The body you will need in 2010 depends on how you want to live. Do you participate in recreational activities like soccer, swimming, volleyball or basketball? Or, do you need to be able to mow the yard (with a push mower) and trim the hedges? Or, do you just want to be able to walk, jog, stretch out or bend over without pulling or breaking something. And, we all want our bones to be healthy and our joints and muscles to be in fairly good working order.
The way to get the lean and toned body you need is not very complicated. Be consistent with your fitness program.
Here are some tips to get your body lean and toned in 2010:
1. If you want fat loss, weight loss and a lean and toned body then you MUST eat for fat loss! Everyone needs a meal plan! You need to have some sort of idea of what you are going to eat for the day. If you don't have a meal plan, you might eat anything at any time. If you have a plan, you are more likely to follow it or at least eat similar foods. And, record what you eat in a food journal to hold yourself accountable.
2. Burn more fat by working large muscle groups, not by working out longer! Maximize your time in the gym and get the results you want. The quality of your workouts are better than the quantity of your workouts.
Shorten your weight training workouts to 40 minutes (3 days a week) or less and ramp up the intensity. Doing this will give you more fat burn and calorie burn during and after your workout.
Compound strength exercises (with weights or bodyweight) like squats, deadlift, lunges, standing bentover rows, squat-to curl-to press and bench press are great examples. Full-body core exercises like planks and side planks work well also. Spend less time posing on "mirror exercises" like bicep curls, calf raises and tricep extensions.
Do your weight training according to your body type. You can sculpt a sexy body, regardless of your body type. So don't worry, just do the hard work based on your body type (and follow your meal plan).
Jump training (plyometrics) and other high-speed exercises can be incorporated into any workout for all body types. Plyometrics and high-speed training will give your body better definition and give you faster results. That is why athletes’ bodies are so well defined. Good jump training exercises are squat jumps, pike jumps, depth jumps, jump rope and box jumps.
3. Do short, intense cardio workouts (about 20 minutes, 3 days a week). Sprint Intervals or similar cardio exercises activate and shape the bulkier, shapely fast-twitch muscle fibers. This type of cardio will also burn fat and calories like crazy and give you superior heart health.
If you participate in recreational sports, you should do sprint cardio intervals for speed sports such as soccer or basketball. If you play volleyball, jump exercise cardio would work great for you.
4. Walk 30 minutes every day, especially on your non-workout days. Walking helps you to keep an active lifestyle.
Consistently do these things and you WILL have the lean and toned body of your dreams in 2010.
Mark Dilworth, Certified Personal Trainer
Her Fitness Hut http://herfitnesshut.com