Kelly Carlson

Like any muscle in your body, the gluteus maximus requires specific exercises to properly tone and sculpt it.  However, there is a greater demand for areas such as the buttocks and the midsection for toning and sculpting regimen and equipment.  Perhaps this is because, these are areas that most people flaunt and most people look at.  The steps in getting your butt toned are not secret.  However, doing it religiously is a different matter.

Routines can be monotonous and may cause you to lose the initial spark and zeal of doing it.  Here are some tips and suggestion on how you can maintain the spark alive especially when you’ve been exercising and the results have yet to be achieved.

First and foremost, keep your body active.  Whether it is a simple walk through the park or a 10 km run, it helps to keep your energy up.  Keeping you body in constant motion will help increase your metabolism and thus help burn more calories.  Most people think that by just doing strength training they can achieve toner buttocks.  However, this is not the case.  A cardio workout is needed to lose all the unwanted fats.  So it’s important to keep your metabolic rate at a healthy level so you can burn more fats and achieve a toner butt.

Be sure to give you body some rest.  Doing strength training butt exercises like squats and lunges can help turn your flabby tushy into a stronger muscle group.  However, it is when you body is resting that actual growing of muscles occur.  So take the time to take a load off your butt so it will develop further.   So heed the advice of many experts to alternate cardio workout with strength training.  You burn while being active and you grow while taking a rest.

Challenge your butt properly.  Start with fewer repetitions and sets and gradually increase the number.  Squatting your way to a firmer and tighter butt is just not the right way to do it.  Your butt can take only so much so determine what is still healthy for you.  The key here is gradual increase.  In the same manner, adding resistance like weights and resistance bands must be done carefully.

A well-planned exercise routine works better than merely tiring your self.  Challenge your butt properly and you will see results.  Workout smarter and achieve more for your butt.

Looking to get six abs? Check out Rev Abs with Brett Hoebel

Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden in Fight Club

So I have been asked a few questions on why every time  I add a picture to my blog post that is just happens to be a beautiful woman.  Hmmmmm, I thought.  Well for one I am a guy. So I said to myself what would be a good subject to write about where I could a picture of some bad ass.  First thing that came to mind was “The first rule about fight club is we don’t talk about fight club”.  Bad ass Tyler Durden from the movie Fight Club.  In case you have been living under a rock for the past 20 years Brad Pitt played Ed Norton’s alter ego in Fight Club.

So is Brad Pitt just genetically blessed or did he have to work to get into this kind of shape?  He worked, he worked real hard. Abs do not pop like that from just doing some simple work out. You really have to push yourself to the limit.  So here is what he did.  We call it the Brad Pitt Fight Club Work Out.

Monday – Chest

3 – 75 Push ups
3 – Bench press 165,195,225 (25, 15, 8 reps)
3 – Nautilus press 80,100,130
3 – Incline press 80,100,130
3 – Pec deck machine 60,70,80

Tuesday – Back

3 – 25 Pull ups
3 – Seated rows 75,80,85
3 – Lat pull downs 135,150,165
3 – T bar rows 80,95,110

Wednesday – Shoulders
3 – Arnold press 55,55,55
3 – Laterals 30,30,30
3 – Front raises 25,25,25

Thursday – Biceps & Triceps
3 – Preacher curl machine 60,80,95
3 – EZ curls cable 50,65,80
3 – Hammer curls 30,45,55
3 – Push downs 70,85,100

Friday
Treadmill 60 minutes 80-90% MHR

Saturday
Treadmill 60 minutes 80-90% MHR

Sunday
Rest Day

Reps Range From 15-25 reps on all exercises and weight is in lbs

One thing to remember is when doing the Brad Pitt Fight Club Work Out you train one muscle group each day and then give yourself the rest of the week to recover. You perform 3 sets and break 50-60 seconds between sets. You should use a weight that you are almost to failure on your last rep. It also help when you are a multimillionaire and you have unlimited resources to spend on personal trainers.

One other thing to remember if you are going to do the”Brad Pitt Fight Club Work Out” your diet will also play a huge key to your success.  You have to eat clean.  5-6 times a day would be optimal.

Can’t afford to spend $100 an hour on a personal trainer? Check out P90X 90 day work out.

Want to to be inspired?  Watch this story of Dick and Rick Hoyt.

Rick was born in 1962 without the ability to talk, walk or barely move. He was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy as a result of oxygen deprivation at birth. Doctors told Dick, Ricks’ dad and his wife to put Rick in an institution, but they brought him home, enrolled him in school and built a special computer that helped Rick communicate. See how this father-son duo started running marathons and why it brings joy to Rick’s life.  Team Hoyt is a truly inspirational story of  father and son. Now they compete in marathons and triathlons all across the country.

In the spring of 1977, Rick told his dad he wanted to help out a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Rick wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit for him.  Dick was no long distance runner but he agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and finished all 5 miles coming in second to last place.  That same night , Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running,it feels like I’m not handicapped”.

Well, that was just the beginning.  Over 1,000 races later, including marathons, duathlons, and triathlons (6 being ironman competitions), Dick and Rick Hoyt have become an inspiration to all.

You can view Team Hoyt’s full story at Team Hoyt.

Shakeology

Time and time again research has shown that there are 13 different nutrient dense foods that tend to promote overall good health.  These “superfoods” are richer in vitamins and minerals, have fewer calories and have a ton of disease fighting antioxidants.

These “superfoods” consist of broccoli, green tea, berries, beans, nuts, oranges, salmon, soy, spinach, tomatoes, whole grains, turkey, and yogurt. These 13 foods will provide a solid base for a new healthy you and have also been known to help with Alzheimer’s, diabetes and hypertension.

It’s just not worth it to have an unbalanced diet.  You will feel lethargic, have low energy, mood swings, weight changes and always feel tired.  Nobody wants to feel like this.  Also an unbalanced diet can cause havoc on the bodies growth and development, body tissue, brain, nervous system and also cause problems with brain and muscle system.  You could also suffer from a weakened immune system which could lead to frequent colds or allergies.

We constantly need to keep feeding the body with these 13 “superfoods” as well as other nutrient dense foods. The body will be nourished and will thank you for it over the long haul.

Many of today’s diets consist of fast food, processed food, prepackaged food or foods that lack the proper vitamins and minerals. It is time to change all that. These 13 “superfoods” can be a great start to a new sound, healthy and nutritious new you.

Everyday add something new from this group to your diet. You will be surprised how fast you will start to notice changes that are not only visible in the mirror.

Don’t have time to put together all these fruits and veggies?  Get it all with Shakeology, the healthiest meal of the day.

P90X "Bring It"

So you have seen the infomercial for the P90X exercise program several times and you are still wondering if you have what it takes to become a P90X graduate. Well what most people do not know is that there are 3 different versions you can follow and there are also modified moves just in case you are not in the best of shape yet.  When I say modified, I mean doing pull ups with the help of a chair or doing push ups from your knees.

The first version is the Classic P90X workout.  This is probably the most popular and from my experience most people do this workout.  You will focus on every muscle in your body as well as doing some cardio, yoga and kenpo.

The second version is the P90X Doubles version.  This version is for those of you who do not mind working out twice a day.  It is basically the same as the Classic version of P90X but once you enter phase 2 you will be adding a cardio workout in the morning and then completing your regular P90X workout in the p.m.  This version is for those who want to get in some extra cardio exercise for weight loss or more improved performance.  You should be injury free and also have the extra time to commit to another workout 3-4 times a week. If you are a pistol full of energy then P90X doubles is for you.  You are only adding in the Cardio X workout and it is the least intense of the P90X series but it still will burn a ton of calories.

The third version if P90X Lean.  This version if for those people who are looking for a more cardio-based workout that is slightly less intense.  Make no mistake.  This version is still very challenging but just another option to suit each individual’s personal goals.  What you sacrifice in strength and speed gains you will make up for in changes in your lean body mass.  The goal in this version is perfecting each movement in the routine as opposed to focusing on weight or resistance.

So what are you waiting for? Start your P90X journey today.

Nik and Taylor

We all know that it is so much nicer when you can get your workout in outdoors instead of being in the basement or at the gym.  It is a great change of pace and it’s nice to feel the sun on your face and take in the fresh air. So here are 5 ways to enjoy the outdoors and burn a ton of calories in the process.

1. Go Hiking in the Woods- Hopefully you live near a state park or metro park where you can go do some hiking.  This burns about 400 calories an hour.  The uneven terrain and the up and down inclines of the land will force you to use more muscle fibers that will engage your core a lot more.  It’s a great change from just walking down the sidewalk and you get to take in the scenery.

2. Go Outside and Wash Your Own Car- Turn on the radio and get washing.  This will burn about 250 calories an hour.  Beats waiting in a long line at the car wash.  Plus you know the job will be done right and you don’t have to worry about your antenna being torn off.

3. Go for a Bike Ride- Biking will strengthen your lungs and your legs at the same time.  Biking is also a great alternative to running or walking, as it is low impact.  Biking burns about 270 calories and hour.  Be safe and be sure to wear your helmet.

4. Cut your Own Grass and Do Your Own Gardening- This is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and relax.  You could burn up to 360 calories an hour just by doing your own yard work.

5. Play Soccer with your Kids- Get a soccer ball and some cones from the local athletic store and set them up in the backyard.  With all that running and flat out sprinting at time you could burn up to 470 calories an hour while putting smile on you kids face.

Be sure to apply the sunscreen before you venture out so you don’t get sunburn.  Enjoy the summer because before you know it winter will be at our doorstep once again. (If you live in the Midwest) Calorie burning examples are based on a 145-pound woman, if you weigh more you will burn more calories.

Want to get extreme and burn up to 100 calories per work out? Check out Shaun T Insanity.