crunch across the body—one elbow to the opposite knee. Alternate continuously. This will work more muscles than a standard crunch.

3. Eat Protein.  Protein will allow your body to rebuild muscle after your workouts. Great sources include lean meat, nuts, eggs, cheese and legumes. Another excellent source of protein is a protein shake, which can be one of your 5-6 daily meals. A whey or soy protein powder, when mixed with soy or skim milk, can give you roughly 20 grams of protein. Drink your protein shake at the right time for maximum results.

4. Get Plenty of Rest.  “Fast-track” doesn’t mean you need to work out every single day. If you work the same muscle group two days in a row, you’ll make it hard for your body to recover—which is when the actual muscle development takes place. If you are committed to working out every day, do cardio or active stretching on the days in between your strength training workouts. And make sure you get the right amount of sleep, too, because it’s prime muscle recovery time.

You’ve got a big goal, but it should be easy to get a six pack quickly if you follow these steps diligently. (It will require the same determination to keep that six pack when you return to school, of course!)

Get a six-pack your own way with a little push from 4-Hour Body.

More good reads:

• Are you training your core or your abs?
• Ab-blasting got you sore? How to prevent second-day soreness
• Is Final Phase Fat Loss the ticket to your six-pack?

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

First time hearing about foam rolling? Have you seen one before but couldn’t figure out what the person was doing on it?

Foam rolling has been gaining popularity among fitness professionals and their clients for many years. It allows you to take care of your soft tissue(the tissue that holds your muscle fibers together) without the cost of a massage therapist. There are many benefits to foam rolling and it’s about time everyone took notice and made it a part of their exercise routine.

Foam rolling requires the use of a FOAM ROLLERthat is generally 6” thick and 36” long.  Foam rollers come in different evels. The less dense, the less pressure that will be applied to the muscle. Self massage can be painful when first starting because the fascia is tight, but over time the fascia will release. We always recommend beginning with a less dense roller and working your way up to a denser roller.

Why practice foam rolling? It will help prevent injury and improve recovery from a workout or injury. It can be done before or after a workout and takes between 5 and 10 minutes to complete. It targets areas of overuse or injury and gets the muscle/fascia to release. Basically, you’re ironing out the muscle and fascia to lie properly, which will improve range of motion and posture. Foam rolling is also going to increase blood flow to the areas you’re rolling out, so it’s great to do before you stretch. Some fitness coaches would even tell you that stretching is almost useless without rolling first.

What is the procedure for foam rolling? You’ll be rolling out all the large muscle groups in your body and will need to roll the entire length of each muscle a couple of times. When you find tight areas (called “trigger points”), spend extra time trying to get those muscles to release. You can spend up to 30 seconds on the trigger points.  The focus should be on muscles and not joints. If you are really tight or sore, you can foam roll (self-massage) up to 12 times a day.

Start foam rolling today. Every home, work place and gym should have a foam roller. It is not only great for recovery, but will also give you a greater sense of well-being and relaxation.

Demonstration

Metabolic circuits amplify your workout

Do protein shakes really work?

The secret to to a lean, sexy body

Want to burn fat faster, especially in those trouble spots? Then stop zoning out to the wheeze of the treadmill. It’s time to switch up your routine with metabolic circuits!

“Metabolic circuits are a lot of fun and can really benefit your health and fitness,” says Lori Incledon in her book Strength Training for Women. The fitness world is abuzz over metabolic training because it delivers a super-effective workout for muscle gain AND fat loss. Did we mention you can do a circuit in 30 minutes or less?

“Metabolic conditioning” or “metabolic training” refers to exercise designed to replicate the types of exertion used in sports—high energy, high engagement, total body movements. The “circuit” is simply the cycle of exercises you set up in your routine.

So why does metabolic training lead to increased muscle mass and fat burn?

Reason #1 – Metabolic Circuits Use Resistance Training

“Study after study show health benefits from resistance training,” Craig Ballantyne told The Nate Green Experience. “After all, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that a good superset lifting session works your muscles and cardio-vascular system a lot better than a 30-minute walk in the park.”

As in sports, you’ll be doing some serious muscle multitasking in your circuit. By using compound instead of isolated movements, you work multiple muscle groups for a balanced, full-body workout.

And with brief rest periods, active rest, or simply resting one muscle group while you work the other, you’re able to do even more strength training in a short amount of time.

Increasing your lean muscle mass will accelerate your calorie burn, but to get the full effects, “you need to lift heavy,” says Jade Teta, ND, CSCS. “Your muscles should be burning.” The idea of a metabolic circuit is to get close to muscle exhaustion fairly quickly, so you shouldn’t be able to do 12+ reps in a set. If you can only lift 2-3 reps of a heavy weight while maintaining control and flawless form, that’s fine.

Reason #2 – Metabolic Circuits Get Your Heart Rate High

By incorporating intense bursts of exertion at intervals—2 minutes of jumping jacks, say, or spinning on a bike as fast as you can—you’re getting your heart rate up for great cardiovascular benefits. Alternating between high intensity and low intensity (active rest) keeps your heart rate up, while allowing your body to rest between exercises.

As with the resistance component of your circuit, the goal is to emulate sports training, so focus on intensity over quantity. It’s not as important how long you jump rope, but that you do it as hard as you can. “You shouldn’t be able to talk,” Teta explains. So if you’re chatting with a pal or humming a tune, you aren’t making the most of your circuit.

Reason #3 – Metabolic Circuits Generate Afterburn

Varied, high intensity exercise is proven to create EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), also known as “afterburn.” For one, you’re exerting energy at full capacity, which creates an oxygen debt. And two, the varied movements prevent your body from adjusting to your level of exertion and conserving oxygen (as it would in steady state exercise). So, metabolic circuits increase your energy expenditure during and after training, burning up calories to do so.

Are You Getting Full Metabolic Effects?

“There are four reliable ways to stimulate the maximum caloric burn both during and after the exercise session,” says Teta. “We call these the ‘Bs’ and the ‘Hs’, breathless, burning, heavy and heat. Each workout should work to generate all four of these components.”

In other words, when you finish your circuit you should be wobbly, sweating, striving to catch your breath, and clawing for your water bottle. Your muscles should be fatigued, and if you’re just starting out, you can probably expect a few days of soreness.

You should not be dizzy, faint, precariously wheezing, or on the verge of pulling a muscle. It’s especially important when doing metabolic training to eat right and stay hydrated. You should also prevent soreness with stretching and foam rolling, both before and after your circuit.

Keep Your Circuits Short and Sweet

In your eagerness to get started, be careful not to over-train. If you’re a beginner, ease your way in slowly. Diving into an intense workout could easily cause injury, which is NOT going to get you any closer to your fitness goals. Nor are extended soreness, pain, or an inability to walk for two weeks.

The beauty of metabolic circuits is that they’re designed to be short and sweet, so you don’t need to overdo it. The goal of lifting in your circuit is to expend maximum strength with control and correct form. You’re not going to be able to do that for very long.

To get the most from your metabolic circuits, don’t push yourself beyond your capacity, and always allow adequate rest between heavy workout days. 30 minutes, 2-3 (non-consecutive) days a week should be plenty. And, to start out, 10-20 minutes is just fine.

It only takes a short period of high energy, high effort, total-focus activity to get exceptional fitness results. So set up your metabolic circuit and start reaping the rewards!

Have you tried metabolic circuits? Can they replace cardio in your workout regimen, or do you do both?

Should You Use a Dumbbell or Body Bar in Your Circuit?

Protect Your Muscle Quality for Better Gain

Full Body Licious: 5 Big Fat Female Fitness Myths

Sure, your appearance affects your paycheck. But leave pocket squares and pencil skirts to your coworkers.

You’ll be at the gym, gettin’ fit and impressing your bosses so much you could wear that sweaty Jazz jersey straight to work and they’d still love you.

OK, maybe not.

But here are five ways your rock-solid fitness regimen can definitely help you earn more money at work.

1. Exercise Makes You Look Good

It may not be fair. It may not be right. But it’s been proven: people who are physically attractive make more money.

Does that mean successful women need Manolos and weekly mani-pedis, and guys should stock up on Ray-Ban Wayfarer specs and slim-cut double-breasted jackets?

Nah. That old line about spending money to make money doesn’t apply here. Ultimately, attractiveness is all in how you present yourself.

Being in good physical shape sends a message that you value yourself, so others will too (monetarily and otherwise).

2. Exercise Improves Your Posture

Exercises that lengthen your spine and strengthen your core will make you stand taller, so you in turn appear more confident (cha-ching).

Good posture is one of the easiest ways to gain clout at work, according to U.S. News. It also helps you stay awake during boring assignments.

If your company won’t comp an ergonomic upgrade to your work setup, that’s no excuse to slump into your coffee mug.  Pay for it yourself. Then straighten up and ask for a raise.

3. Exercise Gives You That “Glow”

It’s time to cash in on those exercise endorphins. Exercise increases serotonin in the brain, studies show. It makes you happy, less stressed, more well-rested.

How does being in a good mood fatten your wallet? Three ways:

• Coworkers, clients and higher-ups like you better.
• You feel more optimistic (and thus more likely to ask for a raise).
• People who smile just earn more money.

4. Exercise Makes You Smarter

A perma-smile is only the first step to wooing your superiors. You also have to be good at your job.  Good thing exercise improves mental performance too.

That’s right, you can ditch the “Brain Gyms” already—all fitness is brain fitness, researchers say. Regular workouts will turn you into a detail-oriented, razor-sharp-focused problem-solving machine—especially if you’re doing endurance exercise.

Let other smartypantses sit around doing Sudoku and tracing circles in the air. You’ll be at the real gym, exercising your brain and body at the same time (who’s smart now?) and doubling your earning power.

5. Exercise Makes You Invincible

Healthy lifestyles are more prevalent among the wealthy crowd, research shows. Coincidence? Doubt it.

Exercise improves your physical health and stamina. Once again, that’s more money in the bank x3:

• You won’t have as many sick days. (Bosses like.)
• You’ll be able to handle marathon brainstorming sessions and occasional all-nighters in the cube, no sweat. (Bosses really like.)
• You’ll live longer, so your nest egg will rack up more interest.

I also learned this from fitness trainer Belinda Benn: good, hearty workouts can make you less of a wuss. It does so by increasing your testosterone, so you’re more confident, competitive and ambitious (true for guys and girls).

Gym Time = Job Security

These are all pretty compelling reasons not to let career ambitions get in the way of your fitness regimen, right?

So next time you say you can’t exercise because you have to work, you should probably reshuffle your priorities (or use your noggin). Exercise can do more for your bank account than 12-hour days at the office.

Think of gym time as job security, and a big step toward that bonus.

Then again, maybe you should invest in that pocket square too. With an average yearly household income of more than $80K, GQ readers seem to be doing alright.

More good reads:

• A Trick from Money Magazine Can Help You Get In Shape Faster
• Working Out at Work? The Pros and Cons of “Deskercise”
• 6 Fool-Proof Ways to Exercise Before Work

Strength training is a broad term often used to describe power, strength, and endurance training using resistance. There are many different ways to create resistance in a strength and conditioning program that will develop muscle. Strength training should be done in a methodical way with young athletes because of its impact not only on muscle but many other parts of the body. The following list includes other parts in the body that benefit from strength training:

· Bones- Bones need to be stressed to gain density. There is an old law that has been around since the beginning of time… “We lose what we don’t use.” Simply put, if young athletes aren’t stressing their bones they are not growing stronger and the potential of fractures will increase.

* Tendons/ Ligaments- Tendons are what connect the muscle to the bones, ligaments connect bone to bone. Tendon and ligament injuries are the most common injuries that occur during athletics events.
* Brain- As your athlete’s strength increases through strength training their performance in their sport will improve. Young athletes become more confident success will follow. It will also give the parent, a peace of mind knowing that their young athletes can perform better with less of a chance of being injured.

Young athletes can begin participating in a strength and conditioning program as young as seven or eight years old or coachable. If your child is old enough to participate in sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and gymnastics, then they are ready to begin strength training as long as they are coachable. In fact if your child is involved in these kinds of sports, a strength and conditioning program should be participated in for at least 6-12 weeks a year.

If you feel your child is ready for the challenge and teachable then get them involved in a strength and conditioning program. Keep it safe, keep it fun and these athletes continue strength training throughout their lives and reap the benefits that follow.

In my many failed attempts to lose weight over the years I’ve come across boat loads of free advice.

I’ll tell you what, it’s been worth every penny!

Everybody is an expert when it comes to weight loss. Everyone knows how to lose weight. Ask someone, anyone, “how can I lose weight?” I guarantee you that everybody has an answer. Nobody is going to say “I’m not sure.” The reason everybody has an answer is because different ways to lose weight are pounded into our subconscious every moment of every day. On my morning commute, 2 out of every 5 billboards are weight loss related. There are channels dedicated to weight loss infomercials that run 24 hours a day.

Everyone has an answer.

Which answer is right? I’m not even going to try and answer that question in this post, but over the next few months we are going to begin reviewing different weight loss and exercise programs so stay tuned for that. I know you’ll all be glued to your computer screens when I take my first Zumba class.

I can tell you what doesn’t work though. I’m going to give you five common weight loss myths and I’ll disprove them all in this post. Let’s get started, shall we?

1. Switching to Diet Soda Will Help You Lose Weight – Consuming less calories will help you lose weight is a true statement. Logically, one would think that avoiding calories from soda would help with weight loss. New research however, is showing that diet soda can trigger sweet cravings which could potentially lead to reckless donut consumption. I can tell you from my own experience that switching to Diet soda actually caused me to gain weight. I did a really good job of finding my calories elsewhere when they weren’t coming from my Diet Pepsi.
2. Salads are a healthy choice – For every delicious, nutritious, and waistline-friendly salad out there, there is an evil twin. He wears a lettuce and tomato mask but will occasionally rear his blue cheese full fat dressing when you’re least expecting it. After the initial blow you find yourself inhaling bacon bits and deep fried breaded chicken. 700 calories and 40 grams of fat later, you’re wondering how on earth your you were taken advantage by such a sneaky culprit.
3. Gym memberships are required – I’ve heard the excuse many times. “I don’t have money for a gym pass. I can’t lose weight until I can go to the gym.” My response, “How much does running cost?” Aside from running there are so many exercises that can be done in the comfort of your own home for very little money. A set of small weights, a yoga mat, a jump rope, and an exercise ball can be combined (or used separately) for countless exercises. Check out our Exercise Library for some ideas. We are updating it with more and more exercises every day!
4. Fats are the enemy – In the mid to late nineties, the US went through a low fat phase. Seemingly everything was branded as low fat or nonfat. The problem was that most food producers and manufacturers came up with a fat free product that was loaded with sugar, sodium, and other additives to give the food flavor. The truth is that up to 30% of your diet should come from fats. Try to stick with unsaturated fats found in foods like avocados, nuts, fish, and flax seed oil. Fats are more filling than carbs or proteins and will keep you feeling fuller longer.
5. Don’t eat at night – this is one that I hear people talk about all the time. “I’m going to stop eating after 7:00pm. The myth is that calories after a certain hour somehow turn into super calories that attack our bodies and make us fat. The time you eat doesn’t matter at all. Spacing meals out evenly throughout the day is a good strategy, but more important than when you eat, is what you eat. I would say that eating late at night generally turns out bad because cravings are heightened and we make bad food choices. There is nothing wrong with eating late at night. It will not impede your weight loss.

There you have it, 5 weight loss myths officially busted.

What other weight loss advice have you received that turned out to be complete junk?

More good reads:

• 5 Things Not to Do at the Salad Bar
• Revealed: Why Your Workout is Putting You to Sleep
• 3 Stories We Tell Ourselves to Stay Fat

Listen up, office vultures: if you’ve been feeling a little sore in the neck, shoulders and back lately, you’re ready for some serious upper body stretching. Heaven knows I am. I was surprised to discover how stiff I was when I did Kim Kardashian’s “Fit In Your Jeans by Friday: Amazing Abs Body Sculpt DVD yesterday.

Think you’re amply stretched? Try a little test:

1. Raise your arms above your head.
2. Pinch your shoulder blades back into a ‘V.’
3. Stretch your arms back behind you and twist your palms out.

Are you in pain? Are your arms tingling? Did you just pass out? Yep — it’s time to get stretching and toning. But back up: did I say Kim Kardashian’s upper body workout is the answer to your pain? Maybe. I think I’ve joined the ranks of women who bought the DVD as a joke and ended up agreeing with the Kim Kardashian workout DVD reviews: it’s “a Surprisingly Awesome Hit.”

Here’s why I liked Kim’s workout video (plus a few reasons I didn’t):

Pros

• Kim may be a little slow on the uptake (or downward facing dog), but thankfully, her fitness trainer, Jennifer Galardi, knows what she’s doing. Like the other two DVDs in the Fit in Your Jeans by Friday workout series, it’s a fairly challenging workout.
• The video kicked off with active stretching for the whole upper body, stretching deep into the muscles we tend to ignore (and a lot of yoga instructors do too).
• It’s like watching “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” or “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami” but you’re getting buff at the same time.

Cons

• While I loved the stretching series and arm workouts, it wasn’t my favorite core workout. I didn’t feel the burn in my abs and obliques as much as I do with other core exercises.
• Not as funny, or as fun to do, as the other two Fit in Your Jeans videos.
• Push-ups. Ugh.

Summary

We'll see if another week of KK's DVD can fix this!

Being stuck at the keyboard all day can lead to serious muscle and joint troubles (what the kids are calling “laptop-itis“). But a good workout can elongate your spine, open your chest, improve posture, loosen up the wrists and fingers, and relieve neck and back tension — the gamut of the desk-bound lady’s gripes.

I recommend Kim’s DVD for anyone who wants to improve upper body strength and flexibility. Especially if you like laughing while you work out.

You can also take a yoga class or ‘dynamic sitting class,’ or create your own upper body routine to counteract those long days at the office. Next stop: the government’s guide to creating an ergonomic work station.

So, would you wear a corset to keep your core engaged?

More good reads:

• Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Core
• Abs are Out, Core is In (No Pun Intended)
• Dance Fitness DVDs: Spirit-Finger Fluff or a Solid Workout?

In search of the fountain of youth, many of you have turned to exercise to add as many healthy years to your life as possible. But is what you’re doing at the gym really making you feel younger and more productive? Is just getting your blood flowing enough to make you look  50-going-on-30?

There is no question that exercise is an effective anti-aging tool — but only if used correctly. It should improve your flexibility, posture, cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone. Does your program effectively address all these areas of fitness?

For example, do you do enough strength training to decrease the muscle loss associated with aging? On average, individuals lose up to one pound of muscle every year starting in their early 30′s. Strength training your entire body is essential to maintaining that muscle and keeping  it burning calories.

Anti-aging exercises are designed to increase flexibility and improve posture and strength. In a recent e-newsletter from one of my favorite trainers, Mike Boyle, he criticized the average gym-goer for doing too many bench presses, bicep curls and bike rides. He said these exercises reinforce poor posture that is typical of the elderly: shoulders rolled forward, neck out, bent over at the waist.

To bench press without at least the equivalent number of sets of back exercises will cause your shoulders to roll forward (from those tight pecs) and neck to stick out. If you really want to look young and spry, you might even want to do more sets of back than chest, like John Romaniello recommends in his program Final Phase Fat Loss.

Sometimes the best approach is to get your body in balance and keep that way from the beginning. Mark Verstegan in his book Core Performance coined the phrase pre-habilitation, meaning doing rehabilitation exercise before injury to make sure that all of the joints in the body are functioning correctly.  These exercises focus on stretching and strengthening muscles around the joint to get the joint in balance. The primary areas of focus are the core, shoulders and knees — areas that are commonly injured. Reducing injuries allows you to work out harder and more consistently.

Back to getting your blood pumping: It can have a tremendous effect on your overall fitness if done correctly. The challenge is that too many gym-goers jump on exercise bikes, watch the TV and forget they are even exercising. Not only is the bike hard on your hip flexors, but it puts you back into a seated position — which you spend too much time in anyway! The shortening of your hip flexors can be detrimental to the health of your lower back. Mike recommends cardiovascular exercise that keeps you upright, like walking or running.

You can’t stay young forever, but why not feel like you are for as long as possible? Focus on doing anti-aging-friendly exercises at the gym.

How to Stay Fit in the Cube

Staying Young: 3 Secrets Drug Companies Don’t Want You to Discover

How Do I Get Off This Plateau?!